Caring for a Lawn: Watering, Mowing, Weed Control, Fertilizers

Chemical lawn care is a ruse, a marketing scheme. Grass, as all gardeners know, is a tenacious weed that needs little help to be healthy. But Americans weaken their lawns with unnecessary chemicals, harsh fertilizing salts, and improper cutting and lawn watering, causing lawn problems.

Grow the right grass at the right height and you will be amazed at how easy care of a great expanse of green can be. Here are some lawn care tips to help you along and teach you how to care for your lawn without the help of any companies. 

    Plant the right grass. Growing the right grass the right way depends on where you live.
        In the North, you want a "cool-season" grass. Always green over winter, it may go brown and dormant during a hot and dry spell in late summer, but will quickly green up again when cool weather returns.
        In the South, go "warm season". Always green over the summer, it may go brown and dormant during a winter cold snap, but will green up again when the weather warms.
        In the "Transition Zone" in the middle of the country, choose 'cool' or 'warm' depending on which spell of potential dormancy would bother you more, or mix similar-looking cool and warm season grasses to try and achieve a multi-grass lawn that's green all year.
    Plant at the right time of year. Planting grass depends on if you live in a cool or warm season area, so the best time to plant grass seed varies.
        Cool-season grasses should only be sown in the fall-August 1-15 for the far North; August 15 - 30 for more moderate Northern climes. Cool season seed that's sown in the spring will burn up when summer's heat fries the young growth.
        Warm season grasses should be sown in the spring, as soon as the soil is warm enough to germinate the seed.
        If you can't wait and must plant at the wrong time of year, lay sod instead. It's much more expensive than seed, but does well pretty much anytime of the year if kept watered.
    Feed correctly Lawn care and fertilization go hand-in-hand.

    Cool season grasses should get their biggest feeding in the fall. Lawn fertilizers can consist of an inch of compost applied to the surface and raked-in will provide the perfect amount of food and improve the structure of the soil below. Feed again lightly in the spring; 10 to 20 pounds of corn gluten meal per thousand square feet of turf will prevent dormant weed seeds like crabgrass from germinating and provide a natural feeding. Be sure its labeled as a natural pre-emergent weed and feed ('cattle feed' corn gluten will not work); and apply it before local forsythia bushes reach peak bloom or those weed seeds will have already germinated.
    Warm season grasses should get three equal feedings in June, July and August; an inch of compost or 10 pounds of corn gluten is ideal for each feeding.
    NOTE: Pre-emergents prevent the germination of ALL seeds. Do not use corn gluten when you seed a lawn.

Cut at the right height. Lawn mowing is different throughout the country and the height you need to cut will vary.

    Cool season grasses in full sun, like the legendary Kentucky bluegrass, should be cut at two to three inches high. Shade-loving fescues at three to three and a half inches.
    Warm season grasses thrive with a closer cut-around two inches for St. Augustine and Bermuda grass.
    NOTE: Those are the heights the lawn should be AFTER you're done cutting. "Scalping a lawn" lower sends it into shock and makes it vulnerable to pests, weeds, disease and weeds, which makes weed control a nightmare. A high cut lawn will look greener, grow slower and resist stress better.

Cut correctly. Replace your mower blade every season; it won't cost much more than getting it sharpened and will give you a much cleaner cut. Never remove more than a third of the lawn's height in any one mowing.
Use a mulching mower. These specialized cutters have no discharge; their sealed decks and ultra-sharp blades cut and re-cut the clippings until they are returned to the lawn as a fine pulverized powder. Rich in grass-feeding nitrogen, those clips provide half the food your grass needs in a season. AND MULCHING DOESN'T CAUSE THATCH! Thatch is caused by overuse of chemical fertilizers, not returning natural nutrients to your lawn.
Water wisely. Never water during the heat of the day or in the evening. The ideal time is in the early morning. Don't water in short spurts. Deliver a deep soaking when you water to encourage deep roots. Take special care when watering a new lawn.

    In the North, water when you have gone a week without an inch of rain. Deliver that inch in one long soaking, which should take several hours.
    In the South, your lawn will need two inches of water a week in summer. Supply whatever nature doesn't in long, inch-deep soakings.

How To Make a Compost Bin: Homemade Compost Bins

You probably already know that composting is the process of breaking down waste into a nutrient-rich topsoil. Rich soil can cure a host of maladies in your garden. If you have a problem with pests attacking your plants, compost can make the plants healthier so that they can fight off infestations more easily. If your soil structure is very sandy, composting can give it structure. It can also improve clay soil by breaking it down into smaller particles. Adding composted mulch can replace the nutrients that have been stripped from your soil by years of gardening. So, with all of these benefits, you can't wait to start composting, right?

Here's what you'll need to know when making a compost pile:

You will need to decide what kind of compost bin you would like. There are four basic types of bins--portable, stationary, multi-bin and rotating. Here's how to make all of them.

A portable compost bin can be moved, when empty. This allows you to keep it in an inconspicuous place. The disadvantage of this type of bin is that it's usually fairly small, which means it doesn't break down waste as quickly as a larger bin would. It can also be harder to aerate your compost pile, which is vital to maintaining high temperatures.
To build a portable compost bin:

    Purchase a 12' length of galvanized chicken wire, several wire ties and four metal stakes.
    Fold back each end of the chicken wire several inches so there's no rough edge. Wrap it into a circle and stand it on the ground.
    Tie the chicken wire together with the wire ties. If you would like your bin to be more stable, space the metal stakes around the inside of the circle, secure them to the wire and pound them into the ground.
    When you need to aerate your compost, unwrap the wire from the stakes, turn the pile, then replace the wire. Alternatively, you could make two separate bins and turn the pile from one into the other.

A stationary bin is designed to stay in one spot. The main advantage to this type of system is that it can be larger, so compost breaks down much more quickly, sometimes in as little as one year.

    A stationary compost bin can be made for almost nothing by using wood pallets. These are used mostly by manufacturing facilities and are usually discarded after they've been used. Many facilities will give them away if you ask. For this bin, you will need five or six wood pallets and a package of galvanized nails.
    Stand four of the pallets on their sides in a square. The square should be about three feet by three feet. Nail the pallets together. Nail another pallet to the top (flat side in). This will form the base of your compost bin. Flip the bin over. If you're really handy, you can attach two hinges to one side of the remaining pallet. Attach the other side of the hinges to one side of your compost bin. Now, you have a lid to keep out pests.
    To turn your compost, use a pitchfork and scoop from the bottom to the top and inside to outside.

If you have a lot of waste to compost or you just don't like trying to turn the pile, you may want to build a multi-bin system.

    Start just as before, with four pallets nailed together into a square, then attach a pallet to the bottom. Next, nail three more pallets to one side of the original square, then use another pallet for the base of this bin. You can continue to expand upon this theme, creating a multi-bin system as large as you wish.
    You could also create a multi-bin system with a removable door. Nail together three of the pallets, then screw a latch into two opposite sides of the remaining pallet and the front edge of your bin. If you use a base with this type of bin, be sure to nail it to the pallets only on the back and two sides, not the front.

A rotating bin eliminates the problem of turning the pile. This type of compost bin is basically a drum mounted on a stand with a crank on the side. Just toss in your scraps and lawn waste, then turn the crank once a month and you're set. This kind of bin is quite complex to make. Most people choose to purchase one, instead.

Now, you know how to build a compost bin and you're ready to start making compost. Remember to add equal parts of dried waste, such as leaves and lawn trimmings, and fresh waste, such as kitchen scraps. Sprinkle the pile with water every few layers to keep it moist. If your compost pile is well-balanced, it should be quite hot. In fact, you may see steam rising from it. It should not have an unpleasant odor. To avoid attracting unwanted animals, do not put meat scraps in your pile. When your compost is ready to use, it will be very dark brown and crumbly, much like potting soil. Add it to your garden or pots when putting in new plants and watch them grow!

How To Grow and Care for Banana Trees

Banana trees aren't actually trees at all--they are very large perennial herbs. While you'd normally associate banana trees with warm, tropical climates, these plants can also be grown in other zones with success, as long as you prepare them for the cold weather.  No matter where you live though, there are a few things you'll need to know in order to keep your banana trees thriving.

    Banana plants prefer a light, well-draining soil. You can aid in the drainage quality of your planting beds by adding raised areas above heavier soil to allow the thin roots of the banana tree to spread.
    Choose the warmest location on your property for banana plants. They really need full sun; twelve hours a day is optimal. If you live in a temperate climate, your banana plants will also need protection from wind and cold. Banana trees do not like winter!
    If you plan to keep growing banana plants throughout the year and live in a zone with seasonal cold weather, choose cold tolerant varieties of banana trees such as Musa Basjoo, Saja, and Ice Cream.
    Some banana plants are strictly ornamental, while others bear fruit. Read tag descriptions carefully so you'll know what to expect. Almost all banana plants have the potential to grow very tall, except for dwarf varieties. Be prepared for this - young plants won't stay so small. If you want a short banana tree plant, you need to invest in a dwarf banana tree, like Musa Dwarf.

Keep the area surrounding the banana plants free of weeds and other plants. Adding a layer of mulch will help to prevent weeds from returning to the garden.
Water your banana trees whenever the soil feels dry. Avoid standing water, however. Mix some fertilizer with the water each time you water the area, and check the soil frequently to see how dry or moist it is.
You won't need to prune your banana plants unless you want to scale them back for esthetic purposes, or if you wish to cultivate seedlings for new plants. Remove damaged or rotted leaves and fruit periodically.
After fruiting, cut the banana plant down to the ground. The mother plant will no longer be able to produce fruit, so by cutting it down, you're essentially allowing the roots to regenerate and produce a new plant.
In cold weather, you can store cold-tolerant varieties of banana plants for the winter. Cut the plants down to the ground and cover the area with a thick layer of mulch. Top off the mulch with a layer of strong plastic to provide insulation to keep the roots and soil around them as warm as possible.
Alternatively, you can bring the entire plant or just the root system indoors for the winter. If the plants are on the smaller side, you can simply dig them up and replant them in containers. Keep them indoors near a sunny window without drafts, and tend to them as you would a houseplant.
For larger banana trees, strip back all of the leaves before digging up the roots. Gently brush off any excess soil from the root system and replant the trunk in a large container filled with slightly dampened sand. Bring the plant indoors and store in a warm area of your home. Don't water or fertilize at all; instead, allow the plant to go dormant for the winter, and replant in your garden when the weather is warmer.

How To Grow Plants in the Classroom

Growing plants in the classroom is an excellent way to get students excited about science!

    Start with seeds in the classroom. For very young children, it is exciting just to see the seeds germinate. You can do this by wrapping seeds or beans in wet paper towels and placing them in a clear plastic bag. The seeds should begin germinating in a few days, which can give the students an idea of what is happening underground when plants begin to grow.
    Continue with seedlings in the classroom. At the same time as the seeds are beginning to germinate, plant the same type of seeds in dirt. Students can draw conclusions about what exactly is happening under the soil and even draw diagrams. They can also predict how long it will be before a sprout appears and is visible above the soil.
    Grow native plants in your classroom. A quick Internet search or trip to a plant nursery should let you know which plants are native to your area. This can tie the plant-growing in the classroom in with natural history and other social studies lessons. Also, after growing the plants in your classroom, you can take the students on field trips to see where the plants grow naturally.

    Try growing plants hydroponically. Can plants be grown without soil? There is actually a long history of hydroponics, or growing plants without soil -- dating back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. You can integrate history into your science lessons as you are growing plants in the classroom, hydroponically! Have your students research how plants absorb nutrients when no soil is available.
    Explore the needs of plants. What do plants need to stay alive? Are there exceptions? This can be explored quite successfully by growing plants in the classroom and making observations along the way. Which variables are necessary and which help plants grow better?
    Grow a salad. Fun for every age group: grow all the ingredients for a salad! Lettuce, radishes, and carrots can all be grown fairly easily, and tomatoes can be grown for those who want more of a challenge. The best part about growing a salad is that at the end of the unit, your class can eat what you have grown!
    Try to start an outdoor garden at your school. While this is not technically growing plants in the classroom, it can benefit the entire school to have an outdoor garden. Students and classes can take turns being responsible for watering and weeding, and a larger variety of plants can be grown.

However you decide to grow plants in the classroom, it is sure to be an exciting science lesson. Students of all ages get fulfillment from growing things - and they can let their creativity run wild with their own gardens!

How To Design a Garden Path

The first and biggest decision in designing a garden path is deciding what you want your path to do.  Paths can suggest that someone did walk lightly through your garden or they can be design statements all by themselves.  Will your garden path be built for many people who wish to travel from beginning to end, or for just one or two to leisurely stroll along? Some of these design questions can be answered by taking online design courses; you can get free enrollment information for the most popular online design schools here.

Let's find out what is best for your garden.
Step 1

Decide if your garden is formal or informal. The formal garden is usually symmetrical, with hedges, concrete or masonry features and probably a concrete, paver or brick path. The formal garden path will be straight and wide, ending in a formal patio. The path will most likely be wide enough for at least two people to walk abreast. The formal garden path is part of the architecture of the garden.
Step 2

Think informal. Most of us, if we have not hired a landscape architect or contractor, have an informal garden. The informal garden path will separate two garden rooms in the informal garden. Think of your path as a way to get you and your friends through your garden. The path forces visitors to walk where you want them to go.
Step 3

Carefully decide how you want people to walk through your garden. Chances are your garden path will not be a straight line through your garden. It will wind and bend. The path will make people go at the speed you want them to go and end up where you want them to.
Step 4

Use the proper materials. If you are designing a formal path, consider concrete, pavers or bricks. Often you can build your own path, but if it demands the skill of a mason, be sure to hire one.
Step 5

Use natural materials for an informal path. If you have an informal garden with several rooms, several beds, garden art and whimsy, use flat rocks, pea gravel or even mulch for your path. Use flat rocks and plant creeping plants or steppables between them. If you use plant material that can be walked on, you can smell the thyme or pennyroyal between the rocks as you walk.
Step 6

Make a path narrow if you want one or two people abreast and want them to walk slowly.  A wide path will make people hurry on through.
A garden path adds a focal point to your garden. It defines your garden and allows people a great way to tour your garden the way you want it toured. Have fun designing your path. If you don't like your natural path with rocks or pea gravel, it is easy to change it whenever you wish.  You can learn other excellent design ideas by taking some online classes in design.

How To Resurface Kitchen Cabinet Doors

By simply knowing how to resurface kitchen cabinet doors, there will be no more need for you to replace your existing kitchen cabinets. For you to save a great deal of amount from restoring the surface of the doors, simply consider the following steps on how to resurface the doors of your kitchen cabinet. Give them a brand new look and make them last for a longer time.

    Take the kitchen cabinet doors off the cabinet. Taking the kitchen cabinet doors off the cabinet can be simply done by taking the hinges on the doors off first. If you do not want to miss the order of the doors especially if there are different sizes, it is best to label them with numbers or tags. You surely would not like the idea of wondering where to reattach the doors later on.
    Take the hardware off the kitchen cabinet doors. Once you have taken the doors off, focus on their hardware. It will be easier to reassemble the door if you keep the hardware. When removing them, make sure that the knobs, pulls, and screws are still intact.
    Sand the surface of the doors. The best sandpaper to use for this task is one that has medium grit since this is the universal grade of sandpaper. When sanding the surface of the kitchen cabinet door, do not merely concentrate on sanding the front sides. After sanding those parts, work on the opposite sides.

    Wipe down the surface. After sanding, there will be debris left on the surface of the doors. Use a damp cloth to remedy this. It is essential to wipe down the surface to get rid of any debris and to make sure that it is smooth.
    Apply primer coat or stain coat. This is the preliminary step of painting the surface of the doors. Be sure to have a light primer coat or light stain coat. After applying liberally on the front side, let the surface dry, then shift to the opposite side. If you prefer to apply stain coat, sand the doors first with fine grit sandpaper. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any debris. Apply a second coating whenever desired.
    Apply the paint. Brush the surface with gentle strokes of paint. Once you have painted the entire surface of the front side, let it dry first before moving on to the other side. Depending on the wood of which the door was made, the application of second coat of paint may be necessary or not. Most of the time, if the surface is not even, it is mandatory to apply another coat of paint. Otherwise, once the surface became dry, that is the time you can tell if there is a need for such.
    Reattach the doors to the cabinet. Get the hinges and reattach them to the doors and place them on their original position as part of the kitchen cabinet. Afterward, replace the hardware.


Never be reluctant on resurfacing the kitchen cabinet doors if you really want to restore its original appeal without spending too much on replacing the entire cabinet.

How To Seal Natural Stone Countertops

When you plan out your home, there are a lot of things you take into consideration. One perfect example is your countertop. Now this may seem like a minor detail but knowing the type of material to be used in each and every part of your house is important. Most household decorators recommend using natural stone. Natural stone countertops exude beauty and simplicity. It is the ideal finishing touch to your already beautifully designed kitchen. Countertops made of natural stone not only add that classy finish, but is also fit for your budget. You just need to take good care of it with the appropriate maintenance, proper care, and use the most durable countertop sealer to keep its natural form for years and years. Sealing countertop made of natural stone is a very vital part in maintaining this part of the kitchen. A homeowner like you can make use of these helpful tips on how to seal natural stone countertops.

    Clean the natural stone countertop. Prior to applying the stone seal on your countertop, you must first wipe it clean and get rid of any dust or filth that has accumulated. Use a nice and dry rug to do this. It is also advised to sanitize with a countertop cleaner or any kitchen cleaner suitable. Let it dry for a few hours.

    Put on the countertop sealant. Depending on the instruction on the sealant box, you can use either of the following to apply it:  a rag, a brush, or a spray. Make sure you know which one suits best on your natural stone countertop before wiping, brushing, or spraying any sealant on it. Take one portion of about 5 square foot per application. You need to let it sit for more or less 5 minutes for the sealant to percolate in the stone. Again, let this layer dry up before putting on a second layer. Wipe clean with a cloth.
    Repeat procedure. When you’re done with one section, you can now continue with the rest of the portions. Again, clean the stone first using a clean cloth let it dry before applying the sealant. Once it’s dry you can now brush, wipe, or spray on the sealer. Let it dry once more to allow the stone to absorb the sealant, and then apply the second layer of sealant.


Your natural stone countertops are now clean and sealed. Sealant layers will still go through wear and tear over time therefore you need to maintain it and go over the steps again every year. You can see if your natural stone countertop needs a re-application of sealant if it darkens when spilled or poured water sits there for at least 30 minutes. Remember to clean your countertop first depending on the type of stone used. If it’s really grubby, it is advised to use an alkaline cleanser to tap easily into the dirt. You can use cloth made of cotton or microfiber to dry it up perfectly. It is very important to let the stone dry out so you won’t go wasting your sealant away.