Best Shears

Photo by Anna O'Brien The area where the shearer will work must be clean and free of clutter. Boost your farm's social media presence with your herd's new haircuts. Make sure the ones in the holding pen awaiting their turn have access to fresh, clean...

The wire-loop handle locks need adjusting sometimes, but the rust is just a patina and the blades have never needed sharpening. The middle pair are my super-sharp Japanese ARS shears.

Last February, Dad made arrangements for a man to come shear our sheep. The next morning Dad buried Gwydion and Mom threw all the bags of fleece away. He was just a year old, even younger than me.

• Go outside and get busy. Another hen sits a foot away from them, on just one egg. Thankfully, I don't watch TV news, or else I'd really be a mess. Thank goodness we have our families, our friends, and our animals to make us laugh.

The sheep can be a challenge to handle because they startle easily and jump like deer. The coat color may vary from light fawn to reddish brown but should have no white on it except for the occasional white tip on the tail.

Bh! Invasion of the Fleece Snatchers! Next week: the happy ending of this horror story, plus what to do when you having wool coming out of your ears. But just when the ewe thinks her grazing days are over, the enemy releases his hold.

This flowering deciduous shrub grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, depending on the variety. You can trim out winter-damaged or dead branches, since these won't flower, but save the heavy pruning until later in the...

Catmints grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10, depending on the species. In higher USDA zones, where the plants may not die back, cut the previous year's shoots back to the ground to make room for new ones.

In late summer or early fall, when the plants turn brown,prune the seed heads with sterilized pruning shears or scissors. After harvesting cilantro clumps, the plants may resprout and produce more leaves.Pruning shears or scissors are best for harvesting...

Most of the timecan be tossed in for more juice and depending on taste the chef may userhizomes, smoked meat (known locally as ‘boucane') and various spices such as curry or powdered turmeric.

Use caution not to disturb the newly emerged plants.Prune off only dead or dying leaves with pruning shears. Pull the stalk out from the center of the plant only if the center is rotted and the stalk can be easily removed.Pull the dead yucca plant out...

Cut off these dead stems with pruning shears 1/2 inch from the base of the bush.Locate two or three of the tallest and oldest stems near the center of the bush and prune them off 1 inch from the base of the bush using pruning shears.

And they are right! Those shrubs, sub-shrubs, climbers and other plants are usually quite decorative, easy to grow and to propagate so it would be a pity not to give them a try.And yes, this is already the end of this visit, I hope you liked it and will...

Dead fronds are those that appear yellow or brown.Prune dead stems, using pruning shears or sharp scissors. It also help prevent overgrowth that can change the overall appearance of the palm.Pinch off any dead or hanging fronds, using your fingertips.

Bacteria and fungal spores from botanical diseases can live on the blades of your shears long after you've pruned infected plants. Feed blazing star with a half-strength application of a high-phosphorus "bloom booster" fertilizer according to label directions.

The removal of these blooms reduces the amount of energy the plant uses for seed production and increases the length of the bloom season.Cut the selected blooms off the plant using shears.

You can also remove the tallest and thickest canes at ground level to open up the center of the plant for air circulation. Yellow and brown canes are completely dead, so remove these at ground level using the loppers.

Look for scythes with handles that are strong and tight, ideally without cracks. Even if the ladder appears too far gone for practical use, you can put it back to work in another way.

Disinfect your pruning shears after every cut to kill the mildew spores, and wash your hands after handling the diseased phlox. Pinching the stems results in a bushier plant with fuller flowers.Deadheading -- removing old flowers -- prevents seed formation,...

The stems may already contain seedpods.Hold onto each stem below the spent flower. Find flowers that appear to wilt and stems that do not contain petals because they have dropped. Deadheading a petunia extends the time that the flowers will grow blooms.

According to the USDA, there are more than 18 species and cultivars of the plant. While horsetail is cultivated and grown as an ornamental landscape plant by some, it is considered to be invasive and noxious weed by others.

This kills any bacteria or diseases on the blades that can infect the corn plant through the fresh cut.Trim off green branches or shoots using pruning shears, if doing a light pruning to the corn plant.

In fact, trimming hair, washing the goat or adding products to the mohair can get you quickly disqualified at most shows. Most breeders trim feet three to four times a year and deworm on a similar schedule, depending on climate and pasture-rotation practices.

The dianthus plant will tolerate being cut back to ground level if necessary.Harvest the seeds of dianthus after leaving the pods, housed inside the withering flower, on the plant until the pods turn brown.

Take into consideration the height of the tree, and how wide the bottom is. The taller the tree, the closer together the spirals can be.Start at the top and tie the ribbon to the tip, then lightly wind the ribbon around and down until you reach the bottom...

I talked about shearing sheep last year , but I didn't mention why it must be done. That's because he's 75 percent Dorper and 25 percent Katahdin, two types of hair sheep called “shedders,” which grow short wool that naturally sheds in June or July.

Cut back the flowering stems to within 1/4-inch of a leaf or leaf bud near the top of the stem. Washing your hands before pruning and wearing gloves also helps prevent the spread of disease.Begin deadheading as soon as the first flower clusters begin...