Will You Know When Its Time To Get The Garden Ready For Planting

The season is changing. Its time to get the garden ready. Preparation is very important. It could save you time and trouble in the future.

Summer is near

Rake up all of the old, dead leaves. Examine the soil closely. Prune back any perennial plants. This will give them a chance to start growing early. Get some fresh soil in the ground. Buy bags of topsoil or manure. Spread them evenly throughout.

This is the time to make sure that your soil PH is right. You may need to buy a PH testing kit. Buy a PH meter. It will have a soil probe. The meter is very easy to use. However, it may not be as accurate as the kit. You should be able to have a close idea, in any manner. The PH meter will register numbers. A number seven is in the middle and is neutral. Lower numbers represent an alkaline content. Higher numbers are acid content.

Check your seed packets for soil information. There is also a great deal of information online. You need to know what the PH should be for your particular crops. For example, some may require neutral soil. This is neither alkaline nor acidic. If your ground is acidic, you may need to balance it out. Lime or ashes are a good alkaline source.

If you need acidic, you can add sphagnum peat moss. Compost may add a slight amount also. Decaying material will have acidic properties.

Now is a good time to add magnesium to your soil. You can add Epsom salts to the ground. This will work well.

Crop rotation is very important for your soil’s nutrients. Change areas where you plant certain crops. Do this with related crops like nightshades. This includes potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. You will have to do less fertilizing, this way.

After adding nutrients, consider mixing them up. Do you have a garden tiller? This will work well. It will also aerate your soil. You will get rid of unwanted plants like weeds, in the process.

After the last frost, you can plant marigolds. They should be on the out edges of your garden area. Marigolds are good for repelling insects and pests. You can give the marigolds a head start also. Plant them inside, before your last frost. Then you can set them out as the warm weather comes.

Winter preparation

You have enjoyed the warm days of summer. Autumn is here. Before long, you will see snow and ice. It is time to get the garden ready for winter. Rake the leaves. You can also run over them with your mower. If you have a grass catcher, it will help shred them. It will also make them easier to use.

Start a compost pile, if you do not have one. Clear everything from the garden area. Throw the material in the compost heap. Separate good from diseased material. When cold weather is near, pick all of your fruits and vegetables. You can do many things with green tomatoes. You can also put them in a paper bag to ripen.

Final thoughts

Its time to get the garden ready for the coming season. If you clean up the area and prepare it well, you shall have few problems ahead.

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April 13 2010 | Gardening | No Comments »

All Birdhouses Are Safe Aren’t They?

If you’re reading this you care about birds. You want to attract them to your yard. You want them to raise a family or two there and you want to hear their lively calls and antics at the feeder or the birdbath. You’re probably shopping for a birdhouse and you’re confused at which one to buy because there’s just so many on the web. Fancy ones, plain ones, high priced ones, and cheap ones. They all do the same job right? Just pick one and put it up and enjoy the birds. If you do that and don’t look a bit deeper into just what went into the birdhouse you’ve selected you may just be dooming the very birds you want to enjoy.

“Silent Spring” was published in 1962. If you’re a bird lover you probably know about it and know that it’s been credited with starting the modern environmental movement. It was a book that was vilified by the chemical industry and some scientists alike. What we now know with 20/20 hindsight is that some birds were severely affected by DDT when it was used as a crop pesticide. The eggshells of eagles, ospreys, and falcons were found to get very thin when the birds were in contact with DDT. Nesting parents actually crushed their eggs because they could not stand the weight of the parent the shells were so thin. This is great history but does it have anything to do with the birdhouse you want to purchase? You bet!

If you’re looking for a birdhouse, once you’ve made your choice ask yourself one important question. Does the birdhouse contain any paint, preservative chemicals or adhesives in its construction? Remember, your birdhouse will be in the summer heat, maybe even direct sun. If the birdhouse is treated chemically or even painted this can release fumes into the home. It’s a small confined space inside your birdhouse and the birds will be breathing these fumes constantly. Ever been in a room where new carpeting was just installed? You want your birds living in a similar environment?

I was amazed when I read this fact sheet titled, “INORGANIC ARSENICAL PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD (including CCA, ACA, and ACZA)“. Read it for yourself. It’s only a year old. These are common wood preservatives and may be in the birdhouse you’re about to purchase. Is this the environment you want young developing birds living and growing in? It’s not what I want for birds in my backyard.

So you’ve found the house you want and you’re sure it contains no chemicals paints or adhesives. Your birds will love it. Probably. But please consider one more thing before you make your purchase. Was the home built in the US where we have environmental protection laws or was it built in another country where the laws are much more lax or even missing? Was the wood harvested as a renewable resource with replacement plantings or was an area clear cut and the wood in your birdhouse used because there was no other profitable way to use it? You want to provide a safe home for the birds in your yard. Please make a purchase with the environment in mind as well.

Worried about chemicals used in your birdhouse? Shop at Wolf Mountain Birdhouses where you can find a chemical free birdhouse for the specific bird you want to attract to your yard.

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March 29 2010 | Landscaping | No Comments »

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