Archive for the ‘Backyard’ Category
Gopher pokes head out.
Many of us are familiar with the work of Bill Murray in the film "Caddyshack" - the slow-witted groundskeeper waging a personal war against a gopher who's decided to make the golf course his home. But if you really have a gopher and/or mole problem around your lawn and garden, you don't want to go the Caddyshack route and plant plastic explosives in the ground. So what's a do-it-yourselfer like you to do? For starters, all you need to do is keep reading.
Your first option to consider is fencing. If you have an easy garden and lawn to fence in from the outside world, you should be able to fence it off relatively easily. You might even simply want to isolate your garden so that you have to do as little work and fence purchasing as possible - this isn't a bad idea. If your gophers start to realize that the work involved with getting in your garden isn't worth the food present, they'll probably stop trying to get in. Keep in mind that gophers can burrow quite deeply into the ground, so a surface fence probably isn't enough; and having a fence might not solve all of your problems.
Another option to consider will remind you of "Caddyshack": flooding. If you know where the gopher or mole has been gaining access to your garden, you can "flood" it out by spraying water in there through a hose. Some people don't like to do this to gophers or moles, so it will be a personal decision for you to make. If you choose not to flood the gopher out, remember that you have to be thorough in the other methods you use in order to solve the gopher problem.
You can also find "sonic spikes" that can be installed in the ground, though some people have found these devices bothersome; if you live very close to your neighbors, for instance, there's a good chance they might complain about them.
Keep in mind that you can ask around about gopher traps if you want to make sure that you've actually gotten a gopher from the ground and under your control.
A gopher problem isn't a fun thing, especially if you recently put in a lot of work into your lawn or garden. But if you're diligent, you should be able to get the gophers out of your turf.
Photo Credits: ingridtaylar
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Posted by Fix Handyman on January 7, 2010 in
Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn, pests
Mulch. Mulch. Mulch.
Mulch. It doesn't sound like much, but there's a reason it's such a popular item to use around the home and garden. Mulch can help lock in temperature and moisture in soil, prevent weeds from going, keep unwanted critters out, decorate an area, and even improve the quality of the soil by enhancing nutrients (in the case of "organic" mulch). So if there's been something missing from your lawn or garden, there's a good chance that the answer to your problems is as simple as laying down some mulch. Here's how to do it.
First, mulching will depend on the kind of climate you live in. If you live in a cold-weather climate and your winters will see a thick layer of snow for months at a time, you'll want to apply cold-weather mulch before winter and make sure you replace it every year. If you live in a warm-weather area where temperatures are pretty stable year-round, you'll also want to annually replace mulch, but you probably won't need to apply it for the sake of the seasons.
Mulch can work in both temperatures, however, to keep the soil at a better temperature. In warm-weather areas, mulch can block out a lot of sunlight and keep the ground cooler - after all, you know how warm blacktop can get when it simply sits out in the sun all day. For cold-weather areas, mulch will have an insulating effect. For this reason, you'll want to apply mulch different: just a 1-2 inch layer in the warm weather areas, and more insulating mulch for colder areas, which means an even thicker layer.
You'll also want to plot out where you use your mulch. Mulch can make a great border between grass and garden; just remember that you probably won't be walking on it much. Take a look at your landscaping and ask yourself where the borders should go. Don't go overboard with them; simply realize that borders can really augment and improve the look of a great landscape design.
In general, the best idea for using mulch is to KISS, or "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Use mulch to help keep the soil protected and also provide a landscape border. Don't overdo it with the mulch; simply lay it, inspect it, and then leave it. You'll find that this approach will work just fine, and it will only take on Saturday afternoon of work.
Photo Credits: knitsteel
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Posted by Fix Handyman on January 5, 2010 in
Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn
Got deer?
Many people love deer, but deer can get into gardens and eat the flowers, which means that not everyone will always want to invite them in. If you have a lawn including a garden that's been attracting unwanted deer, there are some ways to keep them out. Here are a few of them.
Build a fence. If you've been thinking about building a fence anyway, but needed something to fence out, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone here. Building a fence to keep out deer doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, but you will want to make sure to keep your whole lawn covered from deer if you want it to be totally effective. Chances are you'd be building this fence in a heavily-wooded area, so be sure to browse around for the best kinds of fences for these terrains.
Warn the deer first. You don't need to stand in a hunting tower rifle in hand in order to scare deer away. You actually should have a few options. If deer are plentiful during a particular season of the year for you, you can apply predator urine to trees around your area in order to scare deer off - this has to be applied on a fairly regular basis, so if you're out gardening frequently, you can make this a part of your routine. If handling urine isn't your style, you can also think about motion-activated noisemakers that can startle deer away.
Make your garden undesirable. If you don't want to attract deer, maybe you shouldn't grow such deer-attracting plantlife! Deer love some items that can be found in gardens, and if enough deer are getting into your garden that it ruins much of the plantlife, you can try some of the above-mentioned tactics or simply start growing plants that deer don't like. If this seems like too much to you, you could also try keeping a border around your garden that will keep deer out.
A border could include a natural border through plants, an actual fence that you post up, and/or placing the deer-unfriendly plants on the outside of your garden.
You don't necessarily have to remake your entire garden or lawn to keep deer away. You simply need to understand how deer can be deterred and give them one powerful reason for them to keep moving along.
Photo Credits: Lee Coursey
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Posted by Fix Handyman on December 3, 2009 in
Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn
Got pesky garden slugs?
When you plant a garden, you do it either because you want to have delicious, fresh food to eat, or beautiful flowers to see every time you walk outside. Presumably, you didn't build your garden to be a home to slugs and snails, which can not only be irritating to have around, they are not beneficial to have around. So if you want to get rid of your slugs and your snails, just follow some of these quick instructions.
First, a quick word about chemicals and pesticides: when it comes to your garden, you don't want a lot of chemicals swimming around in your soil and on your plants. Chemicals can work very well, but when it comes to a tight area like your garden that features a lot of different types of plant species, you don't want the unintended consequences that can come along with chemicals. Stick to more natural solutions for now.
Remove the current slugs and snails by hand; or by glove if you're not all that keen in working with the little creatures. Place them in a plastic bag and throw them in the garbage, or if you want to be more kind to them, you can let them go free in the wild - far away from your garden. Once your slugs and snails have been removed, keep removing them frequently until you start noticing that they're finally cleared out.
What's to prevent them from coming back to your garden? Placing copper wire around your garden will help, as snails aren't often interested in crossing areas of copper. You can also put copper strips in key areas to keep snails specifically out of key areas, such as a specific plant.
The best ways to use pest control are the most natural, chemical-free ways. But if you have no other options, you'll want to investigate some possible chemicals to use like iron phosphate - the chemical you'll want to use if you're preventing snails and slugs from entering your garden.
Regularly maintain your garden - the more attention you pay to it and regularly remove pests and improve the quality of soil, the more you'll be ready to address challenges before they continue to grow. Let your plants do their thing, and do your best to protect them, and you should be fine in your garden maintenance endeavors!
Photo Credits: photogirl7
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Posted by Fix Handyman on November 24, 2009 in
Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper
Fixing your deck stain?
The overall stain of your deck is part of what gives it its charm. The more you use your deck, the happier you are with your deck, but the more you can expect to wear away at the original stain of the wood. If your deck has been in need of a new deck stain for a while now, it's time to actually get around to it and update it with a fresh new look. You don't have to be a deck expert to get this done; you just need the right instructions.
First, you'll want to apply a deck stripper to the deck. This won't solve everything for you, but it will prepare the deck for what will happen in the next steps. Make sure that you choose the appropriate stripper for the kind of wood you have; if you have any questions about this, try asking someone at the local hardware store for some advice, or at least do an internet search on the type of wood you're using.
After this part of the job is finished, you'll want to rent a pressure washer. When you bring it home, be sure that your deck is clear of the big stuff (tables, chairs) and the small stuff (stones, debris). Why? You're going to be spraying down your deck with a high-intensity spray, and you don't want to send anything flying!
In conjunction with the deck stripper you've already applied, your pressure washer should be able to peel off the old stain to your deck, or at least give your deck a new, uniform color. You might also be able to incorporate deck cleaners that remove old stains; once again, questions should be directed to your local hardware or home improvement store. Once you've stripped the stain, wash it out and let the deck dry over the period of a few days.
Now that you've removed the old stain, it's time to select a new stain. You might have had something in mind already, but if you simply wanted to fix the old stain, you've got some thinking to do. Choose a stain that works well for your wood, and if you can, make sure to test the stain on an idle piece of wood to see that it has the color you like.
Once this is ready, you should be good to apply the new stain to your wood. You'll want to let it dry and set in before using your deck; after a period of a few to several days, your deck should be looking brand-new and properly stained. Congratulations! You've fixed a deck stain. Now if you could just get that wine stain out of your shirt...
Photo Credits: Jeff_Werner
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 3, 2009 in
Backyard, Deck, Handyman, How to Fix
Sinking deck to fix deck.
Your backyard deck might be the pride and joy of all the landscaping and additions you've made to your house; you get to bring guests to it, raise a family on it, and enjoy quiet summer evenings in comfort. That's why it can be so disconcerting to see a problem like a sinking deck post - all of that work and money sometimes still can't prevent the Earth from throwing a wrench in the engine. That's why you'll want to fix your sinking deck post as soon as possible.
First, you'll need the right equipment: a jack, pea gravel, and a pipe. Of course, without the instructions, these might sound like odd equipment for a job like this, but bear with me.
Make a diagnosis. Using a balance to measure the actual problem with your deck, you want to make sure that your sinking deck post is the only one sinking. After all, if you have two posts sinking, you should use this opportunity to treat the problem as a whole - while you have the equipment out.
Once you know which deck post - or posts - to fix, try to take a look at the kind of access you can get. Some people have decks with plenty of room underneath, and if this is the case with your deck, you shouldn't have ot move too many object around in order to get at the sinking deck post. But if you have a smaller deck without a whole lot of room, you'll probably need to remove some floor boards in order to get at the right post. This might also require that you set aside some time to remove furniture, hopefully at a time when no one will be needing the deck at all.
With the access to this sinking deck post secured, raise the deck (and the post) up with the jack to the point at which the deck is level again. Then, using the pipe you have ready, slide it into the hole where the sinking deck post had just been. Pour the pea gravel into this hole through the pipe and try to make sure that you pack as much gravel into the hole as you can, keeping an eye on how balanced your deck is overall.
This should add some stability to your deck and hopefully prevent further sinking. Remember to be careful with each step so as to do the best overall job possible. If you removed floor boards, you can replace them now, and move the furniture back onto the deck.
Photo Credits: MrPhilDog
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 2, 2009 in
Backyard, Deck, Floors, Handyman, How to Fix
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