Category: Home & Garden

Orchids are often potted in bark instead of soil and therefore must be watered differently. Here are some tips on how to water orchids for maximum results.

How to water orchids grown in bark – When watering orchids, you should always water the bark and not the plant’s Choose room temperature water and do not water where the leaves meet the stem. Opt for clay pots, as they are good vessels for orchids since they provide moisture and humidity for the plant’s bark.

How to water orchids grown in sphagnum moss – The best way to water orchids grow in sphagnum moss is to water the plant from the top. To see if your moss is dry, insert a finger up to your first knuckle.

How often should you water orchids – Watering orchids will depend on many factors such as how warm it is, how much light the orchid gets, what type of orchid you have, and what type of potting medium the orchid is growing in. As a rule, water once a week for drought-tolerant types like cattleyas, oncidiums, dendrobiums. For others like phalaenopsis, one in four days will suffice.

Misting orchids – To mist orchids indoors, try running a humidifier in the room where they live.

Adding fertilizer to Water – Orchids bloom without fertilizer. However, if you want to fertilize your orchids, use liquid fertilizer at half strength. Use a fertilizer specially formulated for blooms.

Written by: Foam Factory, Inc

Flexible polyurethane foam has a variety of uses indoors, but you can use it outdoors too. With some out of the box thinking, you can discover new uses for foam that can revamp your backyard. From patio chairs to outdoor ponds, simple foam will prove to be one of the most useful substances you can use.

Patio Chairs

First, take a chair that’s seen better days and strip it of its cushion. Then, take some cardboard and cut it to fit the seat of the chair. This is your template, and it’s what you’ll use to draw a pencil outline on some wood to cut. With a hand saw, and taking great care on the edges, cut the shape of the chair. Attach some foam and layer canvas material over the padding. Secure with a staple gun to create your own custom outdoor cushions.

Pond Insulation

If you want to make your own outdoor pond, the process isn’t terribly complex. You need to find a safe place in your yard to dig a hole about two or three feet deep. Use packaging foam from Canada to line the hole, then secure with concrete and some metal bars to brace everything. This insulates your pond, which prevents breakages, and helps stabilize the water temperature for fish to survive. You can also have foam sheets custom-cut for this purpose, if you prefer to work with materials better than what you might have lying around.

Final Thoughts

Outdoor foam is different than indoor foam. Outdoor foam tends to have open cells, which reduce moisture buildup, and this type of foam also has anti-microbial properties that prevent mold from growing.

Written by Farm Supply Store

As a fruits and vegetable grower, you might be faced with the same issue that numerous crop growers face throughout the world: attacks by animals and predators. These animals thrive in your crops and might even leave them damaged. A solution to keep them away is by installing an electric fence in gardens and orchards. These have proven to be effective deterrents to rodents. The installation of a garden fence is not a lengthy procedure depending on the size of the area covered. For a garden, the installation can be completed within a day. However, for bigger areas, additional help might be required for the installation to get completed quickly.

Jason Governo has acquired significant experience in the installation of farming fences. The first step required for such an installation would be to accurately measure down the area that would need to be fenced. This measurement would form the basis of your supply list. It will help in calculating the amount of materials and wiring required to provide adequate fencing. An electric fencing professional might be consulted to determine the materials needed.

Next the metal stakes have to be dug to the ground. The ideal spacing between the stakes would be about three to five feet. Once these are firmly fixed the wiring can be threaded. The threading would need to be verified before electric power is released. The connection of the electric box would need to be carefully carried out to avoid any surges. Once the safety inspection of the wirings is done, electrical energy can be plugged to them.

Farm Supply Store provides electric fencing solutions for gardens and farms including the gallagher fence.

Article written by Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division.

There are many benefits to installing artificial turf in your yard. It is a solution that requires almost no maintenances and saves you money over time thanks to reduced water usage, purchasing of yard tools and doing major repairs. But an artificial grass installation is more than just fiscally smart — it is also good for the environment.

Saving in water usage is just one way that switching to artificial grass for your yard can help the environment. Most lawns require regular use of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals in order to remain healthy and look green. Making the move to an artificial lawn eliminates the need for regular chemical treatments since the lawn always looks great. If you do proper routine maintenance like keeping organic matter from rotting at the base of your lawn, you can almost be assured of not needing weed killers.

Why should you care about pesticides? Here are a few reasons:

Having pesticides in your home creates poisoning risks. In one eight year stretch in California more than 7,600 people reported being poisoned by pesticides, with 200 people requiring hospitalization. Many of these people were children who had come into contact with pesticides that had just been applied to a yard or garden or who had found pesticides within the home. Pets can also be poisoned by pesticides.

Cancer risks are associated with pesticides. Several studies have suggested a link between exposure to types of chemicals found in commercially available pesticides and elevated risks for cancer. One study in Sweden showed that people exposed to glyphosate — a common ingredient in common garden pesticides and weed killer — were three times more likely to contract a form on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Pesticides can potentially damage the environment. Chemicals such as glyphosate can live on months after they were sprayed and seep into groundwater or make wildlife ill and kill other neighboring plants. There is research to suggest that second-hand exposure to glyphosate can keep plants from converting nitrogen in a way they need to survive.

Whether you use pesticides in your garden to treat bugs, weeds and other problems is ultimately a personal choice. But reducing the amount of pesticides and other chemicals that are used around your home is almost certainly a good thing. Switching to an artificial turf lawn lets you significantly cut down or even eliminate your dependence on chemical pesticides for your yard.

Summary: Pesticides can create dangers to people, pets and the environment. Find out how switching to an artificial grass lawn can help you to eliminate these potential issues.

Bio: Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division offers a wide range of artificial grass options at wholesale prices. Visit their website today to see the complete catalog of synthetic grass options they have available for purchase.

Article written by Artificial Turf Supply Commercial and Residential Division.

It’s well-known that artificial grass was first developed for use by professional sports teams who were playing indoors or wanted to avoid the maintenance needed to keep fields flawless for play year-round. It wasn’t until sometime later that homeowners realized that many of the same benefits for installing synthetic turf on a sports field also applied to their yards. It wasn’t long until having an artificial lawn was the latest trend in landscaping.

Now things are beginning to come around full circle as homeowners are using artificial grass to bring a little sporting flair to their yards. One common use of artificial turf is to build a home putting green so that golfers can work on their short game. Using synthetic grass means that it is low maintenance and can even be installed indoors, meaning that duffers can work on their putting or chipping year-round regardless of the weather.

But golf isn’t the only sport that can be brought to your home thanks to the use of artificial turf. There are many different ways that you can add some sporty fun to your yard by using synthetic grass:

Tennis: Watching play on the grass courts of Wimbledon is a highlight for tennis fans every year. So what about being able to play on a similar surface in your own yard? If you have the space, it’s relatively easy to build a tennis court using synthetic turf that looks and plays in a similar fashion to a natural grass surface. You can even purchase special artificial grass for tennis courts that is pre-cut to fit the dimensions of the court — including pre-drawn lines.

Badminton: Playing badminton in the backyard is a favorite pastime for many American families in the summer. But no one wants to worry about twisting an ankle in a gopher hole or scraping their knees on rough ground. Playing on artificial grass eliminates both of these problems.

Lawn Bowling: Few games are as skillful and yet as easy-to-play as lawn bowling. You can create your own court in your backyard. This will ensure a smooth, level playing surface so that you can find out who really is the best player.

Football: Enjoy having your friends and family over to your house for a fun game of touch football in the fall? Why not take the game to the next level by making your own mini-field using synthetic turf designed for sports?

Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division provides artificial grass solutions for home and business customers. Visit their website to explore the wide range of artificial turf options available.

Article written by Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division.

You don’t have to live without a garden just because you live in an apartment or condo with little outdoor space. With some creativity and the right tools, anyone can transform their urban space into a beautiful indoor or balcony garden. And with a little bit of artificial grass, you can take the look of your urban garden to the next level.

Anyone can take synthetic grass and add it to their city dwelling. Because of the flexible nature of artificial grass, you truly can install it anywhere. It doesn’t need sunlight or water, so having it indoors is not a problem. And you don’t need to worry about installing it on soil — you can lay your fake grass directly on the concrete of your balcony easy and without doing damage to the surface.

There are plenty of plants that you can add to a city apartment or condo. Put herbs into boxes on the ground and use artificial turf to act as a separator between the planters. You can also hang certain fruits from planters and use the additional space on the ground to have a lush-looking mini-grass area to relax on during the warm summer months.

When it comes to adding artificial grass to an urban garden, the possibilities are really only limited by your imagination. You can even grow small citrus inside your home and create a mini-grove complete with fake grass. Adding artificial turf around your plants makes you feel like you’re doing some serious gardening.

This article was written by Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division. The company is the wholesale division of Artificial Turf Supply and sells a wide range of artificial grass products to residential and commercial property owners.

By Jason Governo

Raccoons are a perfect example of a creature that looks adorable, but that you don’t actually want around. People who don’t know better may even try to court these critters near their home, but you couldn’t make a bigger mistake. Once a raccoon learns your home is good for a meal, you’ll have a “friend” for life.

These animals are constant nuisances for people with gardens. Many wake to find that their hard work has been ransacked by these masked monsters. Raccoons aren’t very picky either, so no matter what you’re growing, they’ll have a taste.

What’s more, raccoons won’t stop there. They’ll look for ways into your garage and your garbage. All because they were able to get into your backyard in the first place.

So do yourself a favor and protect that backyard with an electric fence. This type of defense will definitely keep raccoons at bay and, because they’re nonlethal, you don’t need to worry about the little critters getting too hurt. Instead, you can sleep well at night knowing these monsters have disappeared for good.

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A lot goes into running a successful farm, from long hours to knowing the ins and outs of your operation to having the right supplies to help you get the job done day in and day out. At Farm Supply Store, we carry all the supplies you’d ever want to ensure your animals stay safe right where you want them; things like farm fencing and electrical options are just two examples.