What Is Gear Ratio

This combination is very conducive to plant root growth. According to Paul Wheaton, permaculture expert and founder of Permies.com and RichSoil.com, you should not use cedar, black locust, black cherry, black walnut or any treated wood in your huegelkultur...

Temperatures plummeted to nigh-unbearable levels across the U.S., thanks to the much-discussed polar vortex that moved through over a two-day span, shattering record-low temperatures nationwide and plummeting wind chills into the negative double digits.

Ask Martok! Do you have a livestock or wildlife question you want me to answer? Do you use complementary veterinary therapies on your farm? Do-it-yourselfers can use homeopathic remedies to treat minor ailments and injuries, for first-aid emergencies...

If pets have access to garden areas where winterberry is grown, consider removing branches that put fruit at their mouth level. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, the deciduous shrub drops its leaves in fall so...

Something will spark one of these thoughts, and I'll wind up daydreaming about my three-armed life or my alternate British self for a minute or two before getting back to whatever I was doing.

Right now there is a lot of buzz about a plant called ashitaba. Sometimes it's a new use of a well-known plant. Those who are eating a vegetarian diet often struggle with getting this nutrient because we chiefly find it in meat products, so they often...

They often can point you to a entomological expert who may be able to look at a photo or examine a captured specimen to help you determine what insect you're dealing with and offer potential treatment strategies for pest species.

Determining if soil is frozen can make all the difference.How do you know if the ground is frozen solid? Determining if the soil is frozen is paramount to your garden's success.Just walking across your soil or patting it with your hand will give away...

This often depends on the particular fungus. Other preventative measures include using well-drained soil and avoiding overcrowding of plants. With a little TLC seed treatment, damping off will be a thing of the past.

Longbeachae.Paronychia is a local infection that occurs in the tissue around the fingernails and toenails. Concrete blocks are also often used to contain compost. Healthy immune systems can usually fight off histoplasmosis, although infections can become...

Gardeners are becoming increasingly diversified, and getting into more sustainable practices such as raising heirloom vegetables and saving seeds. This year's turkey, "Pumpkin", was presented to President Bush in a Rose Garden Ceremony.

I just emptied the bags into a large box and stored all the laurel dry leaves in my pantry. About twenty years ago I had a grocery store. I always keep dry laurel leaves in a glass jar for spicing my winter meals: sauerkraut or dry beans in a casserole,...

It is not native to Asia, and is closely related to the lily. 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...

These organisms decompose plant debris and convert nitrogen, enhancing and enriching the place plants' roots call home. Don't plant overused species and space related specimens far apart in your yard.

Alternating different plants helps keep that balance intact. For instance, soybeans (Glycine max) leave nitrates in the soil while corn (Zea mays) absorbs nitrates. Home gardeners followed farming examples.One of the earliest, most primitive forms of...

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.

It sounds like a busy weekend ahead. The trouble is, he's starting to get a bit aggressive, and we've discovered that roosters and preschoolers don't mix. The tomatoes have been ripped out (they did eventually succumb to the late blight that plagued gardeners...

—Robert South I didn't like a wide variety of foods, from cottage cheese and pickles to cantaloupe and basically every vegetable under the sun. (Clearly I was destined for a career involving reading and writing.) Thankfully, these character traits have...

For this reason, bougainvillea is often grown in a container and brought indoors for the winter. Water sparingly and only at the base of the plant to prevent fungal diseases such as leaf spot and root rot.

At pH above 7, phosphorus becomes unavailable, and the build up of calcium carbonate and other toxic salts can inhibit root development. A pH of exactly 7.0 is neutral, indicating that a substance is neither acidic nor basic.

Fall is also a good time to plant a cover crop. Mulch also helps to prevent soil erosion, allowing you to keep more of your healthy soil right where you want it: in your garden. Get Mulching! Mulch should never touch the stems of plants as it can cause...

(Now you're catching on! Say it with me, “Aargghh-values.”) According to Energy Star, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect the environment through energy efficiency,...

Does a breed have patterns or color variations in its fuzz? This made for simple comparison the day my chicks arrived. Is there any way of telling them apart?” If your chick order includes a handful of different breeds , learn as much about each of...

It also has the highest number of calories per unit area of any plant.Sugar cane is comprised of stalks, leaves and a root system. The migrations have also resulted in hybrid sugar cane plants.

Colorado State University's website suggests planting vinca if you want to deter deer.Vinca serves well in the borders of other flowering plants and in containers. Heatwave Pink is a low-growing plant that will remain small all its life.

The liquid is then separated from the solid and packaged as ghee.Vegetable ghee is a vegetarian alternative to this product. However, neither of these items contains animal fat.Despite its resemblance to lard, vegetable ghee is cholesterol-free.

It is used by individuals who are concerned about the potential threat of starvation in deer populations during the winter months and by hunters who bait deer.Corn left to dry on the stalk is an appealing snack, not only for deer but other animals as...