Sunday, March 29, 2009

Link and learn: Solar oven from cardboard and tin foil

While raking the surface of my small garden plot the other day I realized two things.

First, I’d added a lot of sawdust from the workshop to the mix in the last few months and I’m not sure if sawdust, soil and my future cherry tomatoes will go together well.


["Experiment with squirrel meat?": photo and article link]

(I’m not much of a gardener, am I? My oldest sister inherited my father’s green thumb; I picked up his scavenger gene, however, and will soon be turning red cedar and black walnut bowls from wood found nearby).

While turning over sod I also noticed that squirrels were everywhere, sitting on fence tops, racing across tree branches and hydro wires, clambering up the fence next to my garden, waiting for me to leave so they could continue to dig new holes in my patch.

I thought, should I trap one? Make squirrel stew? In the solar cooker?

No, I’m not ready yet to experiment with squirrel meat. However, some of my leftover chili (made from my soon-to-be world-famous Firefighter Scourch and Burn recipe) would be nice.

And soon my first solar cooker will be ready for action.

A reader who noticed I’d added ‘solar oven’ to my 2009 ‘green list’ [see right hand margin for full list] supplied a link to his very helpful, hands-on website, www.greenterrafirma.com, and there I found instructions for a cardboard oven.


[Photo from greenterrafirma]

The site’s creator, Bruce Knight, also lists several other worthwhile DIY projects.

Link and learn at your leisure. You could be heating up leftovers, or squirrel stew, within the week.

***

Are there types of sawdust I should not add to my garden?

E.g., red cedar, black walnut?

.

7 comments:

twinkelydots said...

I believe black walnut inhibits the growth of some plants.

You may want to google & see what you find.

At the solar cookoff I've seen cardboard solar ovens. I don't know how well cardboard is going to hold in the heat.

Unknown said...

I thought sawdust was good for the soil, but what do I know! I'd agree with twinkelydots and google anything and everything.

G. Harrison said...

Thanks, twinkelydots and Jane,

Google it is; "black walnut sawdust good or bad for inexperienced gardener", something like that.

The squirrels really like my garden for some reason; all that sawdust may attract them; they may smell a former living room.

GAH

twinkelydots said...

Do you ever wonder how I found you?

See at the top of the page "Next Blog"? I did that and came across you.

Liked what I read so onto my favs you went.

Just thought you should know.

G. Harrison said...

Hi twinkelydots,

That thought crosses my mind sometimes, i.e. how did that person land here?

I often think, they must have searched for certain topics, and I just happened to mention a key word.

The 'next blog' button?

Wow. It almost never enters my mind. I know it exists but seldom use it. I am such a 'routine' guy. A B C etc. (C for coffee every morning).

I'm certainly glad you dropped by and continue to do so. You have a good aim with your comments.

I do live a sheltered life, don't I? Time to break out of the box?

Cheers,

Gord

Theresa said...

I know that not much grows under a black walnut tree, so I would probably not lace the garden area with it, just to be safe. I suppose treated lumber sawdust wouldn't be good either.

I'm sorry you have the digging type of squirrels! Ours are the climbing type, and tend to leave the dirt alone.

G. Harrison said...

Theresa, the squirrels are everywhere. I may expand my 'stew recipe' file to accommodate the little guys.

Squirrel recipes are everywhere too. Chicken, pork and beef have dominated North American plates for many years but other meats may join them in the future.

Cheers,

GAH