At Upcycle and Company, you know how adamant we are about saving money when we garden. We like saving money almost as we like saving space. That’s why I was so excited to stumble upon John Kohler’s post at Growing Your Greens when he went to the 99 Cent Only Store to find himself the […]
At Upcycle & Company, we believe that sustainability starts at home. And that doing it right means doing it locally. That’s why we’re rabid fans of the “Grow Food, Not Lawns” movement. It’s also the primary reason Native Soil is sourced 100% locally in Southern California. We’re adamant about giving the 38 billion gallons of […]
Fire cider is one of those home remedies that people swear by. There are some serious health benefits of fire cider to be sure. The ingredients call for horseradish, a known antibacterial agent, and ginger, one of just about every Mom’s favorite anti-nausea remedy. The problem with fire cider is that for all of its […]
It seems like everyone has fallen in love with all things “organic.” But why? The organic industry has convinced the average consumer that if a product is stamped with that “USDA Certified Organic” label, it implies that the product is healthy. That the product is somehow free of factory farming practices, chemicals, pesticides, and carcinogens. […]
One of the most enjoyable parts of having a home garden is the harvest. You’ve survived the pests, watered correctly, balanced the nutrients with Native Soil, and now is the time to reap the glory. Now, since you’re growing naturally at home, your vegetables aren’t going to last all that long. How much kale […]
Outside efficacy, my favorite benefit of Native Soil is that it is 100% local upcycled waste. Sustainability is extremely important to the team at Upcycle. If it wasn’t sustainable, we wouldn’t do it. One of the first questions I get asked is how you found your way to making fertilizer. Our friend Rob Greenfield helped make that […]
Sun-dried tomatoes are a real treat but they are expensive to buy at the store, so we made a nice big batch of cheap sun dried tomatoes right from our own garden. They’re easy to make. Let me show you how. Preparation for Cheap Sun Dried Tomatoes Wash the tomatoes in your sink first, of course, and […]
At Upcycle, we’ve been ecstatic with the #UrbanGardening movement. The idea that you have be in possession of large swaths of land in order to grow your own food is as antiquated as harvesting by hand. The biggest issue most people run into when trying to do a little urban gardening is that the soil, […]
San Diego may have amazing weather, great tourism, and a laid back vibe, but what it does not have is quality soil. Aside from the river bed in mission valley, the landscape here is primarily decomposed granite or clay. Not exactly the most hospitable, inviting environment to grow healthy vegetable plants. Well, any plants […]
While Upcycle and Company creates sustainably sourced fertilizer from upcycled waste that is dynamite, we know it isn’t the only piece to the puzzle. One of the most popular vegetables to grow in any backyard or patio garden is the humble, yet versatile, tomato. With its lycopene density, not only is it one of the […]
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the Sun is going to set slightly earlier and the heat index is climbing steadily here in San Diego. As of the date of this publishing, California isn’t currently in a drought, but that doesn’t mean that conserving water, especially in our garden landscaping isn’t important. Saving water […]
One aspect of living and working in San Diego is the ability to grow basically anything year round. We don’t really have “garden seasons” like the pour souls in other parts of the country. Our Mediterranean climate means not having to worry about little worries like frost, snow, tundra… you get the point. Even so, […]
We’ve been pretty adamant at Upcycle and Company that just about anyone can be a gardener. One of the most common objections we hear from people who would love to grow their own food, but they’re convinced they don’t have space. No outside yard means no growth in their minds. Well, they couldn’t be further from […]
As Americans, we have developed a bad habit of not really watching what goes into our bodies as fuel. We tend to eschew this part of our daily routines. So busy that we run out of the house without eating breakfast, subsisting on coffee and donuts until the mid afternoon when we break for a […]
Let’s talk about soil quality for a moment. It’s actually quite an exciting subject since, without healthy soil, you aren’t going to produce the quality food that you’re aiming for. In urban environments, there are extra pollution sources that not only erode the soil but deposit unhealthy chemicals. Therefore it is important that every home […]
WA balcony herb garden is a great, fun, way to get started growing your own healthy food at home. Now, we’ve gone over the basics of balcony herb gardens before, when we touched on how to grow vertically in small spaces to maximize your output, but now we’re going to talk a bit about actually […]
Bountiful Gardens in Tiny Spaces – A Profile I’ve really been digging the work being done over at SpacesTV lately. That YouTube channel is giving a good deal of coverage to one of our favorite topics here at Upcycle & Co, balcony gardening and tiny gardens. Just because you don’t have much space doesn’t mean […]
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse What do we mean when we say “put waste to work?” Making waste work for all of us is at the core of our operating philosophy at Upcycle & Co. Let’s face it, human beings create a lot of waste. Be that food waste, regular garbage, yard waste or, well, waste waste, we […]
Let’s be honest. Superfoods are amazing when it comes to nutrient content, complete proteins, and what they can potentially do for your health. As amazing as superfoods are, they’re incredibly expensive. Just walk down the aisles of any Whole Foods or other health conscious grocery store, and you’ll walk away with a bit of sticker […]
Gardening at home, growing your own food, is an extremely rewarding and almost spiritual experience. That being said, for the beginner gardener, or the gardener with little space, it can seem like a large, messy, daunting task. That’s why we at Upcycle recommend getting your hands dirty a little bit at a time. One great […]
If you don’t know the joy of growing your own food because you’re short on space, don’t be alarmed. At Upcycle we think everyone should be growing their own food and that it can be done in the smallest of places. Now, you may have tried your hand at putting a few potted balcony plants […]
In our last post we discussed the value of vertical gardening in creating a balcony garden. Balcony gardens aren’t the only small garden ideas. We like the idea of taking old materials and re-purposing them for our gardening needs. After all, that’s exactly what we’re doing at Upcycle. Putting waste to work. The best small garden […]
Grow a Ton of Food in a Tiny Space with a Balcony Garden At Upcycle we really enjoy growing food with Native Soil. One of the concerns we hear most often is that many people don’t have enough space for a big home garden. It is a problem especially among the young, or those living […]
Gardening isn’t just fun; it also has many practical benefits. Whether veggies or flowers are your passion, the very act of creating a garden is immensely rewarding. Adding seasonal gardening to the mix will keep give you a reason to keep in your mind in harmony with the seasonal changes. It can even help with […]
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero Seems simple enough right? Sometimes life can become too complicated, so over complex that it becomes necessary to pare down to the basics. A garden and a good book. We can get on board with that sentiment. Sage […]
If you’ve heard us say it once, you’ve heard us say it a thousand times. At Upcycle, we believe in producing locally. While we have created Native Soil, in part, to help individuals create their own healthy food in their own homes using locally sourced material, deep down, we know this idea is good for […]
Why Grow Vertically? Ripening vertically maximizes developing room, increases furnishes, and shortens pest and malady difficulties. In short, you need to create a vertical grow in your home garden, especially if you have limited space. In today’s 2 hour tip, I’ll picture you how we moved these heavy function trellises that can support […]
As we like to say here at Upcycle, getting the soil chemistry right is the bedrock of gardening success. If the plants can’t get the right nutrients, there’s no way you’re going to get a healthy result. The problem is that not all soil is created equal. Here in San Diego we have massive amounts […]
A novice gardener needs to remember that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Gather some ideas for planning your garden, whether it will be for home or back yard use. You can determine all the things that you need so that you don’t waste any money on equipment that isn’t needed, […]
Gardening is a natural process that brings the body and mind into alignment with nature. There’s something so satisfying about watching your garden bloom from the seed into maturity. The insights here can help you get going and answer a lot of questions you may have. Listed below is some very valuable advice that will help […]
A huge variety of wonderful gardening resources exist. You could spend an entire day online looking for the gardening information you need. This article will give you all of the advice you need in order to get started even if you’re a newbie gardener. Continue reading in order to get this advice. Know thy Soil […]
When I first got into gardening I thought it was as simple as put some seeds in some dirt, add some water and wait a few months for a salad. I had no idea that you need to make sure your soil chemistry is top notch to ensure top notch results. Here are some basic […]
Gardening is an activity you can pursue if you want to have tasty fruits and veggies sprouting to maturity just outside your house. There’s nothing quite like going outside and grabbing some toppings for your salad, or better yet the whole salad. This article can give you practical gardening advice that can help you get more […]
One good way to have a steady supply of healthful, fresh vegetable is to develop a backyard (or anywhere) garden. It does take some time and effort, though. You also have a wide variety of seeds that you can select from. Enjoying your own healthful produce grown from the seed is extremely rewarding. The following article […]
Gardening may seem very involved and confusing, but if you put in a little study and a lot of practice, you will soon know your way around. I know San Diego is rarely considered a true “city,” but there are a lot of urban spaces that are crying out for healthy gardens. Fortunately, you have […]
In the world of healthy gardening, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced healthy gardeners alike. There are many e-guides, books, videos, and other resources available. This set of perfect gardening ideas contain some of the best advice for helping a good healthy gardener become a great healthy gardener. Don’t Let Pests Stall Your Garden […]