What Is Casting

Do you like what you're doing? If not, what is it you don't like and what do you need to change? Recently, I visited an herb farm, and although the owner had been growing herbs and putting them to use for many years, she was just kicking off her first...

Their enthusiasm for the things that make them tick—be it their families, community service, careers or hobbies—can't be hindered, and when I find myself in a state of discouragement, I can look to these people to give me a boost of motivation.

The German word, meaning “mound culture,” is usually pronounced “hoo-gull culture” in English-speaking gardening circles. Call around to local tree-trimming companies, and ask if they could drop off some branches or scrap trimmings next time they...

As for immediate winter-weather comfort and relief, I'd recommend an extra pair of mittens as you do farm chores, a roaring fire when you come in from the cold and as much soup as your stomach can hold.

Based on research, Dr. Hahnemann concluded that any substance that causes a symptom in a healthy person or animal can, in teensy doses, cure the same symptom in a healthy one. Complementary therapies are things like herbs, Reiki, massage, chiropractic...

These often-ornate teapots are available from many suppliers, with Overstock.com offering a wide selection of options. With so many items constructed from plastic and other inexpensive materials these days, it's comforting to know that cast iron still...

If pets have access to garden areas where winterberry is grown, consider removing branches that put fruit at their mouth level. Humans who ingest berries can suffer symptoms associated with caffeine poisoning.

So, instead of feeling guilty the next time you catch yourself in an agricultural daydream as you're tilling the garden or mucking out the livestock stalls, take Steinem's words to heart: you're merely planning for your ideal farm, and that dream lies...

Nutritional Powerhouse Traditionally, ashitaba leaf was used for longevity and rejuvenation in Japan. Beyond being a great nutritional supplement, the plant has strong antibiotic activity, particularly in the digestive and nervous systems, though if you...

The damage begins on lower branches and moves up the tree.Trees affected by needle cast disease have needles that turn yellowish in summer, gradually changing to purplish brown in late winter and spring.If you look at the needles with a hand lens, you'll...

Their activities increase the tilth and overall health of your soil.The little domes of soil are proof you have a large populations of beneficial earthworms. Moisture is attractive to the worms and they are busiest when soil is soggy.

Leaf-footed bugs are a confirmed garden nuisance in many regions of North America, including portions of California and many states in the Eastern Seaboard, spanning from as far north as New York down to Florida.

If the tea ever smells putrid, you may accidentally have encouraged bad, anaerobic microbes. Dilute it in a 1:3 tea to water ratio and water your plants with it. To make steeping a little neater, you can make a tea bag for your casting using an old tee...

Not only can this fertilizer be used on nearly any type of plant, it can also be used directly on plants without burning them. Below we will explain what are worm castings and how to make worm castings.Worm castings are an organic form of fertilizer produced...

Digging frozen soil is hard work and the minute you realize you are working way too hard just to turn up the soil is the time to put the shovel down and exercise some patience.There is never any sense in getting ahead of the natural sequence of events.

It may help to water less often or apply fungicide to prevent damping off.may be applied as a soil drench after planting, incorporated into the soil as a dust before planting, or sprayed in mist form on all seedlings.

Do they send their grass clipping to municipal compost sites? Just make sure that the compost you apply to your gardens is safe.International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

The turkey needs to be covered during cooking with oiled or buttered parchment paper, not foil, except for a brief period near the end to brown the bird. Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve.Put the turkey...

Nevertheless, we made fun of the situation, by foretelling that even our children's children would never have to buy laurel dry leaves again! And this was practically fulfilled, since now after twenty years I still have a few remainings of those bay laurel...

The common names of plants can be a tricky area. This high-humidity houseplant can grow to heights of nearly five feet.Dracaena sanderiana is considered non-toxic to humans.The ASPCA's Poison Control Center lists lucky bamboo as a toxic substance to dogs...

Conservationists agree that the more plant species in an ecosystem, the healthier and more robust it is, yet a stroll down any lane in suburban America offers yard after yard of similar plants set in straight rows.

Production won out over soil health. Each year, one half of their land was allowed to rest and be renewed. By remaining unsown, the ground rests and fertility can be restored. With the advent of commercial fertilizers and the increase of agriculture as...

Okoume lumber has little resistance to insect and fungal attack.Okoume accepts stain and glue very well but, even though soft, is only moderately easy to work by turning, carving, cutting or planing.

I have since moved on to asking friends of friends with hens, telling them how cute little baby chicks are and how much fun it is to breed your own chickens. The trouble is, he's starting to get a bit aggressive, and we've discovered that roosters and...

My family loves to reference an early-'90s home movie of a New Year's Eve party where a gaggle of my cousins are watching a cartoon, giggling and chatting, while I'm willingly sitting in a corner with a book, facing the wall.

Still, some plants are less attractive to deer than others. Water sparingly and only at the base of the plant to prevent fungal diseases such as leaf spot and root rot. Fungal diseases, which are often caused by overly wet soil or letting water sit on...

The scale ranges from 0 to 14 with the number in the middle (7) representing a point where the number of hydroxide ions and hydronium ions is equal. A more accurate and detailed analysis can obtained by sending a soil sample to a testing laboratory.