Stable Greenhouse Conditions and Backup Generators

We're now into December and the weathers getting colder, more windy and more unpredictable. And with turbulent weather comes power cuts and power shortages. This can prove to be a dastardly time for gardeners using greenhouses to replicate delicate conditions for their plants in this unforgiving season as slight power failures could spell death for all their hard work and dedication. However companies like Timberpro have found a way for gardeners in the UK to minimise this risk as much as possible with the use of backup generators. 

Backup Generators

 

Backup generators are the UK gardeners way of fighting back. These generators will act as a safety measure in case of a power shortage to ensure that your plants get the climate they need to thrive. And before you ever think that setting up a generator seems like an awful lot of work and it will be very difficult this can be quite easy depending on which generator you buy and always remember if you are even a little worried about how your generator is setup you can always call an electrician who can do it for you for a small cost.

 

5 Tips to Prolong Your Lawnmowers Life

Lawnmowers are expensive pieces of kit, and just like most expensive machines you will get a good few years out of it before you eventually have to get rid and get a new one. But also like most machines there are plenty of ways of delaying this inevitable moment.

Using The Correct Fuel

This one is very self explanatory but the highest cause for lawnmowers breaking is because of incorrect fuel. Briggs and Stratton personally recommend never using fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol rating as this is a sure fire way to be sending your lawnmower to the morgue sooner rather than later.

Store Your Mower Properly

A lawnmower is definitely not a yard dog. If you leave your lawnmower open to the elements then you'll be lucky if it even starts when you want it to never mind perform at its best. Rust and corrosion can spell an early death for a lawnmower so keep it stored somewhere inside and dry!

Tire Pressure

If you ever find that your lawnmower is not cutting your lawn evenly there is no need to panic. You do not need to fork out for a new lawnmower... probably. Try checking the tire pressure as this is very simple to fix and can end up saving you a little bomb.

Clean the Mower Deck

The mower deck can be a cesspool for "gunk" that builds up and sticks. If left until it has to be cleaned your going to need a chisel and hammer however if you regularly clean the mower deck you will just need a sponge. You know what to do guys.

Basic Lawnmower Maintenance

Each lawnmower will have its own little quirks and tricks so the best way to keep your lawnmower fighting fit is by reading the manual and following the brand owners maintenance instructions! That's right guys just pick up the manual, I swear it doesn't bite.

Planning Permission For Fences

It's all very well going out and buying your new fence, getting the tools and then setting it up in your garden but the real question is "Are you allowed"? There is suprisingly a lot of legislation regarding whether or not you can ahve a certain fence on your property. These legislations actually differ depending on where you live and each case has to be looked at individually.

Use the below information as a check list to ensure that your fence will become a permanent feature of your property.

Planning Permissions Regarding Fences, Walls and Gates

1. You will require planning permission for any new fence, gate or wall over 2m in height.   This will normally include the addition of trellis panels on top of an existing fence if this takes the overall height to above 2m.  This may technically also include the addition of wires and brackets to carry a climbing shrub, although this can sometimes be open to interpretation
2. You do not require planning permission to grow a thorny plant along the top of your 2m fence (providing there are no support structures over 2 metres) unless there are covenants or restrictions.  Check with your local planning authority
3. If the new fence or wall borders or adjoins a public highway used for vehicles you may need planning permission if it is higher than 1 metre
4. If you live in an area, which has open planned front gardens there is likely to be a covenant restricting the erection of any fence or hedge to the front of the dwelling and you must therefore refer to the local planning authority before you carry out any work
5. If you live in a listed building or your property borders a listed building then you may need planning permission before you carry out any work on your boundary fence or wall
6. You do not normally need planning permission to plant a hedge, but you should check with the local planning authority first as you will have responsibilities to maintain the hedge so that it does not cause a nuisance to others.  (See High hedges below)
7. Before you carry out any work on your boundaries do check with the local planning authority first to see if there are any restrictions or if you need planning permission 

Well I hope this saved you a nightmare down the road or put those worries to rest. Back again next week!

3 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Winter

Rake your leaves

If you only do one thing to prepare, do this. Leaves will smother your grass and turn it into a dirt patch (and next spring the neighbour kids will come over to play on the new “vacant lot”). If your aches, pains and other excuses are pretty convincing then hire your local 15 year-old to do it for you so he can buy more toilet paper for your yard, oh, wait-a-minute…

You can save some of the leaves to put on your flowerbed to help prevent an early crop of weeds in the spring. When it warms up, rake, plant and you may win a prize for the best geraniums.

Fertilize 

Late fall (about a month before it usually freezes) is the best time to fertilize your lawn because it’s hungry! It’s been slurping nutrients out of the soil all summer to grow leaves and there’s not much left to eat. Fertilizing in the fall will help the roots survive hibernation and wake up quickly in the spring. A quick start in the spring will help prevent disease and weeds.

Cut your grass short

For most moist/wet climates you may want to give your grass a buzz cut before the snow flies. Generally, homeowners will mow twice in October and once in November because the grass is barely growing. Instead of skipping weeks in October, it can be better to drop the blade height one notch and mow every week until the grass is about three-fourths of an inch tall. This will prevent a build up of dead grass in the spring that may smother new growth. If you live in an arid climate (20 inches or less of rain per year) and you don’t have automatic sprinklers, skip weeks when the grass is barely growing. A moderate buildup of dead grass will help hold in ground moisture over the winter.

Straight Forward Instructions to Sharpening your Axe

Straight Forward Instructions to Sharpening your Axe

1. Clamp the axe to your workbench so the edge of the axe hangs off the edge of the bench.
2. Put your gloves on so you don’t cut your hand!
3. Using a pushing stroke into the edge of the axe.  File at an angle, not straight at the edge.  Filing straight on will cause the file to chatter, producing an obnoxious screeching noise.  It also causes a rough uneven file marks.  File at a slight angle toward the middle of the axe.  Follow the rounded contour of the bit.  Don’t file too much away from the corners of the axe, since that’s the weakest part of the blade and most likely to chip off. 
4. The file needs to be cleaned frequently to be effective.  Use a wire brush to clear the metal filings by stroking with the rows of teeth. Push the file for the cutting stroke, but don’t drag the file back.  Dragging the file back dulls the teeth and once it’s dull you can’t re-sharpen it.
5. Flip the axe over and clamp it back down.
6. File the other side of the axe in the same manner described in step 3.
7. Un-clamp your axe.  Hold the axe with one hand with the axe handle under your arm.  In your other hand you’ll hold your axe stone with your fingers clear of the grinding surface.
8. Start with the course side of the axe stone.  Use a circular motion into the edge of the axe.  Try to polish out any of the file marks.  You want to make it one continuously smooth cutting edge with no lumps or bumps.  Once a burr develops on the opposite side, flip the axe over so the handle points away from you.
9. Use the course stone to polish the second side.  Use a circular motion into the edge of the axe. Once a burr develops on the opposite side, stop.
10. Repeat steps 7 and 8 using the fine side of the axe stone.  A very fine ribbon of metal will cling to the edge.  You may not be able to see it.  You need to strop the edge to remove this fine ribbon of metal.
11. Strop the axe using a leather belt or honing/stropping material.  Hang your stropping material on the wall with a nail.
12. With one hand hold the bit, with the other hand pull the strop taught.
13. With the edge of the bit away from you and at 35 or 40 degrees to the strop, pull the the bit toward you with moderate pressure.    Then flip the bit over and push the bit away from you with the edge facing you.  Do this a dozen times.
14. Once you’re satisfied, rub oil and then beeswax over the entire metal bit.  This will protect the metal from moisture and rust.
15. Sheath the axe in a leather case so the edge doesn’t get damaged and so someone doesn’t get hurt.
16. Go try the axe out!

1 Through 5 on How to Leaf Blow

Handling and Working a Leaf Blower

   

   

A leaf blower has the simplest name in the world and this is very misleading. Leaf blowers can be difficult pieces of kit to work but hopefully the following 5 steps will have you up and running and blowing in no time.

1. Set the switch to the "Start / Stop" position. Most gas-powered leaf blowers will have a switch on the body with 2 settings: "Run" and "Start / Stop." Set the switch to "Start / Stop."
2. Prime the leaf blower. Locate the small, flexible plastic bubble near the gas tank. Push this button down 2 or 3 times with your finger. This creates suction that pulls gasoline into the bubble to be used when starting the leaf blower. This step is not necessary for an electric model.
3. Crank the leaf blower's motor. Grab the pull cord firmly and quickly pull it to its full length. Do this several times until you hear the motor begin running continuously.
4. Flip the switch to the "Run" position. In this position, the leaf blower will begin running continuously while blowing out air.
5. Begin blowing the leaves towards their destination. To blow leaves, hold the leaf blower with your arm at your side, pointing the shaft of the leaf blower at a shallow angle towards the ground. Walk slowly and sweep the leaf blower in a smooth back-and-forth motion in front of you. Plan where you will pile your leaves ahead of time. It is a good idea to lay a tarp down in the designated spot, so that you can easily drag your leaves to your compost pile when finished. If possible, work in 1 direction only. Blowing leaves in only 1 direction will keep you from having to backtrack. It will also keep you from accidentally blowing leaves into an area that you have already cleared.

Tips & Tricks for Lawn Mowing a Garden

These 10 tips and tricks will have you lawn mowering with some of the best in the world. Just kidding but they sure will help you make your garden look like the garden you want it to:

1. Each run up the lawn with the lawn mower should slightly overlap the previous one; put a mark on each side of the mower as your ‘overlap marker’
2. If you want 'straight stripes’ on a large lawn or a lawn without a straight edge begin by mowing a straight line down the middle of the lawn. Now mow on either side of it
3. Don’t worry about cutting ALL the grass at the edges of the lawn; if you do a final cut all around the perimeter of the lawn once or twice you’ll get all the end bits and add a ‘professional’ frame to your mowing
4. If your lawnmower has a roller change mowing direction at least every month
5. If your mower has four wheels you MUST overlap each run so that the wheels do not go in the same place all the time. Repeated grass cutting in the same track will produce ruts and tramlines!
6. If the grass is damp or long slow down your speed (not the blade speed)
7. If you are ‘scalping’ the lawn in some places (high spots) raise the mowing height. Scalped areas will often be mossy and/or weedy
8. Mow slopes and shady areas one setting higher than the rest of the lawn
9. If the lawn has a ‘silver sheen’ or ‘frayed’ look after mowing the blade(s) need sharpening
10. If you’re using a cylinder mower and the blade stutters or produces a ribbed or rippled effect in the lawn then either the mower is blunt or under powered or the grass is too long or too wet - slow down your lawn mowing speed and mow more frequently