As the winter season makes way for spring, your lawn will probably have brown patches of grass. This is a common occurrence, but there is a variety of solutions since the causes are just as numerous. Even if you cannot pinpoint the primary cause of the grass discolouration, the following steps should ease the problem.
Australian millionaire businessman Dick Smith, founder of Dick Smith's Electronics, has launched a campaign (link further down the page) against the common notion touted mostly by governments and big business that endless economic growth linked to population growth is the key to world peace, increased collective wealth, and equality. Instead, he claims that continued population
Heard of the saying, see the forest for the trees? Well, how about see the animals for the vegetables..? Frog on a radish leaf in a raised garden bed (image above) And I'm not just talking about pests either because whilst most gardeners look for pests when they inspect their plants it's often the good animals that
The ethnic minorities in the Sapa region are often looked down upon by the main Vietnamese population, well that's the distinct impression we got from our own observations and comments from our personal tour guide. But despite, or perhaps because of, the harsher living conditions and social isolation these minority groups were often classically attired
With the rise in popularity of this amazing beef snack called biltong you might be wondering how it is different to beef jerky? Well, in a few words I can sum it up like this… Biltong is similar to beef jerky but nothing like it. The other day, I was shocked to see Biltong
When visiting my in-laws last holiday season down in NSW (Bowral to be exact) we went on a small day tour out to a winery for lunch and on the way, we stopped in at Harper's Mansion. A really brief history about Harper's Mansion in Berrima Situated in Berrima approximately 125 kms south of
Rumours of a solar tax on consumers who have installed solar PV systems on their rooftops have been circulating for years but no one really saw this coming. Only a few weeks away from Christmas, Origin Energy (probably the biggest energy company in Australia) have announced a daily meter charge (tax) on their solar customers.
Our old ducted air-conditioning system lasted only 10 years perhaps you could say 8 years if you count its hopeless under performance for the last two years of its service. We installed an Accent ducted air-conditioning unit for over 12K, which back in 2006 was touted as one of the best systems around and being
When Lawrie (CEO Tankvac) contacted me about his self-cleaning water tank system it didn't take me long to realise this was a product/invention worth writing about. If you do have a water tank then keep reading because here is a simple and effective way to keep the inside of your water storage unit clean! Once
Boost your garden insect heroes in numbers through buying them by the thousands online and then releasing these lions of the insect world onto your property for them to attack and feast on garden pests that harm your treasured plants. If you're still using pesticides in your garden to control bugs then you are crazy silly and
I knocked this recipe up to flavour our cured olives last weekend from freshly grown ingredients out of our backyard and the taste was sensational so I thought I would share it with you in this short article. I can't say the herb/spice mix was my idea as to be honest I copied it from a mix I
Bio washing detergent is it required? So you find your clothes are just not getting clean enough using a bio washing detergent? Well, you can still use most standard washing detergents even if your property uses an envirocycle or similar septic system for your household’s sewage and waste water. You’re probably familiar with warnings not
This is my first article on Self Sufficient Me (SSM) so let me begin by extending a warm welcome and sincere thanks to you for visiting SSM and I hope this will be the start of many returns by you as we explore the realms of self sufficiency. I have been interested in self sufficiency
Australia and many other countries around the world are currently debating man made pollution, in particular carbon, the effects these pollutants have on our environment and how we can stop or at least quell the amount released into the air in the future. Carbon Debate Before I get into talking solar, I would like to
Introduction This article is about tuning back-in to the nature around us and how we can learn about doing that by looking at self sufficient cultures (like the Australian Aboriginal). Also, in this article I explain how a survival course taught me about bush tucker and self sufficiency. Survival Course in the NT One of
The act of preservation through drying is one of the most popular methods of keeping food for extended storage. Dehydration naturally (by sun or air) or artificially ( by a drying device) allows us to grow or acquire a surplus product in season and then have the opportunity to consume that product at a much
Introduction Jalapeno chillies are one of the most famous and well known chillies in the world and it's for good reason. Here are some reasons why we should grow jalapenos: They germinate easily from seed (where other chillies can be temperamental). The plant isn't large so pots and small spaces are fine. It fruits quickly
This is just a short article on how to quickly preserve excess jalapenos (and other chillies) through pickling. So if chillies through winter are difficult to grow where you are, then pickling them to save for the cooler times of the year is the way to go. Pickled Jalapeno Chillies in Jars Step 1
This article was revised on 05 Feb 2017. Biltong is a South African type of dried/dehydrated meat introduced/founded by the early Dutch settlers. The name is derived from two words “bil” – meaning buttock (the buttock, rear, or rump of the beast) and “tong” – meaning strip (the cut of meat in strips). The purpose
With the Labor Party's Government insulation scheme failure here in Australia still fresh in everyone's psyche, the solar power industry seems set to be the next simple household energy saving industry to become a complicated mess. Home electricity disconnections on the rise The cost of electricity is soaring and electricity disconnections are at an all
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
