Make A Safety Check Before Yard Projects Begin
May 10, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Unseasonably warm temperatures have homeowners scrambling to dig in the dirt.
But before you start seeding the lawn, trimming the hedges or building a deck, think about safety and security.
“One of the biggest mistakes people make is not getting their tools and equipment ready,” said Don Adam, landscape manager with Noll Landscape Group in Fishers, Ind.
If the mower has been sitting for several months, the first task should be changing the oil and sharpening, Adam said.
“And if you’re pulling sprays, additives or chemical treatments out of hibernation, check the expiration date before applying them to this season’s lawn.”
A second challenge is planning before implementing, said Chad Raymond, a turf expert with Greenleaf Landscaping in Greenwood, Ind.
For instance, seeding might be best in the fall if there isn’t a good irrigation system in place to keep the grass moist during the hot summer months. Rather than surrounding a new deck with dozens of small plants, two or three might be best, leaving room for them to flourish.
“Sometimes a little planning is the best investment,” Raymond said.
A leading certification and testing organization, CSA International, offers other tips to help homeowners gear up for yard work:
Maintenance and renovations
Whether you are pruning the bushes, mowing the lawn or building a backyard deck, it is important to keep the following safety tips in mind:
Always ensure that electric lawn mowers, barbecues, power tools, ladders, decorative lights, extension cords and safety apparel carry the mark of an approved certification agency indicating that they have been tested to the applicable, recognized standard.
Let the manual guide you. Read the manufacturer’s operating instructions and use products or appliances only as intended.
Guard yourself with gear. Protect yourself by wearing certified protective eye and footwear. Hearing protection should be worn when operating loud machinery, vehicles or tools.
Lawn mowers
Look before you cut. Before mowing, take the time to walk the yard to remove objects that may cause an obstruction or be tossed by the rotating blades.
Avoid disaster, power down. Never clear an obstruction on a running mower. If the mower is electric, turn off the power and unplug the machine. If it is gas, turn off the power and make sure the engine is not running and that all safety features have been activated.
Children younger than 12 should never operate a power lawn mower.
Portable power tools
Inspect all power tools and cords before each use. Never use a power tool that has a cracked casing, loose parts or frayed cords. Ensure all safety guards are in place and in proper working order.
Make sure a tool is turned off before it is plugged in or unplugged. Always turn off and unplug the tool before changing parts.
Find a three-pronged solution. Use only electric power tools that have either a three-prong plug or double insulation with a heavy enough gauge – or wire size – to handle the electricity load. Use an outlet with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter to protect against electric shock.
Extension cords
Check extension cords for wear and damage before use. Discard any cords that are frayed or damaged.
Use an extension cord only as a temporary connection.
Never connect more than one extension cord together; instead, use a single cord that is long enough to reach from the outlet to an appliance or tool without stretching.
Never run an electrical cord through a doorway or under a carpet. If a cord becomes hot when plugged in, discontinue use immediately and replace with a heavier gauge cord.
When working outside, only use cords clearly labeled for outdoor use.
Gas grills, barbecues
Make a clean start. Before firing up the barbecue for the first time, carefully inspect burners and burner tubes for blockages. Clean or replace any blocked parts or have a certified technician make repairs.
Blowing bubbles. Check for cracked, brittle or leaking hoses. To check for leaks, apply a 50/50 solution of soap and water to hoses and fittings and turn on the main gas or propane valve while leaving burners off. Any leaks will show up as bubbles. Replace any damaged hoses or fittings.
Old gas? Take a pass. Propane cylinders must be inspected and re-qualified a minimum of every 12 years. A date stamp on the cylinder indicates when it was last qualified. Do not use a rusty or damaged cylinder. If in doubt, have your tank replaced.
Breathing fire. Keep grills and barbecues away from combustible materials such as fences, trees, buildings, awnings and carports. Never use a barbecue in a garage.
Buy the Certification Star. When purchasing or installing a gas barbecue, make sure that it carries the mark of an approved certification agency.
Decorative lighting
Product placement. When installing decorative lighting on patios or along walkways, inspect your lighting to make sure that it is certified and marked for use outdoors.
Power down. Turn off the electricity supply before working with outdoor lighting and unplug lights when possible.
Is the light all right? Carefully inspect lights and lamps to make sure there are no broken or cracked sockets or housings and that there are no bare or frayed wires.
Peak timing. Use a timer to turn lights on and off. Turn lights off during peak summer hours to avoid strain on local electricity resources.
Article courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, by TJ Banes 05/04/2012.
Mulch or Not to Mulch?
April 24, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Should you mulch? If so, what type of mulch should you use? When should you mulch? Does mulch really help or is just decorative? These are some of the questions asked and answered in the following article by Denny McKeown, a Cincinnati Enquirer Contributor (article featured 04/20/2012).
• Mulch inhibits weed seed germination on the soil it covers. It does not stop new weed seed from germinating in the
mulch itself.
• Mulch does hold soil moisture in. That’s the last thing our landscape needs this spring. We need for all the excess moisture in our soil to leave and the soil to dry. This could take a couple of weeks of relatively dry weather.
• Mulch does help some to moderate winter cold and summer heat but really not enough to brag about.
The No. 1 reason any of us mulch our landscape is the appearance. A fresh application of mulch looks great, especially the real dark or black stuff.
One mistake many homeowners make is the assumption that “all mulch is the same; some just sell it for more money than others.”
Wrong. The quality of mulch varies tremendously from one source to another. This is especially true with what’s termed “shredded hardwood,” the top selling mulch.
The term “shredded hardwood” can include the shredding of the actual hardwood of trees, wooden pallets, old building lumber and anything else that contains cellulose.
It could also include bulking agents such as sawdust, ground up yard waste and crumb rubber. I like to refer to these additives as “hamburger helper.”
Most of these hardwoods have also been color enhanced using various dyes. Most plain or painted hardwood mulches lose that dark color within six months of application.
Mulches made of 100 percent real bark, whether chipped or shredded, are the best and the most costly. They hold their natural color for a year or more. Chipped bark comes in different size chunks. Pick what is most appealing to you.
Pine straw is making inroads in regional landscapes. It has been the No. mulch down South for years.
Pine straw is easy to apply, stays in place on slopes, and doesn’t clump like other shredded mulches. Place a thin layer of pine straw down first and then place your bark chips on top. The chips, which have a tendency to float away, will stay locked in place.
Rubber mulch, edging, and tree rings are showing up at many retailers. Rubber is being marketed as eco friendly because it is made of recycled tires that used to crowd our landfills. Rubber mulch is promoted as non-toxic and latex free. It does not compact or blow away.
The jury however is still out. Research being conducted at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center at Washington State University has concluded something very different. Their findings to date conclude that rubber mulch is:
- not as effective as other organic mulches in controlling weeds.
- highly flammable and difficult to extinguish once it’s burning.
- not permanent; like other organic substances, it decomposes.
- not non-toxic; it contains a number of metal and organic contaminants with known environmental and/or human health effects.
- known to float away in heavy rain.
When you need lawn and landscaping clean-up, let HomeServicesLink know. We’ll connect you with the right contractor whether is landscape design, landscape clean-up, lawn care or basic mowing. Check us out for these and other home repair an improvement projects for your home.
Building Trust and The Power of Testimonials
April 17, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
With all of the information out there especially on the internet these days from all sorts of sources, what do you believe? Who do you believe? What are your trusted sources? The home improvement and repair industry is heavily dependent on references. Many people ask friends or family who to use for different task or projects. Others use services like Angie’s List to find recommendations. What are the criteria your friends or family use for deciding who the best contractor for your need is? This can be tricky because your expectations may be different than your friend. What they consider good performance may not be acceptable to you. The work they had done may have been less complex than your need and beyond the capability of the contractor (and the contractor wants the work and may not share that little detail).
Testimonials are a great source of information. A base assumption is that you trust the source. Some sites generate their own testimonials so you will have to figure out if the testimonials are real or paid for. So how do you use the information in a testimonial? Many times a testimonial is just a reflection of the character of the contractor. Here are a couple examples from our long list:
The electrical work has been completed. Very thorough and accommodating. Your recommendations are great as always. –Vicki of Sharonville
The remodeling contractor was AWESOME; he came out and discussed my plans, provided a quote, he was thorough in his follow-up. I felt he was fair and honest on the quote. I will be contacting him for two other projects for quotes. I’ve also recommended him to friends. I appreciate HomeServicesLink for following up with me and I plan to use your services in the future. –Karen of Cincinnati
Both of these are glowing and speak to the professionalism of the contractor which is what you get the majority of the time. This is an important element in the selection process and a good start but more is needed and is usually not found in testimonials. The contractor may have been awesome for this clients need but he may lack the skill or expertise for your specific project. Here you will need to get references for similar work so you can discuss with those homeowners their experience and was it what you will be expecting. Short of going to see the work you will have to determine if the project is similar to what you are planning. Possibly review a photo portfolio of previous work related specifically to what you are looking for like bathroom remodels or kitchens.
In the end it all comes down to whom do you trust to provide you quality work and service at a fair price. You have Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, and Kudzu to name a few as sources for information. Just make sure it is a reliable source as far as the specific provider of the information is concerned. The larger the database on a contractor the better for determining their longer term performance. A single reference point or testimonial is not a true indicator over time. We see all different types of projects and ask the questions to do our best in matching the best contractors to the work. Since we do the quality control checks and follow-up with customers we have multiple data points on just about every contractor in our preferred network, and if they don’t consistently deliver to our standards they are dropped from the program. Along with that we maintain current insurance certificates on all of the contractors in our network. HomeServicesLink is here to help you find the right contractors for your needs. You can contact us at info@homeserviceslink.com or 513-271-1888. We would also be interested in hearing what source you use most often to find your contractors and home service providers.
Keep Your Lawn Beautiful: DIY or Hiring a Lawn Care Professional
April 12, 2012 by Home Services Link · 4 Comments
Here are 10 mowing tips for the homeowner who wants to mow and maintain their own lawn.
Change directions: Cut the lawn using different patterns. This will prevent ruts from forming and it will also encourage the grass to grow tall and straight.
Mow dry grass: Cutting wet grass isn’t very effective. The grass will not cut evenly when it’s wet and can clog the mower.
Sharpen the blade: Have the blade sharpened at least once a year. A dull blade rips the grass, creating an uneven look, damaging your lawn and leaving it exposed to diseases and parasites.
Photo Courtesy of Photospin.com
Overlap: It’s tempting to get the most out of every pass and minimize the amount of overlap, but it’s not the best technique. Overlapping every pass by three inches or more will result in a smooth and even lawn.
Tall grass is good: As grass grows taller, its roots go deeper, resulting in a healthier lawn that requires less watering. The grass will also fill in nicely, providing a great safety net against weeds. Cutting the grass too short causes stress on your lawn. Over time, repeatedly cutting it short will result in turf that has bare spots and is highly susceptible to cold, extreme heat, pests and diseases.
The one-third rule: Never cut the grass by more than a third of its height at any one time. If the grass has gotten too tall, cut it back by one-third, wait a few days and then cut it again.
Don’t be stupid: Choose a mower with a safety handle that will shut down the mower when released. Never allow people to ride on the mower deck as this can result in serious injury. Wait until the blade has completely stopped spinning before going near the deck to remove clogs.
Clear the lawn: Your mower has the power to turn any rock or stick into a flying projectile that can harm nearby people. Clear the lawn of toys and other objects before cutting. Watch for objects buried in the grass as you are cutting to avoid problWhen possible, cut the grass early in the day, as soon as the dew has dried. This will give the grass time during the day to gather fresh nutrients.ems.
Mow early in the day: When possible, cut the grass early in the day, as soon as the dew has dried. This will give the grass time during the day to gather fresh nutrients.
Cutting hills: When working on a hill, cut across the slope. Never go up and down the slope for safety.
Hiring a lawn care service
While some homeowners take great personal pleasure in caring for their beloved lawns, for others it’s just a big chore that’s hard to keep up with.
If you’re thinking of hiring a lawn care company, here are some tips:
Get an on-site estimate: Having the company come to your house and assess your lawn and its needs will ensure you receive the right treatment and maintenance plan needed for growing a healthy lawn.
Avoid quick fixes: If your lawn is in distress, stay away from self-proclaimed magicians who claim to work miracles. Getting a damaged lawn back into healthy stages usually takes time.
Chemical check: If you’re considering a chemical treatment to be applied to your lawn, make sure the professional you hire is certified to apply such chemicals.
Do your homework: Make sure the company is insured, and look for someone with good recommendations from past customers.
Fertilizers and chemicals
Maintenance is vitally important to proper lawn care. This includes proper mowing but also includes watering and fertilizing. Watering the grass is especially important in dry climates where there may be several weeks without rain. This allows the grass to maintain a proper growth rate and reduces the risk of grass killing diseases.
Fertilizing is worthwhile in any climate but a necessity when the soil is lacks nutrients. The most important ingredient in fertilizer is nitrogen which is vital for the continued growth of thick and healthy grass that can spring back into shape after being crushed by something that has run over it. Higher nitrogen is essential for maintaining grass that is already established.
Overuse of chemicals: Pesticides can be essential to preventing infestations and disease but should be used with great caution. Some pesticides are very harsh on a lawn and can cause as much new damage as it prevents in old damage. All pesticides should be checked for natural ingredients which should take preference over harsher chemical based pesticides.
Lawn abuse is common, especially among families with pets. Everyone wants to enjoy their lawn but must be careful not to put too much pressure on the grass to stay healthy and get constantly trampled. Pets also cause issues because their urine actually burns the grass and can cause yellow discoloration.
Disease prevention: Even if every step above is followed, some lawns will manage to get diseased. Brown patch disease is treated the same way it is prevented, with proper watering. It can also be treated by reducing the amount of nitrogen in the ground. There are many diseases that can affect a lawn including fairy rings, red thatch, and dollar spots. Most can be treated by returning to proper maintenance habits but if the disease is not resolved after a week of proper maintenance, it may be necessary to call in a professional.
Article courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, by Angie Hicks, 04/07/2012.
Landscape Seminars at Glenwood Gardens
April 9, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
A gurgling fountain in surrounded by beds of colorful flowers at the Cotswold Overlook at Glenwood Gardens. / Provided/ Glenwood Gardens
Glenwood Gardens kicks off its spring series of landscape seminars today with a program that teaches the essentials of photographing nature.
Leading the 8 a.m.-noon class is Jim Mundy, Hamilton County Park District Land Management Assistant and nature photographer. He will teach camera basics, exposure, shutter speed, compensation techniques and more.
Participants must be 16 or older and should bring their digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera to Glenwood Gardens, 10397 Springfield Pike, near the intersection with Glendale-Milford Road. Cost is $35, $25 for Highfield Discovery Garden members.
The following four events round out the series:
Gardens of Glenwood, 6:30 p.m. April 11. Join Chris Fath, Glenwood Gardens landscape technician and naturalist Becky Reed leads a tour and discusses the history and the plants that make up Glenwood Gardens. Session includes a walk through the Cotswold and Legacy Gardens. Cost is $5/$3.
Flowering Shrubs, 6:30 p.m. April 18. Glenwood Gardens landscape crew leader Kurt Goldick talks about making a four-season plan for your shrubs Cost is $8/$10.
Native Trees, 6:30 p.m. April 25. Jerry Frankenhoff, Hamilton County Park District’s Landscape Manager, shows how to choose the right native tree for any landscape. Cost is $10/$8.
Veggie Containers, 6:30 p.m. May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Kathy Charvat, master gardener and naturalist at Glenwood Gardens, teaches the art of vegetable plants in containers. Each participant will leave with a seed sampling of dwarf vegetable plants and a miniature tomato plant. Cost is $$15/12.
To register for the series, call 513-771-8733 or go to www.GreatParks.org.
Article courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer by Brent Coleman, 04/04/2012.
If you’d like a garden or landscaped lawn, let HomeServicesLink assist you. We’re your Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky connection for screened, reliable and insured contractors.
10 myths – and some answers – about planting
March 26, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
We thought that we’d share some more planting, landscape and gardening tips. The following article highlights some common myths about planting, lawn care and general care for your home garden. Don’t forget that we can help with your lawn care and landscaping needs when you don’t have the time or just don’t have a green thumb, but love a landscaped and cared for lawn and garden.
Let’s borrow from the real estate textbook: The three most important things to consider when installing a tree, shrub or other plant are location, location and location.
That can be tough if the planter possesses a lot of bad information. So, let’s dispel some misinformation.
No. 1:Weeping and other willow trees love poorly drained soil. Sorry, this family of plants was not put on earth to be water vacs. No plant, including willows, wants to be planted in standing water. Willows will grow under wet conditions, but not very well. They will continually drop dead wood and have a short life. Good drainage makes all trees happy.
No. 2:All hostas should be planted in the shade. All hostas do very well in areas that receive morning sun. The non-variegated green leaf hosta varieties will do well in all-day sun. Keep all hostas protected against deer.
No. 3:All red-leafed plants need lots of sun to keep their color. All red-leafed plants will keep good leaf color with as little as four hours of sun daily. The perennial coral bells will keep their red leaves when planted in total shade. The leaves stay on year round, adding to the landscape value.
No. 4:All trees and shrubs can be pruned anytime they need it. Trees and shrubs that bloom sometime during the growing season have a pruning schedule that ensures next year’s blooms. All flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned within six weeks after they bloom. The new growth that will develop after the pruning will have sufficient time to form new buds for next year.
No. 5:Grass should be mowed short during the summer to save watering. There is a direct correlation between blade length and root depth. Grass blades are storage tanks of moisture, and the longer the blade, the deeper the roots and the moisture-holding capacity. Raise your mower during the summer to cut your lawn at 2½- to 3-inches. A sharp mower blade helps with the overall health of the lawn, too.
No. 6:Imidacloprid repels insects, such as Japanese beetles. No, it kills them when they chew on the plant treated with the chemical. Imidacloprid is a safe pesticide that causes the bug to lose its appetite, which in turn causes it to starve to death. To the environment, it is friendly.
No. 7:All hydrangeas have the same growing requirements. The large-leaf macrophylla varieties will tolerate lots of shade. They will also grow in lots of sun. The other varieties do best in lots of sun. Do not prune back old growth on the large leaf till mid-May when the leaves emerge from the buds.
No. 8:Deer-resistant plants means deer won’t eat them. Deer-resistant does not mean deer-proof. Landscape plants that are labeled deer-resistant refer to those plants which deer don’t usually eat, but it doesn’t mean they will never eat them. They will still eat deer-resistant plants but only if and when there aren’t more tasty plants around to munch on. There are also some great deer-deterrent products that you can apply to keep Bambi out of your yard.
No. 9:All insects are bad. Less than 3 percent of insect species in this region pose a threat to plants. The vast majority of insects actually live off of eating each other or, put another way, “Survival of the fittest.”
No. 10:Drought-tolerant plants don’t need water their first year before establishment. The first year is the most dangerous period in a plant’s life. We either water too much or too little. Drought-tolerant plants do need moisture in the soil as they get established. This can take one to two growing seasons. Always check the soil for moisture using your garden trowel. When the soil looks and feels dry, water. If it’s moist, let it alone and check again the next day.
Article courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, 03/24/2012, by Denny McKeown.
Spring: Return of Insects and Critters
March 23, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
A raccoon invades a garbage can. / Enquirer file
What’s a homeowner to think and do?
Tom Turpin, an entomology professor at Purdue University states that insects have been around for 350 million years.
All of these pests have evolved to where they are pretty used to us and our environment, allowing them to survive extreme temperatures.
Insects, like plants, produce their own anti-freeze in the fall that protects them from the elements. Their only time they are at risk is in mid-spring when switch back to producing normal body fluids instead of the anti-freeze.
It’s worth noting that fewer than 1 percent of all insects are considered harmful and dangerous to our landscapes, causing holes and deformations in our plants.
So now you can relax knowing all the bugs will be back regardless of the cold or warm temperatures.
What about the critters?
Critters were also around before man.
I personally think they accepted the take-over of their environment by man with a good attitude, understanding that some of your plants, fruits and vegetables will be shared with them.
It’s mostly a guy thing to feel violated by an unwelcome pests that persist on making tunnels in our lawn, stealing our tomatoes, and eaing our flowers
We tend to feed the birds but get upset when the squirrels help themselves. Just the opposite, some of try to eradicate critters.
Most if not all the products available for critter control will offer some protection, but for only short periods of time. These products have to be continually reapplied to continue to be effective.
The most permanent way to rid your yard of ground moles is trapping.
There are some effective products that can keep deer out of your landscape up to 90 days. These products include This One Works, Liquid Fence, and Milorganite. Since deer don’t hibernate, you must continually rotate these products year round. Some products work on taste while others on smell. Rotate each type every 30 days.
if that’s too much trouble, learn to co-exist.
Bugs and Critters – Some “Did you know’s”
Did you know the best way to rid your yard of Japanese Beetles is to give your neighbor a beetle trap. They attract all the beetles in the area to that trap while only collecting about 50% of the beetles in the bag. The rest stay in your neighbor’s yard. Soil drench the plants that are vulnerable with Imidacloprid just one time in spring for full season protection.
Did you know electric bug zappers only get about 30% of the bugs they attract? Encourage these to be placed in other yards in your neighborhood as well.
Did you know it is illegal to trap and relocate raccoons and opossums to another property? Hire a professional trapper.
Did you know when a critter picks a fruit or tomato; leave the partly eaten evidence in place. When they return, they’ll keep eating that one.
Did you know course builder’s sand placed on top of your soil around your Hostas and other vulnerable plants will stop the slugs? Spread sand on your beds in early April.
Did you know you can stop rabbits, cats, and other critters by using sweet gum balls that fall from a sweet gum tree as mulch around your plants? They won’t walk on the spinney seeds.
Article Courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 20, 2012 by Denny McKeown.
Let a HomeServicesLink contractor assist you with your pest control. Whether it’s bugs or critters, we can connect you with the right contractor in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Household Items That You Can Compost!
March 20, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Home composting isn’t just for farmers anymore! The practice is becoming increasingly popular among urban environmentalists who are eager to cut their landfill contributions: from apartment dwellers growing gardens on top of NYC roofing, to folks who participate in their local municipal compost program, to homeowners looking to turn their backyards into a teeny tiny sustainable city farms. Composting is a key component of the eco-friendly puzzle, because it takes waste that’s destined for landfills and turns it into usable, nutrient-rich soil, which is perfect for gardening. Most people focus on kitchen scraps, but that’s just the very tip of the composting iceberg. Did you know you could also include the following?
1. Dryer lint
2. “Dust bunnies”
3. The insides of a vacuum bag (just empty the bag into the compost bin)
4. The contents of your dustpan (just use discretion)
5. Coffee grounds
6. Coffee filters
7. Tea bags/loose leaf tea
8. Soy/rice/almond/etc milk
9. Nut shells (but not walnut, which may be toxic to plants)
10. Pumpkin/sunflower/sesame seeds (chop them to ensure they won’t grow)
11. Avocado pits (chop them up so they won’t sprout)
12. Pickles
13. Stale tortilla chips/potato chips
14. Stale crackers
15. Crumbs (bread or other baked goods)
16. Old breakfast cereal
17. Bran (wheat or oat, etc)
18. Seaweed/nori/kelp
19. Tofu/tempeh
20. Frozen fruits and vegetables
21. Expired jam or jelly
22. Egg shells
23. Old, moldy “soy dairy” and other dairy substitutes
24. Stale Halloween candy and old nutrition/protein bars
25. Popcorn kernels (post-popping, the ones that didn’t make it)
26. Old herbs and spices
27. Cooked rice
28. Cooked Pasta
29. Oatmeal
30. Peanut shells
31. Booze (beer and wine)
32. Wine corks
33. Egg cartons (not Styrofoam)
34. Toothpicks
35. Q-tips (not the plastic ones)
36. Bamboo Skewers
37. Matches
38. Sawdust
39. Pencil shavings
40. Fireplace ash (fully extinguished and cooled)
41. Burlap sacks
42. Cotton or wool clothes, cut into strips
43. Paper towels
44. Paper napkins
45. Paper table cloths
46. Paper plates (non wax- or plastic-coated)
47. Crepe paper streamers
48. Holiday wreaths
49. Balloons (latex only)
50. Raffia fibers (wrapping or decoration)
51. Excelsior (wood wool)
52. Old potpourri
53. Dried flowers
54. Fresh flowers
55. Dead houseplants (or their dropped leaves)
56. Human hair (from a home haircut or saved from the barber shop)
57. Toenail clippings
58. Trimmings from an electric razor
59. Pet hair
60. Domestic bird and bunny droppings
61. Feathers
62. Fish food
63. Aquatic plants (from aquariums)
64. Dog food
65. Rawhide dog chews
66. Ratty old rope
67. The dead flies on the windowsill
68. Pizza boxes and cereal boxes (shredded first)
69. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls (shredded first)
70. Paper muffin/cupcake cups
71. Cellophane bags (real cellophane, not regular clear plastic)
72. Kleenex (including used)
73. Condoms (latex only)
74. Old loofas (real, not synthetic)
75. Cotton balls
76. Tampon applicators (cardboard, not plastic) and tampons (including used)
77. Newspaper
78. Junk mail
79. Old business cards (not the glossy ones)
80. Old masking tape
81. White glue/plain paste.
Happy composting, everyone. Please tell us what YOU compost!
Article courtesy of Sayward Rebhal for Networx.
Pruning Do’s and Don’ts
March 19, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Dwarf Korean Lilac Tree
Pruning can be a very intimidating process for most homeowners. Let’s take away some of the causes of that fear. A common misconception is that pruning is a dwarfing process to a particular plant. While this is temporarily true, pruning actually increases the amount of growth to any plant that is pruned. Prune one branch and the remainder of that branch will put on two or more new branches. That’s good to know when you have young plants that you want thicker quicker.
Pruning is also necessary to maintain the overall size and shape of our trees and shrubs. Pruning can also give re-birth to our older deciduous shrubs that have all their leaves on the upper half leaving the bottom of the plant leafless and leggy. Probably the biggest reason we prune is the wrong plant growing in the wrong place. We fail to get the proper information on how much a particular plant will grow and how much room it will need. No tree or shrub ever stops growing until the day it dies. Tags, labels and signs that identify the various plants will state how high and wide a particular plant will grow. Ex. Dwarf Korean Lilac grows 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Truth is, once that Lilac reaches that size, you will have to continue to prune yearly to keep it at that size. The size that a plant is labeled to grow is the average size that you can maintain that plant by pruning, not that a plant will reach a certain size and stop growing.
Pruning Tools
You can put all flowering trees and shrubs into two categories; those that bloom in the spring and those that bloom in the summer. The majority of spring flowering trees and shrubs form their bloom buds the previous late summer or fall. Prune any these spring bloomers before they bloom in the spring and guess what, there goes all that color. Summer flowering trees and shrubs get their bloom buds on the new growth that grows in the spring. The old growth on those can be pruned in the spring.
To be completely bloom safe, wait to prune any tree or shrub until after it blooms. Whether the bloom comes in the spring or summer, you will have six weeks to prune after that year’s bloom and not affect the next year’s bloom.
Re-birthing That Old Shrub
Planted for ten years or more, flowering shrubs like forsythia, honeysuckle, all the viburnums, and others start to show their age. They don’t flower as much as they once did and have leaves only on the upper half. After a particular flowering shrub or shrubs have finished blooming, you can prune all the branches back to 12 to 18 inches from the ground. Within four weeks after this radical pruning, you will see all kinds of new growth appearing and your old shrubs will look brand new. You can expect several feet of new growth this season. The best pruning tool to use in the re-birthing process is a 
lopping shear that you can buy or rent.
Other great pruning tools are hand pruners, a folding pruning saw, and hedge shear although the latter should be used carefully as to not prune too much in one motion.
Let the Color Begin
We are now a week and a half into March. Regardless of the weather conditions, the yard is ready for some pansies. Plant mixed or solid colors, these cold hardy plants are ready to bring spring home to you. You might also consider the cold hardy Primrose and English Daisies.
One Last Tip
Forsythia
Find some room to plant a Forsythia shrub. Every landscape should include at least one golden blooming plant that tells everyone in your neighborhood that spring is here. There are many varieties that grow to different sizes so I know there’s one out there that has your name on it.
Article courtesy of Denny McKeown, The Bloomin News.
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What are those tiny black tar like dots on my house?
March 14, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
You know what I am talking about. Those tiny black hard specks often found on windows and siding that scrape off like pieces of tar. For years I thought it was residue from airplane exhaust but now I know what it really is and was I surprised where it comes from.
It is time to start making plans for spring clean-up and think about freshening the mulch in your landscaping. My new landscape maintenance company was by a couple weeks ago to look at what would be needed this year. In passing he made a comment about the fungus residue on my house and windows and I had to ask what he was talking about because I did not see any fungus residue. He explained the little black tar-like spots were from a fungus called artillery fungus or sphere thrower. I Googled and found the scientific name is sphaerobolus. I was told the fungus usually forms on decaying plant material in the spring and fall and is driven by light, moisture and temperature. When temps are between 50 -70 degrees with sufficient moisture, the fungus produces a type of flower which as it matures basically shoots as far as 20 feet usually towards light which would explain why they are often found on the white or glass surfaces of your home. The flowers are so small it is almost impossible to see them in your mulch. Who knew your landscape mulch was causing this problem?
Even more frustrating is the cure/prevention since chemicals are not effective in killing it off. The biggest impact is through the type of mulch you use and how you maintain your mulch. One option is to use gravel or stone products or even some of the synthetic/plastic mulches. If you are set on using a wood based product it is recommended you use mulch that is greater than 85% bark. Mulches that are high in sawdust and wood chip content are the source of food for growing this fungus. Another prevention function is to rake your mulch to disturb the fungus and to aid in drying removing the moisture component which can be a lot of work. For me, I am switching to a pine bark mulch this year.
Cleaning the sticky when fresh, hard as dry tar after setting dots is a difficult task. For surfaces like glass, it can be removed with a strong finger nail or a razor blade scraper. The kicker to scraping the dots is they can spread the fungus for more than 10 years. So if they fall into moist mulch they can start the cycle over again. Removing them from siding, especially non-glossy surfaces can do more damage than good. I personally have chosen to scrape the dots off of windows when the windows are washed and let the others run their course and eventually fade away after several years.
If you are having this problem, strongly consider changing your type of mulch. It also helps to have a knowledgeable landscape service that can catch these types of problems early. I found it interesting that many people that sell and install mulch were not aware of this fungus. It always pays to work with reputable service people for any need around your home. HomeServicesLink is here to answer your questions or help you with finding insured, quality service providers. We can help with anything from a simple handyman repair to a general contractor/remodel project. You can reach us at info@homeserviceslink.com or 513-271-1888.
