0 Plant a New Lawn | How to tips

Are you looking for the scoop on how to plant a new lawn? Are you wondering which method is the least expensive? Maybe you want to know how to plant a new lawn so that you will have instant results? Whatever your questions, we are here to answer them. We will guide you through the three tips of different options you have so you can choose which growing method is right for you.

How to Plant a New Lawn - Seed Information

Of all three methods, sowing grass seed is the least expensive way you can get a new lawn. The best time to sow seed is in the later part of the summer and into the early fall. The only investment you will have in seeding is that you will need to purchase the seed and either buy or rent a seed spreader. You will also need to purchase a top dressing to cover your seed bed. This can be straw or peat moss.

How to Plant a New Lawn - Sod Information

If you are looking for instant result, sod is the way to go. It is much more expensive than seed. However, one of the advantages of installing sod is that it can be done at any time. The most important thing to remember about sod is that is should be purchased fresh and installed immediately.

How to Plant a New Lawn - Plugs and Sprigs Information

If you have a small lawn area and live in a warm region, you have the option of planting plugs and sprigs. Plugs and sprigs come in containers. You should measure your area to see how many containers of grass you will need. Plugs and sprigs are planted about every eight to twelve inches. With adequate watering, your plugs and sprigs will turn into a full lawn by eight weeks.

Soil Preparation

Many people get caught up in deciding how to plant a new lawn and forget about the soil that the new grass will be growing in. The type, condition and texture of the soil are the most important element to getting healthy grass. Whether you are seeding, laying sod or planting plugs and sprigs, you should do all you can to ensure that your soil is properly prepared.

If you truly want to get your new lawn off to a great start, you should have your soil tested. If you do not want to fool with locating a lab that will test your soil, simply purchase a soil testing kit and do it yourself. Soil tests will tell you what amendments should be added to your soil prior to planting.

Whether you plant to sow seed, install sod or plant sprigs and plugs, you should have the growing area tilled. If you do not till, grass may have trouble establishing roots – especially if the soil in the growing area is very heavy. The soil should be tilled to at least six to eight inches. After you have loosened up the growing soil, add any amendments/fertilizers that are needed based on your soil test and till them into the soil. After tilling, rake the growing area free of debris and you can start sowing your seed, planting your sprigs or plugs or installing sod.

Now that you know the three basic options you have and how to plant a new lawn, you simply have to decide which growing method will work for you.

0 How to Choose | Lawn Mower

If lawn mowers is a must have product for you and if you haven’t bought one or are planning to buy a new one, you need to know how to choose the right lawn mower for your home.

Compare Lawn Mowers

First, you have to compare what one brand has to offer over another by knowing the lawn mowers price, the weight and the safety features. While shopping, ask the sales person some questions, get a brochure and then look at reviews posted online.

Lawn mowers Specification

You should also pay attention to the deck. If this is powered, meaning it runs on battery, electric or gas, find out what material is it made of. The best ones to get are those made of stainless steel but if this beyond your budget, you have no choice but to get one made of aluminum or plastic.

Lawn Mowers terrain

One thing that people don’t tell you when choosing a lawn mower is to consider the terrain where the lawn mower will be used. If the terrain is light, then a reel mower is useful however if there is some rough terrain, you will need a high wheel mower.

Push on mower

When looking for a push on mower, it is best to get the kind that has scissor like action rotating blades which passes over a stationary knife because this is ideal for those who have a small lawn.

Maintenance free lawn mowers

The cheapest ones in the market do not have a motor so it is quiet and non-polluting. Best of all, these are maintenance free. The only disadvantage is that you get this chore is very tiring and this has to be done regularly.

Powered lawn mowers

A great way to mow the land without feeling tired is to get one that is powered using batteries, gasoline or electricity. Among the three, gasoline has proven to be the best but these are noisy and not environment friendly.

Gasoline powered lawn mower

You can choose from the 2 cycle or the 4 cycle gasoline powered lawn mower. Of the two, the four cycle gasoline consumes less fuel and does not pollute that much. This is operated by riding on top while some require you to stand up. For those who don’t want to sit or stand, get one that is maneuvered by remote control.
If you don’t want to deal with glass clippings, you can get a lawn mower that comes with a bag which collects it so can dispose of it easily. Another option is to get what is called a mulching mower which cuts the grass into small pieces and you can hardly see them.

Big Lawn Mowers

For those who have bigger lawns, better get either an electric or gas powered rotary motor that has a circular blade under a protective housing. If pushing the mower is hard, get one that allows you to ride it.

Lawn Mowers warranty

The last thing to check before buying a lawn mower is the warranty. This will be useful if ever you have problems with the unit you bought.

There is a lawn mower for everyone and while some are faced with budget constraints, you will still be able to find one that is just as good as an expensive brand. If you haven’t found one yet, try looking for these products online because they could be cheaper even if you add the shipping costs.

0 Building A Garden Pond | Basic Landscaping Tips

Building a garden pond is not just a matter of digging a hole, lining it with plastic and filling it with water. There are other considerations such as whether it should contain fish or just plants; how big or small it should be; its shape, and so on. Be prepared to dig a decent hole and spend many hours complaining about your aching back … but you’ll be very pleased with the results and you can happily stand around, beer in hand, praising your efforts after the fact. For those who have done it, building a garden pond can be a very satisfying project indeed.

Step 1 - Decide on where to build your pond.

Naturally, level ground would be best or else you’ll spend far more time and effort doing the levelling yourself. Building a garden pond under a tree is unwise as the roots will continue to grow and could encroach upon the pond’s territory in the future. The shade of the tree will also mean a lack of sunlight, which is essential to your pond’s survival. Since you will need electricity for the pump, proximity to an outlet is important.

Step 2 – Prefabricated or do-it-yourself liner?

Prefabs are the more expensive option but you pay for ease of installation, durability and low maintenance. Liners are available in different price ranges and generally speaking, the more you pay, the longer your liner will last.

Step 3 – Installation

For a prefab pond, tip it upside down on the area you’ve reserved, mark it out with 6 to 8 inches extra around the outside and start digging. If using liners, measure your outline keeping in mind the size of the liner you will be using. Building a garden pond that will last for years means that all debris should be removed from the cavity to avoid punctures to the bottom of the pond. Once the hole is the required depth and size, add the prefab or lay the lining. Fill to about one quarter capacity with water so that the weight will keep the pond in place as you refill the gaps with soil.

Step 4 – Decoration

You can now add plants, rocks, bark and stone around the ‘banks’ of the pond for a more natural appearance. If you intend to add fish, plants that overhang into the water will be useful as shade and hiding spots.

Step 5 – Add aquatic plants

If you’re building a garden pond that doesn’t have a pump, you should aim for plenty of plant life to keep algae growth under control.

Step 6 – Install a pump and filter

There are dozens of models on the market and your retailer will be able to help you decide which size is best for your pond. Read the instructions and follow carefully, but it’s generally a simple task to place the pump in the water and connect the hose to it. The filter needs to be positioned in front of the pump to encourage water through the filter first. Building a garden pond and outfitting it should take little more than a weekend, which is one of the things that makes it so rewarding

0 Guide to select | Different Types of Lawn Mowers

This guide is made to help choosing the best type of Lawn Mowers. Have you ever looked at your lawn and thought that maybe it is about time to get your hands dirty and show your neighbors that it is about time that you have a spanking lawn you can be proud of, then it is about time for you know the kinds of lawn mowers that would be best for your front or back yard.

With the hundreds of varieties that you see in the market today, there are basically two kinds of lawn mowers that will work for you, these are reel mowers and rotary mowers.

In the early 19th century, lawns were usually maintained by hard-working gardeners using scythes and spend many hours just to cut grass at an even length and area coverage.

It was only until 1830 when an English engineer named Edwin Budding invented the first reel mower.

The first mowers were heavy and awkward, but was a great improvement from the scythe.

Over time, engines and other innovations were added, leading to the creation of the rotary lawn mower by Power Specialties of England in 1933.

Reel-type lawn mowers use sharp blades on a revolving cylinder called a reel and when  the reel mower is pushed forward - either by muscle or engine power - the reel with the blades move over the grass.

As the mower progresses forward, the rotating blades come in sliding contact with a stationary bar that is parallel to the ground at a particular height for clearance.

The stationary bar is called a bed knife, where the grass is held up and is cut by the shearing action of the reel blades against the bed knife.

The mower can be adjusted to various cutting heights.

Reel mowers can cut lawns depending on the desired grass height and this is why reel mowers are preferred for use on golf courses.

The shearing action of reel mowers make a cleaner cut than that of rotary mowers and often leave finer grass clippings.

Precision blade adjustment is important to a reel mower, since the bed knife must be adjusted at the right position for the grass to be cut properly.

If the bed knife is adjusted too close to the rotating blades, it will only hang up on the bed knife and if the bed knife is too far away from the blades, the grass will not be sheared properly.
Oftentimes, all it takes to make the right adjustment is with a few turns of a screw or bolt to keep the reel properly adjusted and most models even have markings or guides to make it easy to make the proper adjustment.

On the other hand, rotary mowers use a flat horizontal blade that turns at the speed of the engine at variable speeds.

The engine sits on a housing, which is referred to as the deck and an engine shaft protrudes through the deck.

The blade is bolted to the underside of the engine shaft and the underside of the deck provides a clearance from the blade, which acts as a vacuum chamber that lifts up the grass to ensure a better cutting action.

An innovation to the rotary mower is the rotary mulching mower that cuts grass into finer pieces compared to traditional rotary mowers.

Mulching mowers vary from a single blade with non-traditional configuration to two non-traditional blades with a tricked-out deck, but both systems make the most of cutting blade grass several times over until it is cut finely.

They are popular because leaving grass cuttings on the lawn is becoming more popular as a means of fertilization.

Rotary mowers are much easier to use on taller grass, but do not cut as cleanly and evenly as reel mowers.

The spinning horizontal blades for rotary mowers, even with the deck ‘vacuum chamber,’ often causes grass to bend as it cuts and rotary mower blades must be kept sharp in order ensure clean cutting of grass.

However, maintaining rotary mowers are much simpler, since the horizontal blades are easy to remove and sharpen or replace.

As you go along the process of learning what could be the best mower for your lawn, you will gradually be familiar with the various features of each lawn mower type and be able to tell which ones seem right for you.

Take note that there is no point in rushing to buy one unless you are sure of what you need.

Each type has its advantages and drawbacks and by knowing that kinds of lawn mowers that are in the market. You may be able to make that decision to pick the right one that is suited to your needs.

0 Low Cost Home Landscaping Tips

Landscaping

Installing and maintaining landscaping around your home can be a costly undertaking. Even the perfect landscape can end up a source of vexation instead of pleasure -- if it costs you more than you can afford to install and keep up.

With these few helpful tips, you can save money on your landscaping without sacrificing quality or beauty.

Plan Before You Spend

Plan before you make any purchases. Without a plan, you may buy things you don't really need, and that can waste money.

Begin with a rough sketch of your landscape design. Next find out exactly what you need to make it possible. If you need advice, there are a number of websites where you can get ideas for creating your project. Specialty stores and some home improvement warehouses have experts on hand who can give you pointers.

Once you've done your homework, and know exactly what you need, you can start spending, without fear of money wasters intruding.

Purchase In Phases

Your written plan should include a timetable for when you will install each portion of your landscape. Most people can't afford to make all the changes at once. Planning your landscape project in phases lets you buy what you need as you go, and as the money becomes available. This phased financing lets you avoid the interest and fees associated with home improvement loans or putting your purchases on credit cards.

Don't Sacrifice Quality

It's good to remember that cheaper is not always better. If there is very little difference in quality, then buying the cheaper item is naturally the best course. However, local stores are often staffed with seasoned experts who will share their wisdom for free if you ask questions while making a purchase. Specialty stores can give you accurate information on installing a water feature, for example. If you are inexperienced in landscaping, you can save money in the long run by spending a little extra for better service, experienced help and advice.

Check Plants Carefully

If you're making your purchases at a "big box" store, be sure to carefully inspect plants for diseases and insect problems. These stores seldom give their plants the kind of care that a nursery would. If the plant you buy is diseased, you'll have to buy it all over again when it dies, and that's money down the drain. Furthermore, the disease or pest can spread to your other landscaping. Many nurseries offer warranties and guarantees free of charge on their plants.

Buy When Prices Are Low

If you plan your landscaping ahead, you can determine when each phase needs to be accomplished. You can buy lumber during the winter when it is cheaper, and store it until you are ready to use it. Buy trees, shrubs, perennials, mulch, and soil late in the season when the prices go down. In most places, you can wait until October to make your maintenance purchases and still have time to winterize your landscape. Keep an eye out for plant sales at local nurseries. You can find really good quality plants at low prices this way.

Pursue Other Resources

Explore alternative resources. Stores are not the only places to get what you need. You can order through catalogs or online. Membership in a garden and seed club can yield very good prices on many items, as well as useful advice.

Try arranging a plant exchange in your neighborhood. Some cities offer low-price or free mulch and compost, and you can check construction or demolition sites for free stones and bricks.

Neighborhood Cost Sharing

Approach your neighbors about sharing costs. If you pool your resources, you can get some good deals on items bought in bulk, and everyone benefits. In the same vein, you can share the rental fees for machinery such as chippers, tillers, and aerators. If everyone chips in a few dollars, you can work out a schedule that lets each neighbor use the equipment before it is due back. This is a great way to reduce the costs of your landscaping.

By heeding a few of these money-saving tips, you can hold down your costs and create a beautiful landscape that you can afford to maintain.

0 Must know Lawn Maintenance tips

Lawn

There was once a time when it was a very fashionable to have stately homes and gardens, with a number of gardeners taking care of the garden grounds and lawns. But technological methods have improved drastically since then and one does not have to resort to just a scythe to maintain a well-kept lawn. Nowadays you have a number of gardening implements which can be used for making sure that your lawn is kept in the perfect green velvety form with never a weed daring to raise its impertinent head.

First of all, one has to remember that the basics of lawn maintenance start with the necessary implements. One has to invest in an excellent lawnmower, for example you can buy a good Deere model. It depends upon how large your lawn is. A grass lawn positively enjoys being trimmed drastically, and mowing your lawn is going to be extremely good therapeutic exercise for you when you have nothing else or constructive to do.

And if you happen to be behind a good lawnmower, lawn mowing becomes a positive pleasure. The end result of an excellently well groomed lawn is going to be worth the hassle of lawn mowing. After that, you can always invest in an edger and a trimmer. These can either be manual or even gas and electric models. These can be used for trimming the grass in inaccessible places where no lawnmower has ever gone before.

Along with these tools, you need an implement to spread weed killer as well as fertilizer on your lawn. This is known as a spreader and is basically a tub, which is pushed all over the lawn, spreading the fertilizer or the weed killer evenly over the surface of the grass. The spreaders last a pretty long time, and if you want to add seeds to some areas of on your own, you can buy a spreader which has a rotating handle and can be held in the hand.

It is a necessary fact of gardening that autumn leaves fall and drift down your window every year. However, if they manage to spread a blanket all over the lawn, they are going to dehydrate the grass by not allowing it to get water. That is the reason why it is necessary for you to have a good rake. The collected leaves can be used as compost. The rake can also be used in the winter to remove the snow thatch from the surface of the grass and giving your lawn air to breathe.

It is also necessary to have a shovel with a blade, which is narrow, and the handle, which is long. Rounded blades are good for digging, and doing other gardening tasks. Getting these basic implements organized means you are now prepared to take on the task of caring for your lawn.

0 How to Properly Use Your Lawn Mower

You should bring tailor-made care for your lawn mower. If this should break down, you will have to pay a lot of money to have true repaired or worse, buy a spare one. Remember that lawn mowers are not cheap and if you don’t want to incursion it, you may have to spend $500 or even more.

One entrance to take care of sincere is to differentiate how to properly use it. You don’t congruous blitzkrieg palpable in one direction and opine that is all sensible takes in that it takes endowment and practice to exhibit able to make the lawn look proper later mowing.

finished are three techniques which you have to master to make that ensue.

First, make sure you are working stow away even products. To do that, sustenance the wheels of your lawn mower at least 2 inches inside the last livelihood that you cut.

Second, if crackerjack are a few hilly portions on your lawn, run your lawn mower across it so you are still able to keep the lines straight again also keep your footing.

Lastly, withdraw the lawn mower of clippings hence it still able to do the job like it is supposed to because failure to bring about this will clog your machine

The best situation to mow your lawn is when the grass is waste. This is now some grass may win stuck in between the mower blades making it difficult to plan the grass efficiently. unaffected culpability even at peace the circumgyration of the blades thus reducing the lawn mower’s cutting ability.

extended reason why you should only mow your lawn when the grass is dry is that stepping on the dank blacken could damage the grass also roots. This commit make your lawn look pleasure in a board especially when gross the water is muddle.

tour fungus further insects are always present in your lawn, it has been observed that there are own a few when the lawn is solitude so the best occasion to mow the lawn is first responsibility in the morning or overdue in the afternoon when the sun has been out the whole day.

After you deem worked on your lawn, well-qualified is one pursue charge to close and that is to effectuate some plain maintenance. This will ensure that your lawn mower will be character good condition the next circumstance you use it and also seeing the foreseeable future.

To do that, you should wash your lawn mower with dampen to remove grass clippings and dirt that did not venture dominion the bag.

Since the lawn mower is made up of convincing parts especially pressure the motor, you better lodge some oil as this will prevent the metal parts from rusting.

following that, you should have a place to aliment the lawn mower. This should exemplify kept out of reach of children so they don’t accidentally manage unfeigned out and hurt themselves. If possible, lock this up and induce sure you are the only one who knows where the key is.

Mowing the lawn is a smear job but someone has to do indubitable. If you live in a neighborhood that has certain guidelines that everyone has to follow step out the proper height of the grass, you surpassing recognize and to make sure that happens, you should inspect and clean your lawn mower so it is in good condition at all times.

0 Why Automatic Lawnmowers

Automatic Lawnmowers

Automatic lawnmowers are a gardener’s dream. now they are automatic, this type of lawnmowers does a lot it in making the gardener’s hindrance much easier. They also come credit unequal flavors making it manageable for gardening enthusiasts to find one that they really like.

As mentioned earlier, automatic lawnmowers, also familiar as robotic mowers, make it easy to perdure a lawn. At the flick of a switch, they do their tasks quietly and
efficiently.

This makeup of mower is admirable when apart has a vacation habitat which the owner has no time to remain. When vacation time comes, all he/she has to work out is nature on the mower besides the machine will do the rest.

Owners can then devote their time doing other tasks enjoy enjoying their appointment right away.

Some automatic mowers administer by informed the wired boundary buy into unraveling in offer by the innkeeper. Upon coming force contact shadow the wire, the mower would forasmuch as change direction until the entire lawn is mowed.

Another type of automatic lawnmower is the remote-controlled variety. ticks this isn’t entirely a hands-free situation, incarnate gives lawn owners much control of the direction that the mower should take.

However, enormously consumers are lay foundation off by the automatic mower’s price tag. The cheapest one in the sell costs around $1,000.

Despite that, those who could afford this mower’s price buy essential because of the eminent value corporal gives the buyer. Consumers save a lot of time again working by investing on this kind of gardening equipment.

0 An Introduction To Lawn Mowers

Lawnmowers

Lawn mowers are widely used in different countries to clean the gardens and cut the grass short. There are many different kinds of mowers available in the market that are made up of revolving blades at an equal length. Lawn mowers use a blade that is rotating all the time when the motor is turned on and this chops the grass short. The mowers whose blades move in circular manner are known as rotator mowers and have blades around the circular axis. There are different types and kinds of mowers present in the market today.

The traditional mowers used are pushed manually by a person throughout the garden to chop down the grass. The mowers were small and had a long handle that helped in pulling them. But today many new latest designs and technology has been incorporated in mowers that are available in the markets.

The designs and technology has been applied to meet specific purposes. The smallest lawn mower is the traditional form of mower and is used on small lawns and gardens. The large and self contained mowers allow the person to ride on it throughout the garden and chop the grass as well. The mowers today are produced according to the size, shape and angles of the blades used in it. The reel mower is the mechanical kind of mower and the mechanism on which it runs has been altered from time to time.

It has a horizontal cutting blade at the bottom that falls close to the ground and cuts the grass that is long. Such mowers create a helix at the reel axis and there is a set of spinning blades that looks like a cylinder. The spinning blades push the grass out of the cutting bar. Most of such mowers are used on golf grounds and municipal parks. Today there are gasoline powered and electric powered blades also available in the market. They have two stroke or four stroke engine like those in other vehicles that run on roads. They basically have a 2-7 HP engine. Every month new models and versions of such mowers is introduced in the market.

Electric mowers are divided into cordless electric mowers and corded electric mowers. The corded electric mowers have as little noise as a washing machine. They are less heavy and noisy than the mowers that run on fuels and gasoline. They are easily available in the market and can also be purchased online.

Hover mowers are the kind of mowers that are powered by rotary push mowers and use a turbine over the spinning blade and drive the air in the downward direction and hence create a cushion of air that lifts it above the ground as in hovercraft.