The Benefits of Using an Auto Watering System

Having a garden can be a great thrill, it’s therapeutic and it can also give you a great sense of accomplishment. Many people are opting to grow their own gardens rather than rely on the grocery stores for their produce. Why is this? Because they will then know what is going into their bodies. It allows you to have control over the types of chemicals, or not, that you are putting on your garden vegetables and fruits.

While there are so many benefits that you can get with gardening, there is also a lot of hard work that goes into making a garden flourish. Not only do you have to worry about weeds, diseases, and the actual planting part, but you must also consider the fact that when the weather is not ideal, you may have to water your garden. The problem that many people have is that they do not want to resort to carrying buckets of water to their garden or having to stand outside with a water hose to water this garden every night. An Auto Watering System is the answer to this dilemma.

What is an Auto Watering System?

An Auto Watering System is just what it sounds like. This is a watering system that does this automatically, so you don’t have to stand at your garden watering by hand or hauling water in buckets. This system allows you to lay down the hose and simply sit back and let the automatic system handle everything else. And you will find that certain models like the Auto-Water System from OLT allows you to use a programmable timer to ensure that the garden gets the right amount of water each day for the best results.

The Benefits of an Auto Watering System

Aside from saving you from a backache of having to carry water to the garden, there are other benefits to using this type of system. There are several benefits that often convince gardeners to install one of these systems into their gardens. It is a simple installation, making it an even better decision.

1. Save on your water bill

When you turn on a hose or haul water to your garden, are you getting each plant just as you should or are you wasting a lot of water? In many cases, when a person relies on a sprinkler system they are watering areas of their land that doesn’t need it such as the walkway. With an auto watering system you can rest assure that the water is going to the garden in the areas that it needs, without wasting the water, thus saving you on your water bill.

2. Better watering for your garden

One of the biggest problems that you will find when you water your garden by hand is that you do not get the coverage even. This means that some plants may get too much water, while others not enough. This can lead to huge problems later as you will have plants that are not producing as much crops as they should if they had been properly watered. Also consider that you can put this to water when you may not be home, but it is prime time to water so that the ground and plant benefits the most from this watering.

3. Save yourself some time

While you may have tons of time to pay to your garden during the planting process, once everything starts growing, you are going to have other issues to contend with like removing weeds and eliminating pests. You can devote your time to these tasks rather than worrying about making sure each plant gets the water that it needs. What can you do with this extra time?

4. Cut down on weeds in the garden

What most people don’t realize is that an automatic watering system can actually help with lowering the number of weeds that come up in the garden. How is this? Since the water is being directed at the root of the plant, it is not watering the surrounding ground like rain does, which ensures that weeds are not encouraged to grow in this area. You can help with weed infestation even more with a raised garden bed that helps to give you more control of what is going into the soil. And it also makes it harder for grass clippings and the like to get into this soil, causing weeds to sprout.

5. Ensures ground stays nutrient rich

When too much water gets into the ground, it can easily wash away the nutrients that make the ground so great for your plants. Heavy watering in one area could result in the nutrients leaving. Thus, an automatic watering system is going to control the water flow, helping to keep the nutrients in your garden, right where they belong.

6. Can give you greater flexibility

When it comes to gardening, most people realize that it takes some time and effort to get a great yield of fruits and vegetables. However, when you have some portion of the gardening upkeep being taken care of with an automatic watering system, you are going to have great flexibility of what you are doing in the garden. While a portion is being watered, you can harvest crops on the other side or vice versa. This flexibility is something that people love as they are no longer at the mercy of when they need to water this garden.

If you love to garden, then you want to see success from all of your efforts. Through using an auto watering system, you are one step closer to becoming a master gardener that sees results. If you consider all the benefits that this offers, you are going to find that this is a no brainer when it comes to your gardening. What is even better is that the auto watering system is for professionals or those beginner gardeners, as it offers the same benefits to everyone, no matter your skill level.

An insole is the chunk of material located right under the foot, providing it with an extra degree of comfort and cushioning. While many types of footwear already come with a stock insole, typically, it is not quite enough to cover the needs of workers. This fact becomes even more obvious if your job or activity (gardening, for example) requires you to be constantly on your feet. As a result, you will need an additional layer of material to protect you from any potential injuries and keep your feet warm.

Since there are many types of insoles on the market, the purpose of this article is to inform construction workers, day laborers and gardeners what specific perks and features they should seek before buying a pair of insoles. Here is what you should know.

Why are Insoles Important?

Insoles can influence the health and state of your feet as much as a pair of boots. Apart from providing comfort and safety, a pair of top quality insoles will make your overall work experience much more pleasant.

Gardening, while being a relaxing and fulfilling activity, can be very taxing to the body, especially the feet. This is why many online sources, like this article about best insoles, are stressing the importance of insoles and how they can reduce the risk of injuries and developing feet specific conditions.

Here are a few brief reasons why gardeners should equip their work boots with insoles:

As a gardener, besides being constantly exposed to the elements of nature, you will be working in hot, humid conditions. Insoles can counteract their effects (feet fungus, swollen feet, etc.) by providing an extra layer of material between your feet and shoes.
Constantly bending over, digging, hoeing, sowing and weeding puts high amounts of pressure on the feet and ankles. Fortunately, insoles will correct the foot and overall body posture and alleviate most of the negative effects.
Insoles make the process of finding the perfect gardening shoes much more easier. Because finding a perfect fit is hard for many people, they usually compromise and buy shoes that are either slightly bigger or slightly smaller, exposing themselves to blisters, calluses, and other gardening-related inconveniences. Insoles have the potential of solving these issues by providing an additional layer between your feet and the shoes. Furthermore, since most insoles are quite thick, you will never have to worry about getting water in your shoes!
General Types of Insoles

If you are in the market for a pair of insoles but can’t decide what exactly to buy, you can give these general types a trial run before switching to specialized insoles:

Support insoles are made from a sturdier material and offer an extra degree of comfort and stability. The best starter insoles for gardeners of all skill levels.
Comfort insoles are designed to provide adequate cushioning. While they are not great for doing heavy work on the construction site, they are more than capable of handling gardening work.
Height Increasing Insoles

As you might have surely guessed from the name, the purpose of these insoles is to increase the height of the feet. While they are usually recommended and prescribed by doctors to people with chronic foot injuries, they can also be used to prevent a variety of conditions.

By decreasing the pressure on the Achilles heel – a perk that gardeners who stay on their feet for the entirety of the day will surely appreciate – height increasing insoles can cut down the risk of developing pains in the knees, back and pelvis area. Here are a few additional perks:

Great shock absorption Some gardening tools (like rakes, forks and the like) can be quite heavy, and a good pair of insoles will protect you from any serious injuries caused by them.
Height increasing insoles are especially advantageous for people with flat feet or high, low and collapsed arches, who are typically more predisposed to fatigue and sores after spending a whole day standing on uneven terrain. These types of insoles will prevent the load from affecting a single area and spread it equally throughout the foot.
Foot wounds and ulcers are less likely to occur.
Height increasing insoles provide the gardener with a greater dynamical freedom and increased flexibility.

Memory Foam Insoles

Besides height increasing insoles, passionate and dedicated gardeners who are concerned about their feet should also consider insoles with memory foam. This technology, first developed in 1966 by NASA, will provide adequate protection against gardening related injuries and conditions. Here are a few benefits:

Insoles with memory foam have great moisture absorption capabilities because they are made out of a material that captures humidity and dissolves it in a timely fashion. As a result, your feet will feel dry and comfortable even after an entire day of watering plants.
Because you will be spending a lot of time in hot, humid conditions, your feet need to be properly ventilated. This is another area in which foam insoles excel, as they allow to breathe, preventing various foot infections from occurring.
Walking on uneven terrain, a hallmark of gardening can be very taxing to the feet, and foam insoles can counteract any potential negative effects associated with this activity.
Conclusion

Every single person who does physically intensive work on a daily basis should equip their work boots or shoes with a pair of quality insoles. They will not only make your job more enjoyable, but you will not have to worry about calluses, blisters, and other feet related injuries. If you are in the market for this product but can’t decide what to choose, make sure to read through this article, and you will get all the information that you need.

Drought-Resistant Plants for an Eco-Friendly Garden

A lush and green garden is a welcome sight, but with many parts of the country suffering from water shortage, choosing to plant drought-resistant plants that require less water will reduce your water bills and make your garden more eco-friendly.

Drought-resistant plants do not mean only cacti. There are many flowering plants, shrubs, and perennials that have been developed to be drought resistant. These plants will survive on rainfall after they have become established. However, in the first year or first month, you will have to ensure that they are watered adequately. After that, the drought-resistant plants might not bloom when there is no rainfall or watering but will survive and add color to your garden after you water them or there is adequate rainfall.

Watering Tips

Whether you have planted only drought-resistant plants or some sections of your garden have plants that require regular watering, you need to follow the rule of occasional deep watering rather than frequent shallow watering. A general rule of thumb is to water the plants once a week so that the soil receives an inch of water. Avoid watering the leaves since this can lead to the growth of fungi. Covering the soil with mulch will also help prevent water evaporation from the soil, helping to delay watering sessions.

Drought Resistant Plants

Yarrow ‘Coronation Gold’: These are golden yellow flowers that bloom among tall silvery gray leaves. The flowers bloom from mid-summer to early autumn. The plants grow up to three feet in height and require plenty of direct sunlight and soil that handles moisture well with the proper drainage capabilities.

Silver Artemisias: you can add fragrance to your garden with this silvery gray leafy plant. The aromatic leaves grow from between one and a half feet to four feet in height depending on the variety you choose. These plants thrive in direct sunlight and when they growing in well-drained soil. They can be invasive and you need to divide them often to limit their spread.

Purple Coneflower: Another plant that prefers direct sunlight and well-drained soil is the purple coneflower. The plant grows to be between .6 to 1.3 meters or two and four feet in height.

Tall Bearded Iris: This hardy plant also requires direct exposure to sunlight and well-drained soil. It blooms in spring and is a great ornamental plant with blade-like leaves and purple flowers with six petals. The plant grows to be more than .6 meters or two feet in height.

Rosemary: Another hardy plant that produces both flowers and aromatic leaves. The pine-like leaves add a distinct aroma to the garden while the sun-loving plant will thrive on well-drained soil and less water.

Common Thyme: This is a garden plant that blooms in late spring and early summer. The bush-like plants grow to a maximum of one foot in height and the flowers are white or light purple in color. The plant can be grown in either direct sunlight or lightly shaded areas.

Lavender: These mounding plants flower in the summer. The silvery gray leaves are spiky and the plant grows to between two and three feet in height. The flowers can be lavender, purple, or white depending on the variety you choose.

Common Sage: The woolly gray-green leaves of this plant make them attractive throughout the growing season. The plant prefers direct sunlight and a soil that is not too saturated and that allows the water to drain away appropriately. It can grow to between .6 to 1 meter or two to three feet in height.

Hens and Chicks: This is a succulent plant with blue-green leaves that are tipped with red or purple highlights in the summer. The plants should be placed in direct sunlight or lightly shaded locations and the soil should not be flooded.

Snow-in-Summer: This plant is very short, only six to ten centimeters or two to three inches in height. The leaves are silvery and the flowers are star-shaped and white. The plant thrives in direct sunlight and in soil that does not hold water for extended periods of time.

Creeping Phlox: This is a hardy plant that grows in fertile soil that is well-drained. The flowers bloom in late spring or early summer. The plant is only six to 21 centimeters or two to six inches tall and the leaves are bright green and form a majestic background for the white, pink, or violet flowers. These plants can make attractive borders.

Sedum: This plant has fleshy evergreen leaves and grows well in average or fertile soil. The plant requires direct sunlight. It flowers in summer and produces loose clusters of purple or white flowers. The short plant attains a maximum height of about 14 centimeters or four inches.

An eco-friendly garden should make every effort to conserve water, use drought-resistant plants, store rain water in barrels, and use mulch to help the soil retain moisture for a longer period of time. These steps will ensure that your garden is lush and enticing without consuming a lot of precious water during the dry months.

The great outdoors beckons you and in this article, you will find backyard decorating ideas on a budget! Even if we are strapped for money, most of us try to transform our backyards into a paradise where we can rest, relax, and rejuvenate in the company of our loved ones and friends. The yearning to transform outdoor living spaces into something lush and beautiful is very strong in homeowners, but money always poses an obstacle.

The best way to save money on doing up your outdoor living space is laboring in the backyard yourself. Even if you are new to the world of gardening, don’t worry. You can easily decorate your garden without burning a hole in your pocket.

Whether you have a sprawling backyard or a tiny one, these budget-friendly backyard decorating ideas will help you transform the space into an oasis within no time.

Listen to the Music of the Fountains

There is something magical about hearing waterfall. The musical sound of water is soothing and relaxing. Why spend money on custom-made fountains when you can purchase small fountain kits online or in garden supply stores?

If you want to add that water element to your garden, a fountain kit is the best option. It is not expensive and the hardware with easy-to-follow instructions is part and parcel of the kit. To create a focal point, position the fountain in the center of your garden. You also can place it in an area that is surrounded by vibrantly colored flowers.

Upcycle Old Car Tires

Most homes will have a few car tires lying around in their garage. Instead of letting the tires occupy valuable space in your garage and making it look untidy and disorganized, use the tires to create unique and beautiful planters.

Position the tires on top of the other. Stop at two tires. Now fill the center with potting soil and plant inexpensive flowers, such as geraniums and marigolds. You can paint the tires in vibrant colors and if you or any other family member is artistically inclined, let them go berserk with the tires. Make sure you place the tire planters strategically to showcase the unique planters and also enhance the look of your garden.

Rock Your World with a Rock Garden

Traditionally, rock gardens are inspired by Zen gardens, but you don’t have to follow this trend if you don’t want to. Select a shaded area in the garden to create your unique rock garden.

Buy plenty of gravel bags from the local garden store and cover the selected spot with gravel. Look around your yard for large rocks. If you can’t find any, ask friends and family for rocks. Use the rocks to create a pattern around the gravel and place a few smaller rocks strategically on the gravel. All the succulent plants you have, the ones in small pots, place them in a decorative manner on the gravel. And, your budget rock garden is done!

Light Up Your Backyard

There is nothing more soothing and relaxing than lounging in your backyard in the evening. But the darkness may prevent you. You can instantly create a magical fairyland with your pots and planters. Here’s how to do it.

Paint the pots and planters with glow-in-the-dark paint and before you know it these will softly illuminate your backyard without causing your electricity bill to skyrocket!

Create an Entertainment Space

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a space in your backyard for family and friends. Invest in an affordable DIY pergola kit and you have a space to host barbecues, birthday parties, and cocktail evenings for family and friends. It also creates a focal point in the garden that you can decorate with flowering potted plants and outdoor furniture.

Make sure you opt for a 100 percent Western Red Cedar pergola kit, as it is renowned for its durability, natural resistance to pests, beauty, and strength. The kit comes with the necessary hardware and illustrated instructions that are easy to follow. Above all, the cedar pieces are precut, so you just need to follow the instructions to erect your very own pergola.

Bottle Up the Flower Beds

Forget about using bricks to create borders for your flowerbeds. Keep those colored bottles until you have a whole stack of them. You will need them to make a creative and colorful border for your flowerbeds.

Plant the bottles upside down around the flowerbed to create a unique border. Not only will it demarcate the flowerbeds, but the colors will also make your garden stand out. Truly ingenious and creative!

These are some budget-friendly ways to decorate your garden and extend your living space. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful and unique garden. Look for things in your home that you can re-purpose and use in the garden. It is a fantastic way to let your personality shine through your garden and also reduce the burden on landfills by up-cycling items from your home that you no longer use or want.

Backyard Decorating Ideas on a Budget

While spring is the time to plant new plants and seedlings and summer is the right time to watch them grow, your garden needs care during fall as well. Here are some Essential Steps to Prepare Your Garden for Autumn. As the weather cools the plants mature and move towards hibernating during winter. However, preparing your garden during the fall will make your spring garden much better.

Examine the Garden

To prepare your garden for fall, first, walk around it and examine it with care. Look for bald patches of soil that require soil amendments, and overgrown plants that need to be divided, note down which bulbs need to be removed before winter, and which herbs need to be moved indoors.

Add Soil Amendments

Fall is the best time to add soil amendments as the slow-releasing fertilizer will enhance soil quality throughout the winter months. During spring and summer, the nutrients in the soil are depleted by the growing plants. Add soil amendments and turn them into the soil using a gardening fork. Ensure that you cover all areas where there are no plants either because you have removed spring and summer flowers, or bulbs, or because some plants did not thrive during the growing season.

While chemical fertilizers work for feeding the plant directly, organic fertilizer works by enriching the soil. Mulch, manure, and compost are all organic fertilizers that release nutrients slowly into the soil. By working them into the soil in the fall, you will reduce the number of gardening chores you have to perform in spring.

When it comes to a large patch of ground such as a kitchen garden, you should begin by first tilling and soil and removing roots and weeds. Next, add the mulch or soil amendment to the soil and till it again, working the nutrients into the soil. This step is easier to perform in the fall before the ground becomes hard during winter frost or soggy after the spring thaw. The soil is also warmer, letting the microorganisms thrive. By tilling the soil in the fall, you will be introducing oxygen into the soil when it is still warm, ensuring healthier soil for spring planting.

Remove Herbs Indoors

Remove potted herbs indoors before the weather becomes cooler and you will be able to enjoy fresh herbs for a longer period of time. Simply move the pots to a warm corner of the porch that gets some sunlight and is not exposed to snow or frost.

Apply Weed Killer on the Lawn

Most gardeners recommend that weed killer be applied twice on the lawn each year. In the fall you need to apply weed killer to get rid of the seeds that have landed in the summer. This will mean the emergence of fewer weeds in the spring when the lawn revives.

If you have pets be careful how you distribute the poison. You may want to keep your dog(s) inside your home for a couple of hours to allow the poison to penetrate the weeds before you allow your dog to run around in your backyard. If you are only worried about weeds in your front lawn then you should not have too much to worry about. While the poison is being absorbed by the weeds, you can walk your dog during this time so they are not too restless inside your home waiting for the poison to seep inside the plant.

Collect Seeds

If you have been growing heirloom plants from seeds, fall is the time to collect seeds from both flowering and kitchen garden plants. For this, you need to avoid harvesting a few fruits and flowers and instead let them ripen or dry out on the plant. Fruits that over-ripen on the plant will have mature seeds that can be collected by soaking the fruit in water and removing the pulp.

The weaker seeds will float to the top and can be discarded and the heavier seeds collected and dried before being labeled and stored in a clean, cool, and dry environment.

Empty the Rain Water Barrel

If you have been collecting rainwater in a barrel for your gardening needs, you need to drain it completely before the onset of the first frost. Drain the barrel and clean it after removing the pipes and tubes. This will reduce the chances of damaging it by frozen water.

Remove Mulch from Stems and Trunks

As you go around your garden in the fall, remove mulch from stems and trunks of trees and perennial shrubs. This will help prevent the formation of mold or mildew as there is no moisture trap on the shrubs.

Examine Perennials

You should also examine all the perennials in your garden for signs of disease. Look for spotted leaves or rotting stems and either apply treatment, prune the branch, or remove the plant before the disease spreads to healthy plants in the vicinity.

Check Trees for Damaged Branches

To make sure that people and property are not damaged by rotting branches, check all of them for signs of damaged branches. This is easier in fall when some of the trees shed their leaves, leaving the branches bare and easier to inspect. If you spot signs of danger, get the branches removed.

These essential steps to prepare your garden for Autumn can help you have a better garden in spring and summer. Many of the fall garden chores will ensure that the soil is healthy and ready for spring planting. By doing this you will be able to plant your spring crops after minimal soil preparation, getting a head start on your fantastic and enlightening garden.

Essential Steps to Prepare Your Garden for Autumn

Get your garden shed ready for winter! A garden shed is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity that allows you to enjoy more storage space for your gardening tools and implements rather than using your garage for storage. You can easily invest in a panelized garden shed that you can erect yourself. Not only is such a shed aesthetically pleasing, it also is quite functional.

DIY panelized garden sheds come with pre-cut panels that already have Western Red Cedar shingles attached to the roof panels. Each panel comes in a manageable size, so that it is quick and easy to assemble the shed. You also have the flexibility to choose a window and door panel placement.

However, once you have your garden shed in place, it is very easy to let it turn into a huge mess. You may end up just throwing everything into the shed and forgetting about it until the need arises. Then it is one big clutter that you have to weed through to find what you need. Don’t let your garden shed fall into this state. Work on it now to prepare your shed for winter and beyond.

Clean and Sweep

Take out everything from the shed and keep it outside. Then sweep the shed to catch all the dirt and debris. Wash and rinse pots, wheelbarrow, shovels and other gardening tools and implements. Use a wire brush to get rid of stubborn soil stuck to the surface. Let the tools, air dry. Once they are thoroughly dry, store them away until you need them again. You can spray the metal parts of the tools with a lubricant to prevent rust formation.

Spruce Up the Shed

If you install a garden shed made from pre-cut Western Red Cedar, you don’t really need to paint it. This wood looks beautiful naturally and has its own charm. However, you can stain the floor of your shed, if it is made from wood. Use a weatherproof stain to keep the floor looking gorgeous all year long.

Also, check for holes and cracks in the panels. If you find them, use caulk to fill them up. You also can fill the seams with caulk to keep the cold wind out and prevent your shed from smelling musty when you don’t open it for days in winter.

Keep Pests at Bay

Garden sheds seem to attract pests very easily. Bugs and rodents love to make homes in garden sheds. These critters can create a mess and stink up your shed. So set traps throughout the year to deter these pests and ensure your garden shed lasts for decades and also remains in magnificent shape.

Organize and Store

Check all the items that you store in your garden shed. Discard anything that is broken and you no longer need. Garden sheds can accumulate a lot of clutter every season and you may not even realize it until you are trying to find that one tool or implement that is hidden under the chaos.

Once you have got rid of unwanted and broken items, it is time to focus on the storage. The best way to optimize storage in your garden shed is with shelves and hooks. Fix large hooks on the inside wall to hang large tools and implements, such as shovels, trowels, and rakes. You can even roll up the garden hose and hang it on the wall, thereby using the space vertically inside the shed.

It is important to use shelf space prudently. Anything that is small and organic, such as mulch or dirt should first go into waterproof packaging and then onto the shelf. This will prevent the shed’s floor from damage. Similarly, pots, watering cans, fertilizer, and herbicides should also go onto a shelf. Make sure you label the shelf, so that you know what goes where. Place other small items in transparent plastic boxes with lids. Label the boxes on all sides, so that you know what they are for.

Place these in a systematic manner on the shelves. Boxes that hold items you need regularly for your garden maintenance and upkeep should be placed on lower shelves, while those you use sparingly or rarely should be placed on higher shelves.

Your wheelbarrow should be propped up against the wall, so that it is not in the way when you enter the shed. The things that you own can be a nuisance if they are constantly getting in the way and so on.

Neaten the Outside

Clear grass, shrubs, and other plants growing along the garden shed. They can damage lower half of the shed. You should be looking to keep about 3 to 5 (7.62 to 12.7 cm) inches of space between the garden shed and your plants to prevent damage to the lower part of the shed and its base.

A garden is a green oasis in a concrete jungle and a garden shed allows you to keep that oasis beautiful and well-landscaped. So, organize and clean up your shed to store all the valuable gardening implements and tools that you need to make your garden into a haven. It is worth the effort and time!