Lawn Care

Choosing Plants for your Garden

If you’re growing a vegetable garden, the first year is always the problem. If you have very acidic soil, some plants won’t grow well while others will thrive. You might end up with tomatoes that line your counters and cover every surface in your house. In that case, you’ll want to buy a pressure cooker and some canning jars. Canning is a great way you can cause your garden to be very fruitful all-year-round. When choosing plants for your garden, tomatoes are always a good choice. You can make them into sauces, chop them up and can them or eat them raw. If you plant a variety of different tomatoes, they will have give you more variety. Try planting Roma in one row, cherry tomatoes in another and regular tomatoes in another.

Tomatoes should always work well for you no matter what soil you have. In the case of tomatoes, however, you should never try planning tomatoes from seeds. Some do, but it’s far more beneficial if you purchase ‘flats’ of tomatoes. That means that they’ve been grown until they’re about three-inches tall. Then, you transplant those tomato plants to the garden. Insects love tomato plants, though. Cutworms are a problem, so if you’re in an area of the country which has them, you’ll have to put something as a wall which keeps the worms from eating the plants. If you cut both ends off a tin can, then you can push that can into the soil, then transplant the tomato plant in the middle of the can. The depth of the can beneath the soil is the main thing.

The Black cutworm and the variegated cutworm are the two most common species which damage your garden. Since they feed at night, they generally won’t be noticed in the daylight. Other plants which can be damaged by cutworms are celery, onions, pepper plants, eggplant, rutabaga, carrots, sweet corn and several others such as beans. If your plants are lying on their side in the morning, you’re having problems with cutworms; but even if they aren’t, cutworms might be the culprit. They go down about 5 cm in the ground, or 2 inches. Thus, your tin can or waxed milk carton should go about 3 inches down.

Other vegetables which give good yield are peppers. Again, plant many different varities of peppers such as many different types of Chile peppers as well as typical green peppers. Peppers can also get attacked by insects, so make sure you put a protecting can which encircles their stem as well. They start out as a little green bud, then grow bigger. Insects go for the leaves rather than the peppers themselves, but since peppers can be harvested the whole summer, you’ll want the plant to thrive without dying.

Corn is always a difficult one to raise. You can try them, but realize that every one of those little strands that go down the inside of a corn husk is how each kernel gets pollinated. If a kernel isn’t pollinated, then your corn will have large sections on the cob where it will be bare. Also, many different insects like corn, it being so sweet to eat. Try corn in one row, at first, then if it does well, expand. The thing is, when choosing plants for your garden, experiment. The first year is always the hardest.

Hope you enjoyed this gardening article, remember to check out the latest news on our website dedicated to the best lawnmower reviews

Looking after your Lawn

Everybody knows that a lawn can make or break a house. That large expanse of pure beautiful grass is what you had in mind when you bought the place. Wow, did it look good. Now, however, it’s turning brown, it has some bare spots where the kids put their pool over the summer and it died, it’s peppered with dandelion weeds, poison ivy vines have started growing in the back yard, and the neighbor’s dog is doing it all over the back yard.

What can you do, if your lawn isn’t what you had imagined it should be when you look out the picture window? Well, remember that tending the lawn can be a Zen-like art. You might use that time to enjoy the smell of fresh-cut grass, hear the kids playing next door in the pool and enjoy the rays of sun as they hit your face in the cool breeze. The secret to life is, you have to enjoy it. Instead of thinking that it’s a miserable chore that you have to do, make it enjoyable. Since looking after your lawn is important to you, have it be an enjoyable experience for you.

First is cutting your lawn. One of the main things which will make your lawn look shabby is if you let it grow too long. Are your neighbors eying your lawn as they drive by? Well, most likely it’s because they’re thinking, “If they don’t mow their lawn, soon, all those weeds are going to germinate and those seeds will be peppering my own lawn with yellow dots, too.”

Unfortunately, the freedom of America isn’t truly complete freedom; because freedom for one person might mean extra work for another; and that’s not fair. And, you know that. You are a caring person, and although you might even like a lawn that’s gone to seed because it feels more natural and wild, it is being brought back to its more natural wonderful form. Yeah, that’s what you’ll tell yourself so you won’t have to go out and mow it. You like upholding a neat front. So, when looking after your lawn, enjoy that feeling of satisfaction after the lawn has been mowed.

Some of the problems you’ll run into are… leaves. If you live in the North, in particular, you will have to rake leaves in the fall. Raking leaves can get to be a pain. After it has rained, oak leaves start to rot and get heavy. If you mow the lawn and there are oak leaves on the lawn, they’ll get chopped up, but they’ll also stick to the inside of your mower. Rake the leaves, and you’ll have those nice big homey stacks of leaves. However, have you ever raked a lawn before? Yes, a rake is cheap to buy; however a lawn mower leaf attachment can greatly speed things up. If you have a ride-on lawnmower and you have two acres of land, and you’d like mulch for your garden… a leaf attachment is the way to go.

Leaf blowers are a good way of looking after your lawn. With a leaf blower, you can have the kids blow your leaves into the other guy’s yard (heh heh). “No, really… they were there before they used the leaf blower” you can say.

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A Vacuum for your Leaves

In certain parts of the country the leaves look beautiful when they change color in the fall. However, they are not such a welcome sight when they fall onto your front yard. In the past, a good rake and a little muscle was the only way to get rid of these leaves. Today, we have the leaf vacuum. Leaf vacuums are becoming more and more popular and there are a wide variety of them on the market. There are many things to consider before purchasing a leaf vacuum.

First, the amount of leaves and the size of the job is an important consideration. For those homeowners that have a significant amount of land and a serious amount of leaves, then they may consider the higher-end leaf vacuums. For example, there are push vacuums, ride-on vacuums, and vacuums that can be hauled behind a tractor. Most of these vacuums conveniently pick up the leaves and mulch them. However, these products can be expensive.

The most popular leaf vacuums for homeowners are the hand-held type. These hand-held products generally have blower, vacuum, and mulch functions. These devices can be found at many retail stores. One way to find the leaf vacuum that is best for you is to simply pick one up. If the vacuum feels heavy, then maybe it is not the right one for you. The lighter models are around seven pounds.

Some hand-held leaf vacuums are gas powered and some are electric. A disadvantage of the electric vacuums is that the cord only allows you to get so far away from an outlet. The electric vacuums are convenient for jobs that are on the patio or front walkway, but would require an extension cord for leaves further out on the backyard.

Hand-held leaf vacuums are also equipped with a bag to catch the leaves. You may want to consider the size of the bag when making a decision about the vacuum. If the bag is too small, you will need to empty it more frequently. However, if the bag is too big, the device may become too heavy and burdensome to use.

The horsepower of the leaf vacuum engine is also important when making a decision. An engine without the necessary horsepower may not adequately do the job that needs to be done. Wet leaves will especially be difficult for a low-powered vacuum to clean up and the vacuum would become easily clogged. Forcing a lower horsepower engine to do a big job may also burn out the engine.

Homeowners may also want to consider the noise factor when purchasing a leaf vacuum. Some machines can be louder than others. This would be especially important if your city has a noise ordinance or if you just don’t want to irritate your neighbor.

There are obviously many aspects to consider when choosing a leaf vacuum. Another option may be to rent a leaf vacuum or borrow a friend’s machine to help make the final decision. When it comes right down to it, the decision will most likely be based on your budget and how many leaves you actually have. Of course, if none of the vacuums seems to meet your specific needs, there is always a $5 rake.

Taking Care of Grass

Many people feel that the grass is always greener on the other side, but what if for you it is literally true? It can be frustrating to look across the street and see your neighbor’s green grass practically glowing in the sunlight. You may be taking care of your grass and wonder what you are doing wrong. There are a few landscaping tips that may help you discover what you can do right.

Taking Care of Grass

First, when it comes to watering the lawn, less is more. Too much water can cause damage to your lawn. In fact, brown patches on the lawn can be caused by over watering. Most lawns only require approximately 1-1.5 inches of water per week. Over watering can actually leach valuable nutrients from the soil. These nutrients are essential to making your lawn a lush, green color.

Another important tactic for keeping your lawn green is to ensure that you are mowing it properly. Cutting your grass too close to the ground and cutting with a dull blade can both cause problems. For example, ripped grass is more vulnerable to pests.

Pests that can damage your lawn can be divided into two categories – soil inhabitants and thatch inhabitants. Examples of soil inhabitants are mole crickets, white grubs, and billbugs. Examples of thatch inhabitants are spittlebugs, clinch bugs, and sod webworms. It is best to figure out what kind of pest you are dealing with before spending any money on the problem.

Weeds can also deteriorate the beauty of a lawn. It is best to nip a weed problem in the bud before it gets too serious. Weeds can spread quickly throughout your lawn. A liquid spray weed killer would be best to spot treat weeds on a lawn. However, it is important that you read the label and do not purchase a weed killer that will do damage to your grass as well.

Then there is the issue of fertilizer. Most experts recommend using a fertilizer on lawns but they may disagree on how often. The frequency of fertilizer use and what type of fertilizer to use can depend on climate. The best option would be to ask your local lawn care supplier for his or her advice on the matter.

If you are still not satisfied with your lawn after changing your landscaping techniques, then sod is always a possibility. Laying sod takes a little work but it is not difficult. It would require you to rip up your existing lawn to make room for the new one. The process of laying sod generally takes two or three weeks. Sometimes putting your current lawn out of its misery might be the better option than continuing to watch it struggle.

There is obviously hope for even the worst lawns. Changing your lawn for the better is often just a matter of figuring out if you are doing something wrong or if there are other forces at play. It could be a problem with how you are watering your lawn or maybe it is just an unknown pest that has invaded. After some research and some changes, your grass can be among the greenest on the block and you’ll need to get the best lawnmower you can.

Tips for a Healthy Lawn

Soil is the key to a lush, healthy lawn. One of the most important aspects is getting your lawns PH balance right, ideally the lawn’s pH needs to be between 6 1/2 and 7. This is slightly on the acidic side. However if your lawn is too acidic, you will need to give it a slight coating of like and to gain acidity you will have to use sulphur. All of these remedies are completely natural and you are not harming the environment.

If you are not sure of the pH balance of your lawn, then you can buy a pH tester from any reasonable garden centre. Or if you like many people have their lawns tested professionally.

Other important lawn care tips include aerating your lawn before you add any fertiliser. This is simple to do with an ordinary garden fork, ensure that the holes are around 10cms deep. This will help greatly with drainage and prevent compacting, it also helps maintain your lawns pH level.

Funnily enough another important check you should make is regarding the grass. Is the type of grass best suited to your area? Locally adapted grass will be much more suited to the climate you live in. Using imported or non-local grass may be an expensive mistake and the results could be much worse if the grass does not adapt to local conditions. It really doesn’t help the environment either by shipping in or buying grass from outside your local area.

Mowing is obviously another very important part of lawncare, it’s generally best done frequently. Around once a week is usually about right during the strong growing summer months. For a natural lawn care don’t mow too short, as this can dry out the soil and leave the roots exposed.
Most grass is happiest and healthiest when between about 3 inches tall. Many of use are used to cutting much shorter and the first time that you are trying to look after your lawn naturally, it may be a shock to have it quite so long, but remember, you are doing your lawn and your environment a favour.

Watering is best done infrequently, but deeply. By drenching your lawn in this manner, you will help to develop stronger roots, making the grass much tougher and able to withstand droughts.

When wondering if it is time to re water, look at the grass. If it is duller and footprints stay compressed for a short while, then you can water once more. You should also aim to give your grass around one inch of water each time you are re-hydrating the grass.

As with any lawn care, the best time to water is first thing in the morning or last thing at night. This helps prevent evaporation.

If you follow these tips, you will have no need to add pesticides to your lawn that can kill many beautiful insects that actually help your garden to thrive, and to top it off your lawn will be lush, green and the envy of your neighbours.