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Right here’s the inside track on top-dressing
I favor to top-dress my flower beds whereas my perennials are napping safely underground, however I usually discover myself doing this whereas the crops are up. That chore is made a lot simpler with a 58-ounce cast-aluminum scoop. It’s sufficiently small to maneuver amongst crops however holds sufficient compost, mulch, or—as proven right here—composted wooden chips to cowl actual property rapidly. Lastly, it leaves a hand free to carry crops apart whereas I’m making use of the product.
—Jim McCaulley, Ringoes, New Jersey
Sunflower trellis for tomatillos
When it got here time to put in help for the outrageous progress of tomatillos in my greenhouse, I spotted that these volunteer sunflowers I didn’t have the guts to drag had grown thick, sturdy stems. I wove quarter-inch rope between them and—voilà!—immediate helps. I’ll strategically benefit from that bonus subsequent yr, however I’ll remember to select varieties that don’t threaten my greenhouse’s 10-foot ceiling.
—Jenny Noble, Horsefly, British Columbia
Profitable Tip: Storing terra-cotta pots for winter
There’s restricted house in my storage for storing terra-cotta pots. I’ve had the unlucky expertise of stacking them within the fall after which having to interrupt one to get them aside within the spring. Now I take outdated bubble-wrap envelopes and place them between pots as padding. The pots are simple to separate, and this offers that bubble wrap a second life.
—Lori Walsh, Rockford, Illinois
Defend crops from an early spring freeze
We’re all the time excited when spring comes round and dormant crops akin to peonies and lilies leap from the bottom. Then it occurs—winter has the final chuckle within the type of a below-freezing chilly snap. To guard crops already sprouted, I invert a plastic container of the suitable dimension over the tender foliage and weigh it down with a rock in order that wind or critters can’t displace the container. The pots are simply eliminated the following morning when the danger of freezing has handed.
—Katherine Coker, McDonough, Georgia
Hen-wire deer protection
The deer begin shopping my perennials within the fall, and it will get worse because the winter progresses. My backyard is just too giant to fence in, so I defend the most-abused crops with hoops of rooster wire. I take advantage of a 1-foot-wide roll of wire and minimize hoops of various sizes to suit the crops. I anchor the ends of the hoops with 4-inch staples that stop the hoops from being pushed misplaced by passing animals. I take away the hoops within the spring when plant progress is robust and the deer produce other issues to eat.
—Barbara Burkhart, Apex, North Carolina
A greater grip in your rake
Having a straightforward grip on a backyard rake makes raking a lot simpler. When your backyard gloves don’t present sufficient grip, wrap the deal with of the rake with the grip tape used on tennis rackets or the same kinesiology tape. It makes an enormous distinction.
—Peg McCann, St. Joseph, Michigan
Photographs: courtesy of the contributors
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