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
Originally posted 2010-01-05 03:57:13.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on February 1, 2012 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
Originally posted 2009-11-24 03:39:58.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on December 12, 2011 in
Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper
How to Fix Your Home for Summertime
When the leaves grow back, the April showers give way to May flowers, and the sun starts shining again, it can only mean one thing: summer's back. If you live in a northern state where summer isn't exactly a year-round thing, this season of fun in the sun is that much more special. That's why you'll want to make sure that your home isn't only fitted for the season, but is decorated to match. That's why this article will give you some simple hints you can use to get your home ready for summer.
First, evaluate your decorations. When your home has been more shelter than living space in the past few months because of cold, snow, rain, and other harsh weather conditions, it can be easy to let your decorating fall by the wayside. One of the great things about summer is that the environment is perfect for spending your time both indoors and outdoors, re-decorating and re-landscaping your house once the snow's subsided. Now's the time to give your property a new spin - if you live in an apartment or a duplex and have less control over the property, you can make sure that your decorations indoors match the season outdoors.
What are the best places to start? Window treatments are a great place, but you can also landscape around plants, till your soil for a new garden, and re-do landscaping hardware like bricks or paths. Buying mulch is easy for the simpler projects; more advanced projects can use items like stones and timber.
Make your home more energy-efficient. It's tempting to get caught up in efficient energy for the winter - but what about the summer? What's different about the weather that will help you be able to save money on your energy bills? Now that you've got hotter temperatures to handle, your air conditioning will be on throughout the day, which is why you might even considering giving your home a lighter paint job. White paint, for example, is great at reflecting heat.
Make sure you also pay attention to your windows - make sure to open or close them depending on the weather of the day. If it's a mild 71 degrees, you can open them and keep off the air conditioning. If the weather's hitting the 90's, close them until the heat spell subsides. If you make monitoring your windows a daily practice, you can save on bills and keep your home more comfortable.
Photo Credits: mccready
Originally posted 2009-07-21 03:30:47.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on October 8, 2011 in
Handyman, How to Fix
How to Fix and Maintain Your Yard
Maintaining a great lawn isn't only about cutting it every week or so. Depending on the climate and area you're in, maintaining great lawn turf can mean a lot of different things. But the principles at play will remain the same: understanding your lawn, how to fix problematic areas, and following through with excellent lawn-maintaining habits. Once you learn how to maintain your lawn turf in the best ways, you can develop those good habits and keep them for the rest of your life. With that in mind, let's take a look at some great tips for maintaining great lawn turf.
Mow the grass at the right height. What's the right height? You'll have to do your own research on this because I can't predict what kind of turf you have. But looking up various types of grass and lawns, you'll be able to find the ideal heights to promote healthy growth and make sure that weeds and other problems don't develop. If you want to maintain a short lawn for its own sake, that might be a good idea, but you'll have to make sure that it's good for your grass, as well. If you want full, lush green grass, you'll have to consider your mowing height as a variable depending on the type of lawn you have.
Aerate your lawn after the dry or winter months. If you've been through a long winter, for example, your lawn will probably be hard and compact. Maintaining a good lawn means that you'll have to at least aerate it at the beginning so that you can both loosen up the soil and get more healthy air around the entire area. This will promote the recovery of your lawn back to its original lush green quality. In dryer states, this might not have the same effect, but you'll want to looking into aeration anyway.
Monitor watering time closely. Watering your lawn should also be a variable that depends on the type of grass you have. Dry states might need a lot more moisture than wet states, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep track of when your lawn is watered and how. For example, if there's been a plentiful rain fall and your grass looks lush a few days afterward, you can probably hold back on watering it. If there hasn't been any rain in weeks, you might have to keep a pretty strict schedule yourself. Remember that maintaining a good lawn means keeping up these habits in order to keep up with nature. If you make watering your lawn a part of your to-do list, you can keep tabs on your lawn without much thinking.
Photo Credits: SharkeyinColo
Originally posted 2009-08-03 03:30:49.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on October 6, 2011 in
How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn
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