How to Keep Birds Out of a Garden

Everyone that has a vegetable garden would honestly not want birds eating their poor plants. Different gardeners typically plant certain shrubs and beautiful flowers using the intention of getting birds into their gardens. Birds add music and color to your garden. They also aid in controlling pests and assist in pollination, which are wonderful for gardeners. Birdscaping or arranging your garden to support or attract local birds is a movement that’s growing in the gardening world. Not all gardeners are in favor of bringing several different birds into their space used for gardening. 

What is Garden Netting? 

For one to create barriers available in your garden, you could make use of garden netting. This is an effective way to stop birds from entering your garden and spoiling all the hard work and energy you have put into growing those beautiful plants. Butterfly netting protects the plants available in your garden, but it lets in small insects like bees and butterflies, which need to gain access to your plants for cross-pollination purposes. For you to avoid injuries to other wildlife and other birds, you need to put a lot of thinking into your netting type. You could make use of netting that has holes that are smaller than a centimeter. 

It is really important for you to invest in very high quality netting. Make use of UV-resistant materials for netting. Some could serve as hazards for small wildlife, especially when they start to deteriorate and fray. So be careful.

Try Chicken Wire 

You could put some chicken wire on the ground. This would serve as a guard to the seeds you just planted or your bee tubers from getting damaged from birds or chickens, which peck and scratch the soil. These seedlings would soon start growing, the wires get lifted off the ground using stakes for your plants to get more protection. 

Guard Crops using Garden Fleece 

Garden fleece is usually installed and it guards crops against colds during their months. It could also serve and get used all through the year. You could make use of white materials to cover your lettuce. Use bok choy, chard, and salad greens too. These are all awesome to keep the birds in your neighborhood from harvesting in your greens before you might have a chance. You could weigh the sides down using pegs or rocks, and then you could roll back the fleece when it is time to harvest. 

So now you know the thing you can do to prevent birds from destroying your beautiful garden. Using the ways listed above, you’re good to go.

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Photo by Zane Lee on Unsplash 

How to Compost Food for Your Garden

The amount of compost available makes the drainage of soil and water retention abilities increase. If you’re new to composting, you could wonder how to compost the scraps of food. You could start saving cramps and join me, let's begin. 

Composting from the kitchen can be done in several different ways. One could save old food and then trim the kitchen counter. One could call all of that garbage. Brand new efforts are being done for the entire public to gain an education. These have all trained us in reducing waste and making use of organic items again. 

How to Compost Food Scraps 

Gathering the waste from the kitchen could be very simple. It could be like burying food scraps into the dirt or making use of a three-stage tumbler or a composting bin. The end parts of these have soil additives that have more than enough nutrients that aid in increasing the rate of porosity, which helps to hold valuable moisture in the soil. These items which break down the fastest in the kitchen would get composted and turn into leafy greens. Pieces that are smaller get compost faster than others. 

The technique you could use to compost these kitchen scraps would not need you to stretch using the truth to tell you that you would need things like a patch of dirt and a shovel for kitchen waste composting. You could dig the scraps for at least eight inches down and then cover them using dirt so animals wouldn't want to eat them. 

You could also chop up these scraps using a spade or a shovel. Smaller pieces have surfaces that are open for anaerobic bacteria to strike. This makes the entire composting thing increase in speed. 

You could also invest in a three-bin system where the first bin is made out of nothing but raw compost very fresh or kitchen scraps. The second bin would be broken down partially and then turned properly. The third bin could fully get composted which would make these ready for your garden. You could also simply just make a pile using a location that’s quite sunny. You could also layer the scraps using soil, grass clippings, and leaf litter too. You could convert the compost material weekly using water mist as you compost your kitchen waste. 

More on Composting

Well, composting needs warm temperatures of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, moisture that's moderate, and more than enough space to turn the pile into compost. 

The results at the end are way better using bins that make use of a rotating tumbler. Piles available on the ground used for mixing into garden beds would yield chunkier and more robust compost. 

So there we have it. Now you know how you can compost food for your garden. It is fast, easy, and eco-friendly.

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Photo by Neslihan Gunaydin on Unsplash 

Equipment You Need if You Own Land with Trees

The application of land clearing has proven to be a very essential process when owning a piece of land whether commercial or residential. There are several occasions where you find your backyard unoccupied and covered with trees, bushes, shrubs, and undergrowth. This is why the use of land clearing is important and having the right equipment is also essential, these types of equipment would clear the trees, shrubs, and undergrowth, making it easier for you to perform other activities on the land such as gardening or any form of construction. Below is the list of essential tools that are needed whenever you need to clear your land. 

Wood Chipper

Wood chippers are helpful when you want trees and spread them through a large area. PTO wood chippers are used whenever you find it difficult to manage the trees that grow on your land,  they help in disposing of worthless branches and bushes without loitering the land. They are very easy to use whether for both residential or commercial purposes, and it saves you time from moving up and down trying to get rid of the bushes and trees. 

Hand Tools

These are important tools for individuals who prefer to get their hands dirty and do necessary clearing themselves. The tools are essential for gardening and any form of lawn work. Some examples of some hand tools include hand saws, pruners, pickaxes, shovel, hoe, and rake. Each of these tools has its importance, so before you begin clearing your land, you would need to know the right tool for the job. 

Mowers

This piece of equipment is vital in clearing a large area of land filled with undergrowth. For the walkable areas, you can use the self-propelled version. For the areas that are covered with large bushes, it is recommended that you use the brush hog. The brush hogs help clear tough grasses and weeds, which would make the job easier for you. 

Grubber

This equipment is famous for the effective removal of grasses, it is used in some specific areas where you would need to remove a small section of saplings, for this process, there is no need for a mower but you would need something powerful that the lawnmower, that is where the grubber comes in, it has spikes that pierce into tress. 

Bulldozer

This piece of equipment is very important if you need to clear a huge amount of land. When it comes to clearing lands, some attachments are needed to make the job easier. Some of the attachments include a root plow to remove the bushes and shrubs and the heavy-duty rake, which helps clear small trees and rocks. 

Excavators

The use of this machine is for larger applications. Just like the bulldozer, the excavators also have attachments such as the Grapplers which helps in the machine reach and grab small trees, logs, and brushes, stump pullers are used for removing stumps, and the heavy-duty rake, which helps in gathering rocks and loading them onto the trucks.

Skidsteer

This piece of equipment has some similarities with a bulldozer except that the tracks are rubber. The tracks of the skidsteer are designed to applying less pressure rather than walking on it. There are several skidsteers out there and not all of them are created equally. The attachments for a skidsteer can easily be changed in a matter of minutes. They mostly come in small sizes, therefore are not designed to handle big trees and forestry work.

The best method used to clear trees is not removing the trees and taking them to a separate location but by chipping the tree from its original location, which would cause less damage.

Is Your Water Making You Sick?

It is true that the only way we can get sick is if germs get into our system. Our bodies have a natural way of fighting some of these germs, but sometimes it could be overpowered, leaving us sick. Water is one of the essentials of life, and whether you like it or not, you cannot do without it, which is why you have to ensure that it is always safe for drinking.

This article will show you why you need to try out some home water quality tests and what testing kits you can use. Note that aside from getting sick from the water you drink, your skin health can also be affected by the water you bathe with. You need to pay proper attention to this article.

Why It is Important to Test Your Water

There are one thousand and one reasons why you must always test your water before drinking or bathing, especially if you have kids. Some of these reasons include helping you to know what you can do to keep it clean. Water can be from different sources, and even if your own doesn’t contain germs, it could contain some other harmful properties like lead. 

If you have a child that drinks from your home water, you want to ensure that the water is very healthy and pure enough for consumption. It is more difficult to tell when a baby is experiencing stomach upsets, so you have to keep the things that can cause it away.

Home Water Testing Kits

Below are some of the best home water testing kits you can find. Some of them are specific to some water effects, which makes them even more useful.

1. Heavy Metals Test Kit by Health Metrics 

This product is used mainly to test for lead in the water. Lead is one of the major causes of harm to internal organs like the kidney and bladder. The lead will not appear clearly to your eyes, but with the use of this testing kit, you can know if the water you have been consuming contains even the tiniest amount of lead because even the tiniest amount can cause bladder and kidney stones.

2. Well Water Test Kit by Watersafe

Well water is one of the most dangerously unhealthy water to drink, especially when it is not properly taken care of. You want to ensure that you know what the well contains so that you know the best way to disinfect it before drinking or any other use. This testing kit by Watersafe is one of the best in the market.

3. 5-way Swimming Pool Chemistry Test by Poolmaster 22260

You must always test your pool to know the chemical content in the water and to see if it is safe for swimmers and their skin.

Home water testing is a good step in the right direction when you are trying to live a much healthier life, and investing in one or more of the above kits will help you keep your home water safe.

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Photo by Sohaib Al Kharsa on Unsplash

How to Improve Soil Health to Improve the Crops in Your Home Garden

One of the most exciting things to have in your home is a beautiful garden, because it doesn’t only give you something to eat, but it also gives you a sense of responsibility. Ensuring that this garden is fertile for your crops is another essential part of this process, which is why you should consider your soil health.

This article will show you all that you need to know about your soil health and how you can improve it for a more productive garden. Follow me through this article; there’s so much to learn.

How to Improve Your Soil Health

Below are some trusted ways to care for the physical, chemical, and biological properties of your soil and improve your soil health in no time.

1. Reduce tillage or don’t till at all

Yes, tillage helps to loosen the soil for preparation for planting; however, there are side effects to that. Using the tillage tools might make the job quite easier for you, but it also makes your soil a little unhealthy. Tillage is favorably used in large farms where tilling with your hands may be impossible. In your home garden, tillage can result in your soil being blown away by wind or washed off by the rain.

2. Always add organic matter

Don’t be in the habit of planting on your soil immediately after clearing the garden. You cannot make healthy crops from unhealthy soil. Ensure always that you apply some organic matter that can help to boost the health of the soil. Aside from having to harvest only a little, unhealthy soil is easily infested by pests.

3. Tap into the benefit of cover crops

Cover crops do more than just cover up your garden during the no-planting seasons. They also help to keep your soil fertile, hydrated, and provide some helpful nutrients. They will also help to keep you constantly aware of your garden. Most cover crops die during winter, giving you some space to plant your crops for the springtime.

4. Create a pathway in your garden

One of the major challenges that face your garden is you constantly stepping on the soil. Stepping on the soil makes it easier to get compacted, thereby reducing tilth. Create special and permanent beds for planting and never walk on them. A pathway will also help visitors stay away from the beds.

5. Add some aged animal manure

Manure is one of the most important things that your garden will need for your crops to come out healthy. Note that you have to start adding manure to your soil even before the planting season comes to prepare the soil for planting.

Every one of the methods listed above has its specific advantage on your soil, which is why you have to use a combination of some or all of them to keep your soil always active and healthy for planting. Also, note that it is safer to apply these methods prior to planting. 

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Photo by elizabeth lies on Unsplash

Spring Gardening Checklist

It is said that the greatest joys in life are found in the simplest things. Simple things like a well-mowed lawn, a beautifully lit room, and a tenderly nurtured garden. Depending on the mood and season, these beautiful additions can leave you with a big smile that'll extend from ear to ear. Hence, the subject of this article – a spring gardening checklist.

A spring garden is one of the most remarkable additions you can have in your yard. Not just for the aesthetics it provides, but also for its health benefits. With a spring garden in your yard, you can breathe in fresher and richer air. Also, you can get fresh crops and fruits to make your neighbors jealous. For the best spring gardening project, make sure to have the following on your checklist.

4 Must-Haves on Your Spring Gardening Checklist

If you are looking for a great time to invest in a gardening project, there is no better time than spring. Springtime is the season of new beginnings. By this time of the year, the snow of winter has melted away with fresh buds blossoming all over. Depending on your location, the temperature would have started to rise and the animals that promote pollination would have awakened to begin a new season.

Considering all the aforementioned factors, springtime is the perfect season for your gardening project. However, if you are going to commit to a gardening project this spring, you'll need to tick the following items off of your to-do list.

1. Checkout the planting site

The first thing to do, as regards, your checklist for your spring gardening project, is to survey the proposed planting site. Through this process, you can understand the needs of your planting site and what to do to make it better. It will also help you understand the best layout for your flower beds and garden crops. Check the planting site for trees, branches, and other hanging structures that may affect the wellbeing of your gardening and its living ecosystem. Also, make sure your proposed planting site has enough sunlight.

2. Tune-up the gardening tools

If you have gardening tools that you have used in the past, this is the time to give them the attention they deserve. Go to your shed and bring out your gardening tools. Then inspect the tools for rust and damage. Cutting tools should be honed and wooden handles sanded or brushed with oil. Don't forget to itemize tools that are missing so you can order replacements before planting begins.

3. Trim shrubs

Weeding is important to the overall health of your spring garden. Left unchecked, weeds can inhibit the growth of your crops. So make it a point to prune the shrubs on your planting site for the season.

4. Start the fertilization process

Fertilization can come in different stages when planting begins. But, it is recommended that you fertilize your planting site before sowing seeds in your yard. By doing this, you will improve growth and wellness in your garden.

Spring gardening is a big commitment but it doesn't have to be a stressful one. To avoid the stress that comes with gardening, make sure to include the aforementioned items on your spring garden checklist.

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Photo by Marta Bibi on Unsplash

Can Pet Owners Detect Illness Use Special Cat Litter?

Are you a cat owner looking to identify the health issues of your cat before the problem festers? Don't worry, with the cat litter solution that Pretty Litter offers, you can detect some illnesses in your cat before it worsens. 

Having a furry little friend that you can call your own is one of the best feelings you can get as a pet owner. But, trouble comes knocking when your furry little friend falls sick, and you can't help but feeling bummed out. It’s even worse when you can't figure out what the problem is, because your furry friend cannot communicate the problem to you. But, no more.

Pretty Litter Solution for Cat Owners

If you are looking for ways to detect minor illness in your kittens, Pretty Litter offers the best solution. This cat litter subscription service provider offers a special cat litter solution that can help you detect certain illnesses in cats. Though this special litter subscription does not substitute for a vet, it can help you ward off minor illnesses before they become fatal to your pet. Unlike your traditional litter, this litter changes color to indicate anomalies in your cat's system. 

How does it do this, you may ask? Well, the special cat litter is produced with a crystal-like substance that is capable of changing color based on the pH level of your cat's urine. Also, the cat litter comes with several color codes and each one represents an infection or group of infections that can affect your cat's wellbeing. 

If the pH level of your cat's urine is low, the cat litter will change to dark orange. In Pretty Litter's subscription guide the dark orange color code represents infections relating to kidney tubular and metabolic acidosis. Thus, if your cat litter changes to dark orange, you'll know it is time to visit your vet.

Similarly, if your cat's urinary pH is high, the cat litter will change to blue, thus, indicating that your cat has a urinary tract infection (UTI). High urinary pH has also been associated with other infections in the past, so you might find it helpful to consult with your vet when you notice these changes. 

More Information

Based on the results provided by Pretty Litter, your pet is in optimal condition when its urinal pH turns the cat litter yellow or olive green. This implies that your cat's pH level is normal, and as such, has no urine-related illness.

Keep in mind that the Pretty Litter subscription service is not a substitute for a veterinary doctor. So make it a point to visit your vet for regular check-ups, lest you expose your pet to sickness and diseases.

It is worth mentioning that your pet is vulnerable to other infections that may not be easily detected by urine tests. For instance, illnesses like depression and pain may not be detected by Pretty Litter's subscription service. Thus, the best way to detect a problem in your furry little friend is through regular visits to a certified vet. 

Also keep your pet healthy with a well-balanced diet. Try Flora Cat Probiotic 20 Billion CFU Powder by Vital Planet to help maintain a healthy digestive system in your cat.

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Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash