Toxic Free Lawn Care
The Grass is Greener with Organic Lawn Care By Eric Vinje Planet Natural What’s there not to like about organic lawn care? It’s relatively cheap. It’s better for the environment and it takes less work than your traditional well-manicured lawn. Americans take their lawns seriously. Lawns used to be for the wealthy who hired a staff to maintain the grounds of their estates. Now they are for everyone. The great equalizer was the invention of the push mower in the 1870’s by Elwood McGuire of Richmond, Indiana. (Before that, a common and labor-intensive way to trim lawns was to use scythes.) Today, U.S. homeowners spend more than $17 billion on outdoor home improvements, including lawn care….
Chem-Free Home Cleaning
One other questions comes to mind is that what’s in the cleaning products?
Chemical Free Laundry
Just because you want to be energy efficient and stay away from toxic chemicals doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to suffer.
Toxic Free Lawn Care Guide
Homeowners Guide to Chemical Free Lawn Source: Organiclawncare101.com Add organic matter to your lawn to build the soil — or spread an inch of compost in the fall, and water it in. Get after weed problems early. It’s easier (and less time consuming) to control a few young weeds than it is to wage war on many large, seed-producing monsters. Increasing the organic matter in your lawn by as little as 5% will quadruple the soil’s ability to hold water. Use an organic, slow-release fertilizer to feed your lawn and the soil. These materials break down slowly, feeding your grass over a longer period of time. Spread crocus throughout your lawn to add an early…
Eco-Friendly Fundraising
Schools can go green too. Many eco-friendly options are available to do fundraising.
Compost – The Black Gold
What Is Compost? Compost is one of the most valuable resources for beautifying your landscape, and it is virtually free. The leaves you rake, the grass you mow, and the branches you trim are some of the ingredients you can use to make compost. Finished compost is dark and has a pleasant smell. It is produced when organic matter, such as garden, lawn, and kitchen waste, is broken down by bacteria and fungi. Use it throughout your landscape – till it into gardens and flower beds, add it to the soil when renovating your lawn, Or sieve it and use it in potting soil. Benefits of Composting Compost improves the structure of soil. With the…
How to DIY Rain Barrel System
Tools You Need 1. Cordless drill 2. Hole saw, 2-1/4 in Shopping List for Required Materials 55-gal. barrel with lid 4×4 treated lumber and construction screws or stainless steel lags, if you build a stand to elevate the rain barrel(s) 2-in. male threaded electrical (gray PVC) conduit adapter 2-in. female threaded electrical (gray PVC) conduit adapter Silicone caulk, Glue, Screen, Threaded electrical PVC coupler Sections of 2-in. PVC pipe, Unions reducers and valves, Close-up of conduit adapters Use a 2-in. male threaded electrical (gray PVC) conduit adapter and a 2-in. female threaded conduit adapter to make a watertight hole from which the rainwater can flow. Install valves Install a large valve to quickly fill watering…
Tree Care
Did you know to give your trees 25 gallons of water per week, and healthy trees add value to your home.
Why Fireflies Flash At Night?
The Lusty (And Flavorable) Lives Of Fireflies Now that summer is here many of us have begun seeing fireflies in our yards and gardens. Despite their small size and preference for dark places, fireflies deservedly receive a lot of attention when summer arrives. And there’s a lot more going on than many of us realize… Their remarkable green and yellow flashing lights have a hypnotic effect on people. Children in particular are drawn to fireflies. But the same throbbing glow that attracts youngsters often leads male fireflies to their deaths. In warm-weather months, especially where open meadows and forests coexist, the adult male fireflies of most species set out on mating flights in the evening hours. The…
Easier, Cheaper, Smarter Gardening with Native Plants
We hear a lot these days about the benefits of using “natives” in our gardens, but what exactly does this mean and why should we bother? Native plants are species that existed in our area before human activities dominated the natural landscape. Over the past several hundred years, people have imported or bred plants to suit their cultural, aesthetic, and environmental needs. A few of these plant species have escaped from cultivated gardens or were introduced intentionally into natural areas. The problem lies in the fact that these exotic invasives can take over, out-competing native plants. As the native species dwindle, animals and insects dependent upon them for food and shelter are threatened. One step…
