Aerate The Lawn
This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gets started on his fall yard chores. If rainfall pools on the grass, it's time to aerate compressed soil so water and nutrients can reach the roots. A garden fork can do the job on a small yard, but ... [... more]
This Old House |
Fall Yard Chores
Roger recommends getting your yard cleaned up and your equipment tuned up before winter sets in. Fall yard clean-up starts with the gutters, which requires setting up a ladder to reach them. Remember to always have someone holding the bottom of ... [... more]
This Old House |
How to Choose and Use a Leaf Blower
Small to medium yards where you need the power of a gas engine. Air speeds higher than 150 mph and noise levels less than 70 decibels. (Check local ordinances: Some areas limit noise to less than 65 decibels.) Antivibration system and ... [... more]
This Old House |
Fall Fertilizing
Roger Cook says a last dose of fertilizer before the winter can make all the difference next spring. Fall is here and it's time to fertilize. Why now? Taking the time to fertilize in the fall will strengthen your plants' and lawn's roots, giving ... [... more]
This Old House |
Norm's Notebook: Rakes
To break up clods, pull out small stones, and move lots of material, hold the handle at a 45-degree angle. For finish grading, smoothing the soil, raking out bark mulch, or spreading out an inch or two of gravel, go with a steeper handle angle, ... [... more]
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Skeeter Beaters
To intercept mosquitos before they spot human prey, the new CO2 traps should be placed at least 30 feet away from places where people gather. Burns propane, producing CO2, heat, and moisture. Also emits octenol. A fan draws mosquitoes into ... [... more]
This Old House |
Working the Bugs Out
Small, soft-bodied sucking insects; green, pink, yellow, red, brown or black They congregate at succulent stem tips and underside of tender leaves. Found throughout North America Curled leaves, yellow foliage, sticky honeydew, transmission of ... [... more]
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Succulents: Ideal Plants for Summer
Sempervivum tectorum (which along with the unrelated Echeveria x imbricata is commonly referred to as hens and chicks) is right at home in tight spots, such as a rock garden. Sempervivum 'Carmen' (shown) can also be nestled with smooth stones in ... [... more]
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Easy Mowing
BigMow, $13,000; belrobotics.com. Lawnbott Evolution, $2,500; kyodoamerica.com. RoboMower, $1,600; friendlyrobotics.com. It's 2007 and still no flying cars. But lawn-mowing robots: If money is no object, take your pick. The latest, in race-car ... [... more]
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10 Uses For A Garden Hose
TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook slips hose scraps over wire he uses to stabilize young trees. No chafing. They hide where it's cramped and dark during the day, so University of California master gardener Sue McDavid leaves 6-inch hose ... [... more]
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The Kindest Cut
Heading cuts remove only part of a shoot or limb and encourage side branching and dense growth. The cut should be made just beyond a healthy bud, angled at 45 degrees and facing away from the bud. Note that new shoots will grow in the direction ... [... more]
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Get the Best Deal on Plants
These shoppers in a Southern California nursery benefit from the expert advice of a trained staff member (right). A display garden in the background shows what plants look like at maturity, which takes some of the guesswork out of choosing ... [... more]
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