House Renovation Tips

Spring or fall is the best time to set new container plants into the ground. Starting from a fence corner or other reference point, measure off the planting distances indicated in your plan. Set each container in position, then adjust placement if it looks ungainly. Use tall stakes to represent plants you’ll be adding later.
Your [...]

To cut a hole, drive the blades of your post hole digger sharply into the ground. When loose soil collects in the hole, pull the handles apart to scoop it out.
Try to dig a bell-shaped hole - larger at the bottom than the top. It may help to soak the soil before you dig post [...]

When putting in a lawn, you’ve got several ways to go: seeds, sod, plugs, or sprigs. Seeding is the least expensive method but it takes work and time. A sod lawn, while expensive, looks great immediately and is ready to walk on in about 2 weeks. Sprigs and plugs are both less expensive than sod, [...]

These small pieces of sod are often used to plant warm-season grasses, some of which cannot grow from seed. They spread by horizontal runners, filling in the lawn in several months to years, depending on the grass species. Spring is the best time to plant them.
Buy plugs from a mail-order firm or a sod farm. [...]

Often used to plant warm-season grasses, these pieces of grass stems and roots (also called stolons) spread naturally by horizontal runners. They will fill in your lawn in 9 to 12 weeks.
In spring, order sprigs by mail or from a sod farm. (Local garden centers can recommend sources.) In your order, specify the area you [...]

Buy top-quality seed from a reliable source to be sure it will germinate evenly and is weed and disease free. Places that sell grass seed sometimes lend rollers and other planting equipment free.
The amount of seed you need varies with the type of grass - check the label to be sure you’re buying enough.
Sow seeds [...]

Sod is a carpet of grass you unroll to create an instant lawn. You can lay sod in any month when the ground isn’t frozen. To purchase it, look under “Sod” in your Yellow Pages.
Order enough sod to cover your lawn, plus about 10 percent extra to allow for fitting. Sod deteriorates quickly if it [...]

Spring or fall is the best time to set new container plants into the ground. Starting from a fence corner or other reference point, measure off the planting distances indicated in your plan. Set each container in position, then adjust placement if it looks ungainly. Use tall stakes to represent plants you’ll be adding later.
Your [...]

Your plants and lawn will grow better if your soil is in top shape. Add organic matter to make your soil more workable and to help it hold water and nutrients. Lay it 2 inches deep around trees, shrubs and woody ground covers. For lawns and beds, use 3 to 6 inches.
If your soil has [...]

Testing the Soil
A soil test tells you what the soil needs for your plants to grow well. You may need to change the soil’s pH or add fertilizer or organic matter. Soil test kits, sold at nurseries and garden centers usually measure only pH. For a more complete diagnosis, have a professional lab test [...]