Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
How to Live Green and Save Money - Useful Tips on How to Start Living Green
We all want to live a good life. We want to live in a healthy and economically sustainable society. Living green is hitting two birds with one stone. It will not only help save our planet but it will also help you save money.
How do we do that? There are a lot of ways and a lot of information that we can gather around. Things like, joining our community's environmental activities, tree-planting, recycling, choosing the right food and the list goes on. Question is: Where do we start? We can start by changing our lifestyle. Here are a few simple ways on how to go green.
Save energy
In washing our clothes, you can wash them with cold water. In that way, you get to save 85 percent of energy used by heating water. You also use energy in machine drying your clothes. So it is best that you dry them in a clothesline or a rack to save energy.
Unplug appliances when they're not in use. Appliances can still draw out power when they are plugged in even when they are not in use. You can also use a power strip. A power strip is a device that has several power outlets and usually has a switch. It senses when a device is turned off and thus preventing the appliance from drawing out energy.
Save water
Don't spend too much time in the shower. This will lessen your electrical bills that you use in heating and water bills. Switch to oxygenating shower heads. These are shower heads that increases water pressure and add oxygen to the flow. These low-flow shower heads are not so expensive but you'll be surprised of the money that you can save on your electrical and water bills at the same time it can help the environment by preventing global warming.
Save gas
In going to work, try to walk or ride a bike. In that way, you can save on parking fees and gasoline expenses. It will also keep you fit and prevent heart ailments and obesity without going to the gym.
If you live away from your office, you can try using computers, telephones, facsimile machines, and other remote capabilities rather than going to your office. Aside from conserving energy, saving on gas, it can also improve your safety and you get to have more time for your family. Another option is to rent a house near your office. Rent might be costly but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.
These are just a few simple and practical ways to start living green. With a few changes in your lifestyle by living green, you'd be surprised of the huge amount of money that you'll be able to save. Not only that, you're also saving the world and the world will thank you for it.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Basic Lawn Care - Mowing, Scarifiers, Aeration, and Watering Tips
The arrival of summer heralds a time of increased wear and tear for the average garden lawn. Children's yard games, barbecue parties, outdoor sports and generally more activity in the garden means your lawn is set to come in for something of a beating and without a little TLC is likely to start showing more than a little worse for wear. Stomp all over any living thing and it doesn't respond too kindly but with a little help, your lawn can remain looking great all through summer and beyond!
Fertiziler
For a lusher, healthier, faster-growing lawn you can't beat a bit of fertilizer. Test your soil type and choose a fertilizer to compliment this for best results. Most lawns will benefit from around three to four fertilizer applications through the year, with the first around a month before the start of the growinf season to give your grass a kickstart and then up to three more with approximately a two month gap in between applications can give good results. You can either spread the fertilizer by hand if you have a smaller lawn area to cover or use a specialist spreader tool for more even coverage, using a drop spreader for small lawns or a rotary/broadcase spreader for bigger areas.
After fertilizing it is generally a good idea to water-in the fertilizer or plan on adding fertilizer before an expected rainfall unless otherwise stated in the usage instructions. The important thing with fertiliser is to follow the manufacturer guidelines and not be tempted to over-do it. An excessive application of fertiliser is not a good thing and can lead to fungus, over-growth and weakness. Keep to the guidelines and you'll get that lush, thick green grass you wanted.
Watering
If you live in a hot climate or dry region, and particularly during the summer months then regular watering of your lawn is important. The best time to water a lawn is early in the morning or late in the afternoon to achieve the best results. Avoiding evening watering is advised as soaking grass over night can increase the risk of lawn diseases and mid-day watering when the sun is hottest increases evaporation and water wastage. Excessive watering is also something to avoid and ensure if you use a sprinkler you do actually get out there and move it around rather than allowing large puddles to form whilst other regions of the lawn area remain dry. Too much surface lying water can starve the roots of oxygen and lead to the same symptoms (leaf rolling) as lack of water.
It is important to know when to water rather than just watering because you think a lawn needs watering. There are a few basic tests you can do to know if your lawn needs irrigation. Look for leaf rolling and curling and the slightly blue/purple tinge which comes when grass is being starved of moisture. Also, try the foot print test. Stepping on a healthy lawn should see it spring back into position quickly but if your lawn is slow to react then it's time to add more water.
Lawn Mowing
The key thing to remember here is that the object of mowing a lawn is lawn "mowing" not lawn "scalping"! To take good care of your lawn you need to make sure you are mowing with sharp lawn mower blades so you cut rather than rip at the grass and ensure you do not set the blades at too low a level as you do not want to cut it back lower than is recommended for your particular species of grass. Cutting too low on a regular basis is the easiest way to do lasting damage to your lawn.
If your lawn has become too overgrown then do two or more passes with your mower rather than trying to take it right down to a desirable length straight away and never cut grass when it is wet. Grass clippings may be left or raked as you please if you do not have a lawn mower with a grass collector. Left clippings do not automatically lead to thatch, this is only occurs when there is too much dead organic matter to be broken down and a few clippings actually add nutrients back into the soil.
Edges are something lawn mowers can not handle but a simple pair of long handled shears will make short work of tidying them up. Strimmers are a simple solution for cutting around obstacles such as trees and immovable garden structures.
Aerating Your Lawn
Grass is a living thing and like all living things it flourishes better when it is able to breath easy and get easy access to food and water. Aeration of your lawn is important as it allows water, oxygen and fertilizer to penetrate more easily through to the roots and improves drainage. If your garden is being regularly used then the ground will begin to suffer from soil compaction. When this happens, drainage is reduced and it becomes more difficult for roots to dig down deeper into the soil. The natural activities of earthworms and other subterranean insects and wildlife help break up the soil but compacted earth can always do with a helping hand.
Basic lawn aeration is very simple to achieve with the help of a simple garden fork. Just drive the fork into the earth at regular intervals to do the job. For bigger garden areas or for more effective aeration you can buy or hire specialised lawn aeration tools which are basically spiked or bladed rollers either motorised or hand driven.
An aerator should be used in the autumn months to loosen compact soil after its summer beating.
Dethatching and Scarification
Scarifying or raking your lawn to remove dead and decaying matter which may choke and hinder water and nutrients reaching the soil is an essential part of a good spring and autumn lawn maintenance routine. Raking removes thatch, the accumulation of dead and decaying organic matter like leaves and old grass clippings from around the base of the grass stems. This scarification improves drainage and enables increased amounts of water and air to penetrate down to the roots as well as reducing the chances of lawn disease occuring. Before detatching a lawn you should ensure there is no moss growing there as this process will only help spread the moss around. Kill the moss first with a specialised moss killer found at good garden centers and then scarify the lawn. Scarifying a lawn may be performed manually by raking whilst for larger lawns it might be recommended to use a power lawn scarifier machine which can be hired or bought for the purpose.
Removing Worm Casts
Worms are the gardener's best friend...unless your lawn is your pride and joy. Worm casts are those unsightly piles of mud which appear on the surface of your lawn and left to their own devices may encourage moss and weed growth. Removal is simple during dry weather, just wait until they are dry and brush or rake them away but during prolonged wet periods you may just have to put up with them. Use of acidic fertilizers may discourage worms from coming to the surface but for most gardeners just consider worms are your friend, they help aerate the soil and drag organic matter from the soil surface into their burrows thus making the soil a richer growing environment.
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Helping Mother Earth - Recycling Food and Garbage Waste With Composting Machines
It is important to take care of Mother Earth. What we take from it, we should put back. This can be said for the soil that allows plants and fruits, and vegetables to grow, so we may enjoy them. Going green is one of the first steps to take. If you enjoy your color flowerbeds and growing vegetable garden, or are just earth conscious, then composting is a way in which we can do our due diligence in maintaining balance when it comes to nature. With different methods to recycle garbage and dirt, here are a few composting machines and gadgets to get you started in living "the green life."
The term "compost" is the mixture of decaying plant, animal and other organic materials that are decomposed through aerobic decomposition. The combination of the materials turns into a rich, black soil, used for planting and gardening. The soil that comes from composting is good for the land because it acts as a fertilizer and conditioner. With a growing concern for space for landfills, there has been a growing interest in recycling by means of composting.
Utilize the power of composting by recycling old every day scraps and organic materials into nutrient rich mulch and compost for your yard or garden. What remains after these organic materials are broken down with the help of a composter is the rich, earthy substance your garden will love. Save money and enrich your plants with healthy nutrients with your own home-grown compost.
Worm Farm
Begin your own composting farm with a worm farm. It consists of two sturdy polypropylene boxes, nested inside each other. The upper box has a perforated floor and a lid, and the lower box is fitted with a drain sprout. By having the worms in the top portion of the bin (kitchen scraps/organic waste is placed) the waste (liquid) filters through the perforated holes into the bottom bin. This can be combined with water for use as an organic fertilizer rich in nutrients. As the worms actually eat the bacteria in the decomposed food, there is no odor to worry about, just simply add your scraps and see the results!
Worms used in your Worm Farm need to be special Composting Worms (red worms). They are fast breeders and can consume their own weight in food in twenty-four hours. One thousand worms are all that is required to start off the farm (two thousand if you want to be up to capacity in a hurry). Each worm produces an egg capsule approximately every two weeks, with each capsule containing between five and fifteen worms. These eggs hatch in three weeks time, and are mature within three months. The worms will breed to the environment, so if you reduce the amount of food, so too will the worm population decrease. It will be amazing to see how these worms turn garbage into soil!
The Pet Poo Converter
The Tumbleweed Pet Poo Converter consists of two sturdy nesting boxes with a lid, which form a neat, compact portable unit. The worms eat and breed in the top box. This has a perforated base to allow any liquid waste to drain through to the bottom collection box.
The "worm poo" or worm castings remain in the top box and can be harvested as desired. The bottom or catcher box collects the valuable liquid waste which can be diluted and used as a fertilizer on your garden. There is no difficulty in getting the worms to eat dog droppings. Commercial worm farmers rear their worms on manure. However, it is not possible to mix diets. They must be fed exclusively on pet poo. If you want to recycle vegetable scraps you must set up a separate farm.
This composting machine is constructed of UV treated high polypropylene hardened plastic, and weighs about ten (10) pounds. The composting worms are not included, but can be purchased at your local pet store or soil and garden center.
The Kitchen Compost Pail
Get the entire family involved in recycling with the kitchen compost pail. Teach them the importance of recycling and not letting any food go to waste. It is a simple, yet effective way of contributing to the "green" cause. And everyone will feel as if they are playing a role in saving the earth.
The kitchen compost pail is the ideal tool for collecting food scraps for your compost pile. You won't be embarrassed to have it sitting next to your sink, and you'll find yourself telling visitors about the benefits of composting when they ask what it is. The white enamel powder coated compost pail has a carbon filter to keep any smells contained when the lid is closed, and a handle to easily carry it outside to the compost bin. The pail is made of durable 18/8 stainless steel, and holds 1 gallon of kitchen scraps and other organic materials.
Get started to a new and greener tomorrow with composting tools and gadgets. Garden Winds has a fine selection composting machines and mixers to choose from. The rich soil that results in composting helps your flower or vegetable garden grow brighter. Help the environment from excess greenhouse gases and do your part in protecting the environment
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Achla CMP-06 Pyramid Batch Composter
!±8± Achla CMP-06 Pyramid Batch Composter
| Price : $129.00Post Date : Nov 13, 2011 02:00:15 | Usually ships in 24 hours
Gardeners have long understood the importance of composting. It provides an inexpensive way to convert kitchen scraps and garden waste into food for microorganisms. This Black Pyramid Composter will help to enrich your soil with healthy nutrients after you use it to create your own fertilizer. The Achla Pyramid batch composter assembles easily with thumb screws and is made from durable, recyclable plastic.
- Waste less by converting your scraps into compost
- Enrich your soil with healthy nutrients from your own composter
- Assebles easily with thumb screws
- Made from durable, recyclable plastic
- Inexpensive way to create fertilizer
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