Scatty.com

Author: scatty

5 Ways To Help Your Car Last Longer And Break Down Less

Posted on by scatty

Your car is an important investment. A well cared for vehicle will get you where you need to go, where ever that may be. Knowing how to take care of your vehicle can extend its service life and help you maintain its value. Whether you’ve just bought a new car, or a new pre-owned vehicle, these five tips can help keep your car in the best condition possible. 

1. Read the Owner’s Manual

Reading the owner’s manual can help you understand more about how to maintain and use your car properly. Many people never think to read the owner’s manual, and thus miss out on important information that can extend the service life of their vehicle.

You don’t have to read your owner’s manual cover to cover, but pay close attention to the portions that discuss regular maintenance and best practices. While you’re doing this, you may also learn some interesting details about your car’s features!

2. Never Miss an Oil Change

Oil keeps your car moving by lubricating moving parts and reducing friction. Without fresh oil and regular oil changes, your vehicle will wear down its parts quickly and may break down. 

There are a variety of different oils in your vehicle that need to be maintained, including engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, break fluid and more. While it’s important to ensure that your engine oil stays fresh, it’s also important to keep up with these other fluid changes as well.  

When you take your vehicle in for oil changes, get your car checked for other problems like worn brake pads, filter changes and more. Doing all of this work at the same time is efficient for you, and good for your vehicle. 

3. Replace Brake Pads When It’s Time

Brakes get worn out periodically, and need to be replaced before they get too worn. How quickly your brake pads get worn out depends on how you drive, where you drive and the quality of your brake pads.

Most cars have an indicator light that reveal when brakes need to be replaced, but usually the first sign that brakes need service is a squealing noise when the brakes are depressed. You may also hear a grinding noise, or feel a vibration when using the brakes. Replace the brake pads when it becomes important. 

4. Change Filters As Needed

Change your air filter and oil filter as needed. Your mechanic will likely check your filters on a regular basis, as you bring in your car for oil changes and other service. Avoid the temptation to put off filter replacement to save money, and avoid using cheap filters. Filters capture impurities and keep them out of your car’s fuel, oil and more.  

5. Use Your A/C Periodically

Car air conditioner systems tend to leak refrigerant, especially if they’re not used frequently. Use your A/C occasionally throughout the year, even at colder times, to keep your A/C system in good condition. 

Keep It Up for the Life of Your Vehicle

One of the things about car maintenance that you can’t forget is that your vehicle needs care throughout its service life. Maintaining a regular maintenance schedule will help you take better care of you care. Mark your calendar with days to get your vehicle’s oil changed, windshield wipers replaced and so on. 

5 Principles Of Kitchen Decor, From Counter Tops To Cupboards

Posted on by scatty

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the space where families gather, where friends congregate and where delicious food is created. Maintaining an attractive kitchen makes spending time in the kitchen a more rewarding and enjoyable experience.

It’s also worth noting that the more organized and attractive your kitchen is, the easier it is to create tasty dishes. Below, we’ve listed five things you can do to make your kitchen more attractive and more functional. 

1. Preserve Your Counter Space

Counters are the most valuable surfaces in your kitchen. Counter space that’s taken up by cooking utensils and other forms of clutter can make cooking more difficult. Use magnetic tools and racks to create places where you can store cooking tools on the walls of your kitchen.

Hide countertop appliances in your cabinets, and only bring them out when they’re needed. If your countertop appliances are used frequently, put them in places where they’re easy to access. 

2. Make Space with Hideaway Furniture

Using hideaway furniture like backless barstools that can be stored under your overhanging countertops ensures that your kitchen will have more floor space. Choose kitchen furniture wisely to ensure that you’ll have space for entertaining and space for family members to walk through the kitchen when the room is being used.  

3. Establish a Kitchen Triangle

The term kitchen triangle is a reference to the ideal layout of three important stations within the kitchen. A well-designed kitchen triangle creates flow between the stove, sink and refrigerator, enabling for easy work in your kitchen area. The kitchen triangle requires these three stations to be laid out in a triangle format for easy access while cooking and cleaning.

Establishing a kitchen triangle is something that’s best done when you’re remodeling your kitchen. If you’re moving fixtures and features of your kitchen, keep the triangle in mind. The triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet on each side, and the perimeter should be between 13 and 26 feet. 

4. Use Neutral Colors to Maintain a Tidy Appearance

Neutral colors like gray, white and cream make your kitchen look more attractive. White and cream in particular make your kitchen seem bright and spacious, especially when paired with good artificial lighting and natural daylighting. Paint your kitchen in neutral colors and decorate with matching neutrals. 

If you’re remodeling your kitchen, use a neutral-colored backsplash tiles and cabinetry to maintain a consistent color scheme throughout. Work with your contractor to install natural flooring, such as hardwood, to work with this color scheme. 

5. Only Display Your Most Attractive Kitchenware

If you have open shelving and cabinet display cases, choose the most attractive kitchenware you own to put on display. Be sure to choose kitchenware that matches.

Place the rest of your kitchenware in cabinets where they cannot be seen. Hiding the rest of your kitchenware allows you to keep mismatched plates and cups in a location where they won’t become an eyesore.

Not sure what else you can do to make your kitchen more attractive? Work with a professional contractor or interior designer to ensure that your kitchen looks its best.  

5 Things To Know Before Your Motorcycle Travel Adventure

Posted on by scatty

Going on a motorcycle road trip can be the experience of a lifetime! From feeling the cool breeze on your skin to seeing some majestic scenery, there really isn’t anything like it. However, while these trips are always incredible, you never know when something can go wrong. To lower the chances of experiencing a problem, make sure you know what to expect.

Keep reading to learn 5 things to know before embarking on your motorcycle travel adventure.

Know how to pack effectively

If you’re about to ride off on your first motorcycle road trip, you may have no idea what to pack. For starters, it’s important to understand how to pack lightly. On many occasions, people pack way more than they need for their first motorcycle adventure. Not only does this take up valuable space on your bike, but it can also weigh you down. The heavier your bike is, the more you pay in gas. If you need more room, consider purchasing a luggage carrier that attaches to your bike. As far as what to pack, only carry the essentials, including clothes for unexpected weather.

Understand how exhausted you might be

Especially if this is your first motorcycle road trip, make sure you understand how tiring the venture can get. While you won’t be running up a mountain, riding a motorcycle takes a lot out of you—much more than driving a car. That said, be sure to plan for breaks and rest stops. This is even more important if you’re riding in extremely cold or hot weather, as these conditions can wear you out faster. Also, staying hydrated is vital. Not drinking enough can make you feel fatigued and even lightheaded, so it’s best to stay hydrated at all times. If you don’t enjoy stopping for water breaks, invest in a hydration pack.

Know the best time to grab food

While staying hydrated is essential, eating right is also highly important. Unless you pack your own meals, you’ll want to understand when and where you’ll stop for food. If you want to get back on the road quickly, it’s best to stop at off-peak eating hours. For example, grab lunch at 10:30 am instead of noon. This lowers the chance of experiencing large crowds and long wait times at restaurants. This is even more important if you’re driving on a busy highway. If there are only a few restaurants along the road, these may be packed during normal eating hours.

Understand your riding limits

It’s important to never overdo it on your motorcycle. If you’re planning a long-distance ride, make sure you understand how many miles you can drive each day. This number largely depends on your preferences and experience level. While some riders have no trouble venturing 1,000 miles in 24 hours, this can be a massive challenge for beginners. If you’re just starting out, consider riding about 150 miles/day until you build up endurance. As you get more comfortable, around 300 miles/day should be your goal.

Know the right tools and items to bring

You would hate to be in the middle of nowhere without the right tools. To ensure a safe and stress-free trip, understand which tools and items to take on your ride. This list should include a tire-plug kit, air pump, earplugs, extra gloves, wrenches, sockets, headlamps, flashlights, a Swiss Army knife, and a stocked first aid kit.

Going on a motorcycle adventure can be life-changing! By understanding the points above, you can stay safe and make the most of your trip.

5 Crazy Facts About NYC

Posted on by scatty

Impress your friends with your knowledge of these crazy facts about New York City.

1. New York Food Firsts

Food inventions that come from New York include:

  • English muffins
  • Spaghetti and meatballs
  • Eggs benedict
  • Pasta primavera
  • Ice cream cones

Pizza is not a New York invention. It came from Italy. However, New York-style pizza-by-the-slice is world famous. The first American pizzeria, Lombardi’s Pizza, located at 32 Spring Street, opened in 1905 and is still operating.

2. Weird Freedoms and Bizarre Laws

New York has a history of weird laws and unusual freedoms. This problem happens because many regulations become part of the legal record, and there is no process to review and remove them. Once a law exists, it may stay on the books forever, even if it seems absurd.

  • Going topless, for all sexes, is legal in public.
  • Showing your breasts in public is no problem; however, if a man wears a suit jacket, his pants must match.
  • Honking is illegal, and so is farting while in church. It seems like these laws are never enforced.
  • It is against the law to take a stroll on Sunday with an ice cream cone in your pocket.
  • You might get a fine for having an illegal puppet show in your window.
  • There is no peeing on pigeons allowed in Central Park.
  • It is illegal to let your donkey sleep in your bathtub.

3. Strange Items at the Library

The New York Public Library has many strange and weird things in its archives, which include:

  • A collection of human hair with some locks from Wild Bill Hickok, Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), and Walt Whitman
  • A letter opener made from the paw of Charles Dickens’ favorite cat
  • Jack Kerouac’s boots, cigarette lighter, harmonicas, and a postcard where he wrote “blood” using some of his blood

4. Mole People

“Mole People” are homeless people who live underground in abandoned subway tunnels, railway tunnels no longer in use, airshafts, and the sewer system. There are nearly 60,000 people who sleep each night above ground in the homeless shelters provided by the city. No one knows exactly how many homeless people live underground, but the number must be huge.

The so-called “Freedom Tunnel” is packed with people. In 1980, Amtrak stopped using this tunnel for its railway line. Homeless people have used the 2.6-mile-long tunnel ever since.

There is a book about them called Tunnel People written by Teun Voeten and a documentary film called Dark Days that UK filmmaker Marc Singer produced.

5. Missing Persons

Each year there are over 13,000 missing-persons reports in New York City. Most are found, yet hundreds become added to the group of long-term missing persons when they are missing for two months or longer. Even more strange are the thousands of records of unidentified persons. These bodies the police find, and nobody knows who they are.

The New York Department of Medical Examiner works to help identify the bodies of the “Jane” and “John Does” to determine who they are. They ask families of missing persons across the country to send samples for potential DNA matching and give information for identification purposes only.

The Medical Examiner’s staff does the difficult forensic work to determine who the police just pulled out of the East River, floating face down.

5 Surprisingly Motivating Philosophers

Posted on by scatty

Great philosophers ponder many things. They are known for their brilliant insights. Some philosophers’ insights may help with your motivation to achieve life goals in surprising ways.

Aristotle

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 to 322 BC), who studied under Plato, proposed the concept that having a purpose causes a person to take action. This motivation is what we now call having a purposeful life.

Regarding motivation, Aristotle said, “Pleasure in the work puts perfection in the job.” and “Well begun is half done.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803. He led the transcendentalism movement in America and published its journal, The Dial. The movement refused to accept any authority other than themselves. He wrote the book called, Self-Reliance. He believed that each person must make their own decisions about religion, humanity, and the world.

Emerson said, regarding motivation, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau, born on July 12, 1817, was an American author and philosopher. He promoted transcendentalism, which considers people to be inherently good. He lived in a shack next to a pond on a piece of land owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote the book “Walden.” The book is about his deep connection with nature and the benefits of having a simple life.

He also wrote an essay, “Civil Disobedience,” which explains his belief in disobeying the rules of an unjust government. He was against slavery and went to jail for not paying his taxes. Luckily, his relatives bailed him out and paid his back taxes.

Thoreau recommended living simply in a natural setting. He said, “What you get from achieving your goals is not as important as what you become from achieving your goals. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”

Confucius

Confucius was a philosopher from China who lived around 550 B.C. He is known for his many wise sayings. His wisdom spread worldwide and is the source of many popular expressions in America, even when people do not realize that he said it, such as “Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Confucius also said, “You are what you think.”

In terms of using motivation to achieve life goals, Confucius said, “When it becomes obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Edwin A. Locke

Edwin A Locke was born on May 15, 1938. In the 1960s, he built a goal-setting theory of motivation based on Aristotle’s premise that motivation creates action. Dr. Locke’s philosophy was that setting goals and receiving feedback leads to better performance.

To achieve life goals, a person must first set them. In Dr. Locke’s research, he found that few people bother to set any goals at all. Dr. Locke worked for many years with Dr. Gary Latham to determine the five elements that are needed to achieve life goals, which are:

  1. Clarity: Goals need to be clearly understood.
  2. Challenge: Goals need to be difficult to achieve.
  3. Commitment: There is significant willpower required to work toward a goal.
  4. Feedback: Analyze progress and accomplishments to look for ways to improve.
  5. Task complexity: Allow plenty of time to achieve complex goals.

10 Popular Pick-Up Lines You Probably Shouldn’t Actually Try In Real Life

Posted on by scatty

Pick-up lines can be stupid, funny, and occasionally effective. Where the 2020s require greater authenticity, we often think of the 80s and 90s when remembering the hilarity of using pick-up lines. Anyone that ever watched Friends or Seinfeld remembers some epically funny pick-up lines.

Here’s a classic. George from Seinfeld goes up to a woman at the diner and says, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice you looked in my direction.” The woman says, “Yes, I was looking at your food. You ordered the exact same thing as me.” George thinks for a second and replies, “My name is George, I’m unemployed, and I live with my parents.”

So there are many pick-up lines that might be just as bad, and you probably shouldn’t try them. In that Seinfeld episode, George is successful, making it hilarious, but don’t expect any of these next ten to go well.

Is your name Google? Because you have everything I have been searching for.

OK, it’s a little nerdy and certainly bold, but it makes you cringe, right? There is a slight chance it’d work for online dating instead of the totally horrific “Hi,” but it’s still a very slight chance. 

I’ve lost the loving feeling. Will you help me find it again?

Using a Righteous Brothers song that was used as a pick-up line in Top Gun? No! Singing it like Top Gun? An even bigger no. Don’t expect this to go well unless your target has no clue about Top Gun.

I’m glad I have my library card because I’m totally checking you out.

Think about a guy with his disco shirt unbuttoned halfway down, chest hair peaking out, or a skateboarder that isn’t too bright in an early 90s movie. Do you have the vision yet? Yeah, that’s the same one she’ll have and that’s not a positive thing guys.

For the ladies, this could work on a guy. No male ego can resist being checked out.

If women were boogers, I’d pick you first.

Does this even need a comment? No it does not.

Baby, If we came to some agreement you’d be the fine print.

It could take the object of your affections a few seconds to associate fine print with fine. Not good. You need an immediate laugh. Also, it might be a little early for “baby” unless you are at a disco in 80’s Miami.

You’re so sweet; you’re giving me a toothache.

What’s a possible response to this? “How do you know I’m sweet?” It could work after chatting for a while though.

Do you know what’s on the menu? Me ‘N’ U.

Oh, it’s so bad. Doesn’t it make your soul ache that someone might say that? Also, if you say this, how does anyone know it’s the letters N and U?

Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?

One possible answer is, “That you go away, arrogant fool.” Alladin will fulfill that.

The outfit looks great on you. It’d look even better at the foot of my bed.

No! Never! If you get slapped, don’t say you weren’t warned.

You know, I’m not really this tall. I’m just sitting on my wallet.

Unless you’re short and drinking the cheapest beer in the bar, this line only says arrogant and focused on all the wrong things. Abort, abort, abort!

Well, those are just ten of the worst. Indeed, it could go on and on. We are in an era of more sincerity and value, but flattery is still effective. Maybe tone it down a bit and just say, “You’ve caught my attention and I’d love to get to know you.”

5 Tips To Raise Your Profile On Twitter

Posted on by scatty

So your Twitter account isn’t growing as quickly as you’d like it. That’s okay—chances are, you’re missing out on some simple yet significant ways to boost your visibility, increase engagement, and attract more followers.

Wondering where to start?

We’ve got you covered with this roundup of tried and tested tips for raising your profile on Twitter.

1. Tweet often

Twitter is a seriously fast-moving platform. While inundating followers with posts carries a risk of alienating your followers on other platforms like Facebook and Instagram, this isn’t a concern on Twitter.

In fact, according to CoSchedule data, the optimal number of tweets for a business is 15 per day! 

While this may be on the more excessive side for a personal account, you get the point: More is better when it comes to building your profile on Twitter.

2. Tweet at the right times

It’s not just about how much you post, but also when you post. Research suggests that the best time to tweet is weekday mornings when people are first waking up and scrolling through the feeds.

On the other hand, Saturday is typically regarded as the worst day for posting.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tweet on a weekend; however, you might consider reserving your best and most important tweets for plum time spots.

3. Retweet relevant content

Retweeting other users’ content is a useful strategy for several reasons. For starters, it helps you maintain your presence on Twitter even when you aren’t creating your own content.

Not only that, but if you are diligent about only retweeting relevant content, you’re also adding value demonstrating your authority—which helps build trust and loyalty. Time is a precious commodity. Mindfully curated retweets demonstrate your commitment to not wasting it.

Finally, retweeting relevant content is also an excellent way to enhance your visibility for the simple reason that when you retweet someone’s content, they’re likely to retweet yours, too.

4. Make it interactive

Boosting your presence on Twitter isn’t just about the content you tweet and retweet. It’s also about generating audience engagement.

Interactive content is one of the most powerful ways to engage followers. Games, contents, challenges, posts, questions, and polls are all proven strategies for motivating people to engage with your tweets.

One easy yet effective prompt?  “Retweet, like, or follow to enter.”

5. Make it visual

We often think of Twitter in terms of words—or character count, more specifically. However, if you’re not integrating images and videos into your Twitter strategy, you’re missing out on some major engagement potential.

In fact, Twitter has determined that tweets with photos and videos are 35 percent more successful than solely text-based posts. In addition to your own photos and videos, attention-grabbing visual content options include motivational quote posters, amusing memes, and useful infographics.

One last thing to keep in mind? The key to making the most of these and other Twitter strategies is to track, measure, and correct. The right metrics make it easy to understand which efforts are getting the best results so you can replicate them moving forward.

5 Ways To Raise Your Brunch Game

Posted on by scatty

Brunch is the best! If you’re committed to serving a good brunch, whether that’s a party for friends or a meal for other members of your household, there are many things you can do to make brunch one of the best meals in your home. Here’s what you need to know. 

1. Make Homemade Waffles

Make homemade waffles instead of buying waffles from the grocery store. Use whatever batter recipe you like best, but add vanilla extract to your batter for an extra kick.

If you have time, make your own homemade berry syrup by combining berries, hot water, corn starch, sugar and lemon juice. Prepare your berry syrup the night before to allow it time to cool.

Top your waffles with syrup, homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For extra fun, buy a new waffle maker that makes waffles in special shapes, like hearts, stars, flowers or even characters. 

2. Serve High-Quality, Specialized Coffee

Drip coffee is fine on a Monday morning, but not on a fun brunch day! Make stovetop coffee from a percolator, buy a French press, or make a cappuccino from your home espresso maker (if you have one). Flavored coffee syrups can add a special touch to you coffee. These syrups go perfectly with waffles! 

3. Offer Savory Lox and Bagels on a Board

Lox is meat from a salmon that’s been cured in salty brine. Served on bagels, lox makes a perfect brunch food. Assemble your lox on a board with bagels of various types, and include other bagel toppings of various kinds, including cream cheese, tomato slices, avocado slices, capers, boiled eggs and more. The best part about a lox board is that it looks beautiful before the bagels are eaten, making your board the perfect centerpiece for your meal. 

4. Make Creative Mimosas

Mimosas are a traditional brunch drink enjoyed by adults. A traditional mimosa is made from orange juice and Champaign, and a touch of sugar around the rim. However, Champaign goes with a variety of juices.

Strawberry juice, blackberry juice, pear juice, apple juice, mango juice – all of these juices can be mixed with white or pink Champaign to make a delicious brunch-time beverage. For a finishing touch, top your drink with fresh berries like blueberries, blackberries or strawberry slices.  

5. Try Pancake Skewers or Chocolate Chip Cast Iron Pancakes

Pancakes are a traditional and expected part of brunch, but they capture the taste buds and imagination when they take on different forms. Consider baking your pancakes in the oven, in a favorite cast-iron pan. Mix chocolate chips into the batter for a tasty treat.

Seeking something even more unusual? Cook up mini pancakes in a skillet, then make pancake kebobs by putting them on skewers, separated by strawberry slices. Pancake kebobs look lovely and taste fantastic.   

Enjoy!

The most important thing to remember when you’re serving brunch is to have fun. Brunch is a delicious meal that should be enjoyable to serve. Practice makes perfect, so if you’re not happy with the brunch you just served, you’ll do better next time.

What Does It Mean When You Have Cravings?

Posted on by scatty

There is any number of reasons that you might have food cravings and quite often it really has little to do with the actual type of food. It could be a simple reason you can easily remedy, or it could be something serious that you should not ignore.

Here are some reasons for cravings and what you can do about it.

Physical Reasons for Your Cravings

Hormonal imbalance is a common physical cause of cravings. When your “hunger hormones,” ghrelin and leptin, are not balanced it can cause overeating and cravings. Lack of sleep, even low-level sleep deprivation, has been linked to overeating, cravings, and obesity in several studies. Poor gut health and an overall unhealthy diet can also be the culprit.

Women may experience cravings during pregnancy, PMS, and during their menstrual cycle. This is typically caused by hormonal changes in the body.

Psychological Reasons for Your Cravings

Stress is a huge cause of cravings, along with other eating problems. When you experience stress, your body begins producing cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol levels are high, it can trigger cravings and overeating. Your mood can also cause cravings. For instance, if you are sad, angry, anxious, or feeling worried, you may turn to comfort foods.

If you have the urge to grab some popcorn when you watch a movie or eat while watching TV, your brain may be creating links between certain foods and certain activities. This is called eating context. It is possible to rewire your brain. Don’t eat anywhere else but at the table, but if you must snack while watching TV, choose fresh fruits and vegetables.

Health Reasons for Your Cravings

Some cravings can signal an underlying health condition. If you notice any of these cravings, talk to your doctor because they could be warning signs that you shouldn’t ignore.

Water. If you crave water it could be an early warning sign of diabetes. Excessive thirst coupled with excessive urination should be addressed with your doctor.

Ice. Craving water in its frozen form could point to another serious health concern – an iron deficiency. Bloodflow to the brain is increased when you chew ice which gets rid of the sluggishness that an iron deficiency causes.

Fries. Craving high fat foods like fries could be a signal that you aren’t getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Put down the fries and pick up some avocados, olive oil, seeds, salmon, or nuts for a healthier option.

Salt. There is a common misconception that people crave salt because they need the sodium or iodine that is found in iodized salt. The truth is, there’s no merit to that. However, extreme salt cravings could indicate Addison’s disease and that could be a problem.

Chocolate. If you crave chocolate there could be a reason other than you just love chocolate. It could be that you have a B vitamin or magnesium deficiency.

Sugar. If you crave sugar, you might be dehydrated. Sugar cravings have been linked to low-level dehydration so instead of picking up that sugary treat, grab a glass or two of water.

Do You have a Food Addiction?

Food addiction is very real. It is possible to be addicted to a certain type of food like fat, sugar, or salt, but compulsive overeating may not focus on just one thing. However, people who are addicted to food get the same “high” as people on heroin and cocaine. For them, food triggers the same pleasure and reward centers in the brain that drugs do. If you think you might have a food addiction, talk to your doctor.

Maybe You’re Just Plain Hungry!

At the end of the day, food cravings could be just that – food cravings. Maybe you’re just hungry. While it is worth taking a minute to analyze your craving, also assess your situation. Have you eaten today? When did you last eat? How much did you eat? Is it possible that it’s time for another meal or snack? If the answer is yes, then choose something healthy and carry on.

5 DIY Hydroponic Gardens to Grow Food All-Year-Round

Posted on by scatty

Growing your own food and becoming more self-sufficient can be as rewarding as it is nutritious. But not everyone has the space or climate for a big outdoor garden. Whether you have a whole room to spare or just a wall, one of these 5 hydroponic growing systems can get you growing.

1. Ebb and Flow

In this setup, your plants reside in a growing medium like rock wool or perlite inside containers —  one plant to a small container.  Those containers sit inside a large base. 

To feed and water your garden, you flood the base with nutrient-rich water without overflowing it. The system then drains the water and stores it for the next watering.

Like many of these systems, you can use a timer to maintain standard watering intervals for maximum plant health and production.

This one works for small to medium-sized plants, including berry bushes. So it can support most things you’d grow in a food garden.

2. Drip Hydroponics

A hydroponic drip system slowly releases a controlled amount of nutrient-treated water directly onto the plant’s root system. Any nutrient water the plant doesn’t use returns to the reservoir for the next feeding.

Manage the drip rate from controls. Then, run your own scientific experiments to maximize yields with the least resources.

This one shouldn’t be confused with outdoor drip irrigation. That does follow similar principles but allows the water to enter the soil instead of returning it to a reservoir.

Drip Hydroponics can grow most of your homesteading faves like:

  • Melons
  • Leeks
  • Peas
  • Tomatoes
  • Root vegetables

Nutrient Film Technology (The Original NFT)

NFT may sound technical. But it can be one of the easier hydroponic systems to create.

It includes a sloped platform along which you can plant your garden in the traytop. You slowly pump water down the slope and back into the reservoir at its base.

Only small plants do well. But you can increase the number of small plants in the tray top, making it very scalable.

As long as those plants still have adequate airflow and can access light, this system can hold a lot of smaller plants. 

Ideal for:

  • Leavy greens
  • Some herbs
  • Brocolli

4. Aeroponics

Some people won’t consider aeroponics a hydroponic system. But the only real difference is in how you administer the nutrient water.

Aeroponics works by nutrient-water misting the plant roots rather than submerging them. You need no grow medium if the containers are correctly sized for the plant. 

People choose aeroponics because it reduces the ability of the disease to travel from one plant to the next. Water that touches one plant doesn’t then flow to another.

Aeroponics also works well as a vertical gardening method, maximizing use of limited space and reducing the chance of large-scale crop loss. You can grow everything from lettuce to raspberries to sweet potatoes in this system. 

5. Deep Water Culture (DWC)

With water culture, you grow each plant in a net pot suspended over a large water basin filled with oxygen and nutrient-rich water. An air pump keeps the water at a good temperature for the plants to avoid overheating.

Depending on its size, DWC can grow any size of plant, even tropical plants (limes, mango, coffee, cocoa) with deep root systems.