How to Build an Eco-friendly House

February 11, 2016 by Aouad Abdessamad

If you are building a new house, you may be concerned with a lot of things, such as maximizing floor space and minimizing noise, but the latest architectural trend is making sure that new buildings are environmentally friendly. In fact, new houses in many areas actually have to meet certain environmental criteria. Even if you do not need your house to check any boxes, then you may still want to consider building in some of these features to help to make your home more environmentally friendly. Many of these tips are also low cost, so you won’t have to blow your budget in order to save the Earth.

How to Homestead

January 18, 2016 by Aouad Abdessamad

Ever since the days of the early European settlers in America, homesteading has been an integral part of American life. Because the idea was originally used to help to populate the country and lay claim to the wild frontiers, the popularity of homesteading waned in the early-Twentieth century. However, homesteading has now taken on a whole new meaning and has regained its popularity in many states.

What is Homesteading?

In the twenty-first century, homesteading has now changed to represent a type of self-sufficient lifestyle which involves (almost) no reliance on outside organizations for food, clothing, property maintenance and many other aspects of home and lifestyle. This builds on a philosophical idea that to have true ownership of your lifestyle and property, then you should earn this ownership by laboring. Many people believe that living independently from the government or the economy will help them to maintain stability if there is a national crisis. Despite their attempts at self-sufficiency, most modern homesteaders choose to maintain a positive relationship with the wider community. This means that it is technically possible to “homestead” in urban areas, so it is not necessary to move out to the wilderness if you wish to homestead.

Natural Garden Pest Control

May 27, 2014 by Aouad Abdessamad

Natural garden pest control comes with a wide range of benefits and there are so many reasons why you should try it. Besides being an inexpensive way of keeping pests out of your farm, it is much safer to the environment, your garden, you and your family. And besides, some of the natural methods used to control pests are even much more effective than applying pesticides not to mention the serious risks that these pesticides have on your health and the environment at large.

Natural prevention measures- organic gardening

Perhaps the easiest ways of ensuring that your garden is not invaded by pests is to discourage these pests from coming into your garden in the first place. As every pest control expert will tell you, a healthy garden has the best defense against pests. To achieve this, start by pulling out those weak plants because chances are high they might already be attacked by pests or attached by other diseases. Focus more on building healthy soil organically by use of natural composting methods such as top- dressing the soil with natural fertilizer and compost and mulching. Other preventive measures include disinfecting your tools before attending to your garden, keeping foliage dry, minimize pest habitat and rotate and interplant crops in your garden.

some of the natural methods used to control pests are even much more effective than applying pesticides

Organic gardening is ideally done at the backyard with an understanding that healthy and happy plants in good and highly nutritious soil helps a lot in prevention of harmful insects and most diseases. While organic gardening doesn’t necessarily eliminate all pests in the garden as most pesticides do, it is always very important that the garden is kept watered, mulched, and clean of debris and weeded in order to prevent many pest related problems.

Introduce beneficial insects

There are some beneficial insects, which prey on pests and they can save you from having to use pesticides in your garden. While you can attract these insects naturally in your garden, some are also available for purchase from catalogues and play on harmful pests, insects and their larvae. Some of these very beneficial insects include ladybugs, brachnoids and Ichneumon wasps, Lacewings, Hover- flies, praying mantis and nematodes among others.

Garden ‘mini- in sectary’’ is something else that you should consider also. This refers to the setting up of a small piece of your garden and designing it in a way that it is capable of attracting and harboring beneficial insects. Such ‘good’ insects prey on a wide range garden insect pest thus providing the gardener with a natural, safer alternative to pesticides.

Homemade and non- toxic remedies

Besides being inexpensive, homemade remedies for pest control are preferred by many since you will know exactly what you are putting to your garden. These homemade sprays are quite effective and offer very good results when are used for controlling harmful insects. These remedies are made with natural ingredients and these means that they are non- toxic such as cayenne, garlic, horsetail or stinging nettles. You simply dilute these waters and spray them on your pests which kill the pesticides. It is essential that you spray the plants very well including below the leaves since this is where most of the pests hide.

How to Build an Eco-friendly House