Water saving through Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation, otherwise known as trickle irrigation or micro irrigation, is a type of irrigation, which uses water at a very low-pressure and at an even rate into plants and soil. The rate can vary between 2 and 20 liters per hour based on the need and area of cultivation. This method has been exclusively designed for water conservation, as it prevents water loss through run-off or evaporation. This type of irrigation could be either very complex when it’s used to serve huge agricultural lands or just a simple one that serves small garden areas. 

How does drip irrigation work?

Drip irrigation, which is one of the most controlled irrigation processes, has been the most innovative method that offers various benefits to crops. Drip emitters are used in this type of irrigation that allows the water to flow in a very slow and steady manner. These emitters are quite small, and are placed on the ground in rows. They are connected to the main water source with the use of a hose feeder. There is another type of drip irrigation, which uses hose with inbuilt drip emitters, and is known as trickle tap irrigation. In either of these methods, the slow water flow guarantees that the entire water will be absorbed into the roots of the plants with no chance of evaporation. 

There are farmers who even mix nutrients and fertilizers in the water supply to aim them directly to the base of the plants.

How does drip irrigation save water?

Drip irrigation can protect water resources, help you save on your water bills, and even offer a higher yield of crop. In fact, burying the irrigation lines will even prevent annual weeds; as such weeds will not survive with under the ground irrigation since they require water on the surface level to germinate. 

Benefits of Drip Irrigation

Apart from conserving water, the drip irrigation technique also offers several other benefits, some of which are:

• Nutrient loss and fertilizer usage is minimized because of reduction in leaching and localized application.
• This method ensures efficient application of water, and when properly done, absolutely no wastage happens.
• There is no need for field leveling, and even irregular shapes of fields can be served.
• Recycled water can be used for this type of irrigation.
• Weed growth and soil erosion are minimized.
• Irrespective of the soil type, drip irrigation can be done.
• You won’t need a lot of people to work in the fields, which in turn helps you to save on labor costs.
• Use of fertilizers is minimized and there is reduced risk of diseases, as the foliage is dry.
• Operation cost is reduced as drip irrigation uses low-pressure method, unlike other methods.
• This method facilitates improved quality of environment.

Variations in Drip Irrigation System

There are several types of drip irrigation system, namely:

• Automatic irrigation
• Dig drip irrigation
• Farm irrigation
• Garden drip system
• Indoor irrigation
• Lawn drip irrigation
• Rain drip irrigation
• Toro drip irrigation

Drip irrigation system is the most commonly applied technique, as farmers who want to irrigate intelligently and use water resources wisely often opt for it. Since this method brings considerable water and capital investment savings, its cost effectiveness is another factor that works in its favor. By encouraging better resource use, drip irrigation increases yields and their quality, thus helping you enjoy improved profitability. No wonder why the utilization of drip irrigation is a prudent decision. If you too have been thinking about an efficient method of irrigation, it’s time to assess how drip irrigation can help, and start using it.

Garden safety - Maintaining Your Barbeque

The most common thing people do in summer is to have their barbeque scheduled to be enjoyed in the evenings. However, it should be remember that this calls for safe as well as preventive measures, as careless barbequing and camping can result in fatal incidents. Garden fire accidents have destroyed huge countryside areas in the past including delicate ecosystems and properties. While you enjoy your outdoor cooking and activities, it is extremely important to ensure that safety measures are in place. 

Maintenance of Barbeque

One of the important things to remember while buying outdoor cooking equipments for BBQ is to look into the various types that are available, and see which ones suit your outdoor setup the best. Each type of equipment has its own benefits and drawbacks, depending on specific setups. For instances, when you look for a BBQ made of stainless steel, remember to check the grade of the steel and its maintenance features. Nevertheless, irrespective of the type of BBQ you choose, it is essential for you to maintain it as specified by the manufacturer. After all, regular maintenance would ensure high safety and durability of the BBQ.

Hiring Professional Services for Barbeque Maintenance

At times, your schedule may not give you enough time to maintain your BBQ, and you may notice grease settled all over it, which in turn would make it highly prone to fire accidents. It would not offer a hygienic setup for cooking too. Under such circumstances, hiring a professional company offering BBQ maintenance services would be a prudent choice.

Benefits of Hiring Professional Service for Maintaining your Barbeque

There are various benefits of hiring a professional service provider for maintaining your barbeque, which include:

• They are experienced and know exactly what type of chemicals to use to clean the greased area of your barbeque. Most often, best professional services use only non toxic solutions to clean BBQ, as it does not cause any reaction while cooking, and is a safe and healthy option for you.
• They also take care of replacing broken or worn out parts of the barbeque without you having to worry about it.
• They offer regular maintenance without you having to call them; which in turn ensure a very clean and safe BBQ and garden space.
• The professionals can remove scratches on the steel surface, and make it look like a brand new one.

DIY BBQ Safety and Maintenance Tips

• Gas Cylinders: If you use a gas cylinder for BBQ, make sure you check the tube and valve position before you start and after you finish cooking.
• Charcoal: When you use charcoal, make sure it has completely died down and is grey before you place food in it; otherwise, it will cause more smoke, which won’t be good for your lungs.
• Safe Cooking: Avoid direct cooking where meat fat might drip into the BBQ, as this may cause sudden flare-ups, which will make your food get burnt and also spell danger.
• Placement of BBQ: Be sure that your BBQ is installed in a safe and suitable place in your garden, where it is safely away from trees, fences, etc; you may hire a professional landscaping company for the installation, if you wish to.
• Water Access: Ensure that the BBQ is placed where a flowing water supply is at a reachable distance; this will be useful during unexpected fire accidents.

Buying the most suitable barbeque, maintaining it properly either with professional service or on your own, and following the cooking instructions – all these are equally important for your personal safety as well as the safety of your property.

Tips for developing a beautiful Pathway

The pathways of your landscape determine the entire appeal of your home or premises. Developing a beautiful pathway can be done with the help of professionals or on your own if you have the right knowledge about it. Though you may have enough creativity and adequate budget to handle the job on your own, you may, at times, do well to use a few tips that would add value and beauty to your pathways.

Here are some tips for developing a beautiful pathway:

• Purpose: A pathway could either be merely decorative, or functional and useful. It is absolutely your personal choice to have trees and plants that yield you your favorite fruits and vegetables or just add colorful flowers that offer feast to the eyes of the visitors and yourself along your pathway.
• Rounded: Even with the idea of having a vegetable garden, you can still make your pathway look more appealing if you round off its edges. Instead of having a single huge area, you can plant a number of small areas that are surrounding by curved pathways.
• Trees: Though bricks and flagstones are easy to come by, if you want something that is really attractive, you might consider having round shaped lumbers. You may also choose to have deviations in the path to make it more appealing and interesting.
• Draining: This is an extremely important aspect while developing a beautiful pathway. Though paved pathways bring down the amount of lawn work, they also cause draining problems if you do not install a proper drainage system while developing the pathway. Negligence towards assuring a proper drainage system will destroy your beautiful pathway in the future.
• Edging: A decorative edging always enhances the beauty of any pathway irrespective of the material you use for the same. Some of the edging materials to enhance the beauty of the pathway include stones, leaves, wood chips, grass, etc.
• Steps: Some people consider slopes as a disadvantage. However, in reality, when you integrate steps into your pathway, it will certainly enhance its overall appeal.
• Know the Terms and Measures: ‘Tread’ refers to the horizontal surface of the pathway step, while ‘nose’ represents to the edge of the tread. The vertical area between any two steps is referred to as ‘riser’ and the angle or inclination of the entire steps on the pathway is referred to as the ‘pitch’. The angle or pitch must be 40 degrees, as this offers the best safety for kids and elders.
• Landscaping: Though landscaping is quite common these days and you may want to stick to the present trend, you can still create a very unique design and think out of the box to make your pathway stand apart in the crowd. You can try out Palm trees, Minnesota, huge ferns, trimmed hedges, wisteria, etc. to add a variety of texture and color to your beautiful pathway.
• Patterns: Irrespective of the length of the pathway, creative and majestic beauty can be added to it. Paving the path with stones or bricks with a range of distinctive patterns is one way to bring individuality and add a personal touch to the entire pathway.
• Grass and Stones: If you have a huge pathway, it would be more appealing to have gentle curves in the path with long path stones between grass placed at even spacing.

Along with these tips, you can bring your creativity and design ideas to the table in order to ensure that your pathway has a great aesthetic appeal. You should also consider your future plans of expansion, and take into account certain elements of your existing pathway that you want to retain, while making changes in it.

Great Poolside Ideas

Adding a swimming pool to your landscape is a great idea, as it can enhance the appeal and value of your property. A pool situated amidst an amazing landscape can make the space relaxing and more inviting, which in turn would up the fun quotient for you and your family, not to mention the occasional guests. However, if you are in a dilemma about the kind of pool you should opt for, here are some great poolside ideas, from which you can take your pick:

Trees

Palm trees can be a great choice if you require privacy, as the wide span of the trees can be used effectively to cover the entire pool area. Though most of these trees have broader leaves, you may opt for smaller varieties too, such as sago palms and Mediterranean fan palms etc, if you wish to. In case you have pets at home, make sure that the variety of palm you choose won’t be harmful for the pets. 

Irrespective of the color and types of trees you choose, make sure that they don’t end up contaminating the pool water in the long run. 

Lounge

A great pool must have a place to lounge by the edges of the water, to dry, to have a sunbath, or to take a nap under the cabana or umbrella. Be it floating lounges, raised lounges, or those that hang over the pool, you can get many ideas to take your pick from. 

Patios and Decks

Decks and patios are one of the best poolside ideas, especially when you place them close to the pools. They can allow your loved ones to chat with you and watch you swim, join you for an occasional swim, let you enjoy some quality me-time, or enable you to entertain guests by the poolside during a party. These patios and decks can be built by using bricks or natural stones to make them look more appealing and inviting.

Landscaping Rocks

To bring a rustic appeal and give a natural touch to your poolside, you may opt for rocks and boulders of various sizes and shapes. They will enhance the beauty of your poolside while paving way for easy maintenance.

Flowers and Plants

There are many people who prefer to set up plants and flowers by their poolside. Such an arrangement not only enhances the beauty of the swimming pool but also gives the surroundings a natural touch. What’s more, you can have adequate privacy amidst the greenery created by these plants and flowers. However, it’s advisable to choose plants that require less maintenance and flowers that complement the color of your outdoor set-up. Some of the plants that you may consider for the purpose are Cyprus, Aspidistra, Aucuba, Palms, Elephant ears, Caladiums etc. Flowers grown in pots can be strategically placed around the pool to complement the setting. You may even move these flowers indoors when the weather becomes extremely harsh. You should avoid planting trees by the poolside that bear fruits, as they will contaminate the pool and make it tough to keep it clean. Avoiding thorny plants or plants with prickly leaves is also a prudent idea.

It would be a good choice to select a balanced blend of perennial and seasonal blooms, as it would make your poolside enjoy a riot of colors throughout the year. 

Fencing

Your pool should have proper fencing around it to make it safe, especially if you have pets or kids at home. Latticed fences can preserve your privacy and at the same time, permit enough light to come in, not to mention encourage proper ventilation.

You can find a professional landscaping company to select the right one from these ideas that would suit your landscape, budget and needs the best.

Organic Lawn Care

If you thought that lawns are nothing more than mere recreational spaces, think again. Starting from stabilizing the soil and thwarting erosion, to decreasing runoff of rainwater, lawns can serve several useful purposes. But despite the benefits of lawns, much thought often doesn’t go into lawn maintenance practices. No wonder that people often manage their lawns in such a way that triggers serious environmental side effects.

If you too have a lawn and wish to protect the environment while taking care of your green patch, you can consider organic lawn care. 

The emphasis of organic lawn care is on the selection of quality grass that’s fit for your location, and usage of natural management techniques to maintain a healthy lawn. When you use an organic lawn care approach, you will no longer require stocking up on potentially hazardous chemical pesticides around the home, or worrying about safe ways to dispose of the empty containers.

When you use organic fertilizers, along with biological pest management techniques, instead of pesticides, you will get rid of concerns about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on people. Thus, if you have children at home, who love to play on the lawn, or pets/birds/other wildlife that prefer to enjoy the greens, you can breathe easy as your lawn will be safe for them. Organic lawn care also decreases the potential risk of applicators who are exposed to harmful pesticides and other chemicals. 

Many people compost yard waste and use other available wastes in their homes for organic lawn care. By recycling resources, such people can take care of their lawns in a natural way and also help the green cause. So, if you are ready to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lawn sans the use of synthetic chemicals, here are some tips that would help you in your endeavor:

Fertilizing

Since most organic fertilizers have a relatively low quantity of nutrients per weight of the product, you need to opt for split applications, rather than covering your lawn with a heavy layer of fertilizer. You will also need to remember that most organic fertilizers contain 3 to 10% of nitrogen, which is usually tied up in complex organic molecules, and gets released slowly. Since it could be several weeks or even months before this nitrogen becomes available to the grass, the growth response could be slow, typically spread over a period of 1-2 months.

Mowing

Experts advise that the frequency of mowing should be such that each mow removes less than 40% of the grass height. Also, you should mow when the grass is dry, because mowing the wet grass may help spread disease-causing organisms from the infected grasses to the healthy ones.

Watering

Depending on the nature of your turf, frequency of watering should be decided upon. It’s advisable to avoid frequent, light irrigations that make the foliage wet and offer favorable conditions for the growth of pests and other disease-causing micro-organisms. 

Fighting weeds

When you notice weeds in small numbers, you can remove the entire plant and its root by using a trowel or spade. When weed infestation is heavy, you would need to treat and renovate the entire area. Covering the affected area for 7-10 days with sheets of black plastic, which will block water and sunlight apart from raising the soil temperature, would be an effective way to kill most weeds in the soil. A thick layer of mulch or compost can also kill weeds effectively, but you would need to be cautious not to introduce new weeds with the compost. 

Protection against insects

Prevention is better than cure – this adage applies to your lawn too. If you take proper care of your lawn and encourage the growth of healthy grasses with deep roots, they will be in a better position to withstand the damage caused by insects. Again, regular mowing is necessary too, since you can minimize thatch buildup with it. Since the thatch layer plays host to leaves and roots, which the insects eat to survive, mowing the lawn regularly to maintain a proper grass height would help fight against the insect-menace. Other important steps are to ensure watering and fertilizing the lawn at the right time and rate.

So, use these organic lawn care tips to enjoy your greens in an environment-friendly way.

Outdoor Illumination for Gardens

If you have a beautiful garden, you shouldn’t limit yourself to enjoy it only during the daytime. By investing in creative and quality outdoor lighting fixtures, you can accentuate the beauty of your space and ensure effective security – all at the same time. 

Here are some key types of illumination fixtures for your outdoors from which you may take your pick:

• Post and Wall Lights: Be it decorative wall lanterns that can light up your patio or porch, or stylish post lights that are ideal to illuminate the outdoor spaces, you can get these items in a variety of designs, colors, and price ranges.
• Decking Lights: Choosing the right deck lighting is all about selecting those fixtures that are unobtrusive and stay almost hidden during the day, but become functional as well as attractive by night. Common types of deck lighting include downlights (ideal for covered decks), spotlights (can be the perfect tool to highlight features like a barbecue or spa area), and floodlights (though rarely used in gardens, you can mount them high up to illuminate your pool or garden area).
• Ground Lights: Inground lighting plays a crucial role in your landscape. Be it halogen globes or LEDs to illuminate your decks, walkways, and regions along the perimeter of your home, or inground uplighters to make your trees and bushes sparkle under the night sky, you can use them to increase your outdoor’s aesthetic appeal. Security Lights: Starting from security lights with a dusk-to-dawn sensor, to switch-controlled lighting, and illuminating fixtures with built-in motion detectors, you can choose from a variety of options to increase safety and security around your home.
• Solar Lights: Apart from precious savings on your electric bills, environment-friendly solar lights can also give you the chance to illuminate your outdoor space by going green. Whether you are looking for embedded lighting, standalone lights, or other fixtures, you can get them all by doing a targeted search. String and Curtain Party Lights: LED string lights, paper lanterns, multi-LED string lights, mesh string lights, net lights, curtain light etc are all ideal to infuse the air with excitement, which is just the right way to prepare for a party. So, whether you are planning a BBQ with friends and family, or throwing a party for your neighbors and acquaintances, you can set the right mood with these lights.

Tips to accentuate your outdoor space’s aesthetic appeal

Once you have chosen your lighting fixtures from the choices mentioned above, you can get ready to make your outdoor space an inviting zone. Here are some tips to remember in the endeavor:

• Use ground-level fixtures that point upward to illuminate landscape and architectural elements.
• You can improve safety and visibility of a step or a group of steps by using step lighting.
• Enhance the beauty of your walking surface with pathway lighting, which will also improve safety when people access these areas.
• If your outdoor space has stucco or brick surfaces, you can accent their texture with wall-wash lighting.
• If you don’t wish to accentuate a specific feature or object, and would rather light up large areas like play zones, lawns etc, you can opt for area lighting.
• Make the less visible or darker areas of your home lit up with no-glare lighting fixtures that are placed strategically to ensure security and safety of your property.
• To highlight the shape of architectural features and designs, such as statues, shrubs, trees, and fountains, the ideal solution lies in shadowing and silhouetting.
• Specific objects can be illuminated with spot lighting.
• You may use general lighting fixtures for pond and other water features, or use special fixtures to highlight underwater designs or objects, such as murals, statues, and tiles.

Armed with these tips, get ready to give a makeover to your outdoor space.

Assessing a House's Landscape while Buying and Selling

Buying a home is not all about inspecting just the structure. You should also assess various aspects of the landscape if you want to get value for money. Here are some factors, which if kept in mind, will help you get a good deal:

• Know the soil: The type of soil your potential home has will have a crucial effect on your water bills and landscaping efforts. For example, if you are looking forward to owning a lush landscape, but have a sandy soil, water will drain quickly, making your water bills climb higher in your effort to have that green patch. Again, if the region often gets heavy rains and the landscape is made up of clay soil, your yard may be under puddles of water for hours or days if your drainage system is not up to the mark.
• Check the drainage: As mentioned earlier, poor drainage can lead to flooding problems, which in turn will create other problems like cracked foundations etc. In case you find any problems with the drainage system, make sure to ask the sellers to fix the problem before discussing the deal any further.
• Test the type of mulch: Depending on how much effort and money you are ready to invest for your landscape once you have bought the home, it pays to check the type of mulch used. For example, though rock mulch needs less maintenance, it can be extremely expensive once it does as a lot of labor will be involved. So, decide whether you want to think about the long-term benefits, or just the short term savings are good enough to make a choice.
• Size and position of the trees: Did you know that strategic placement of trees can direct winds and offer shade during the summer months, while allowing enough sunlight to seep into during the winter? If not, its time to take note. Remember that favorable placement of the trees would help you keep your AC and thermostat bills down. However, make sure that the trees aren’t too close to your doors and windows, or that their roots don’t run too deep into the grounds to pose a threat to the house’s foundation. Checking other factors like whether the trees are healthy, if their roots and stems pose any danger or discomfort to the people taking the sidewalks etc are also important. Plants and trees that need a lot of effort to prune and maintain, or harbor allergenic pollens are better avoided.
• Water features: Though ponds, fountains, and other water features are a beautiful sight to behold, you shouldn’t forget about taking a close look at them. Starting from checking if pumps and lights work the right way, and whether the fountains are able to hold water without any seepage, to how well the electric components are installed, everything should be assessed, preferably by an experienced landscape professional.
• Landscape lighting: In case you plan to use the outdoors during the evening or at night, it’s important to check the lighting system, and find how functional it is. In case you are not too sure about assessing them on your own, you can hire a landscape contractor to do the job on your behalf.

While these factors should be assessed by all home buyers, sellers too can use them as yardsticks to find if anything is wrong with their landscape or there’s some scope for improvement. By fixing things up, and improving the landscape, sellers can get a much better value for their abode.

So, do your homework well, make a list of the landscape features you should assess, and then investigate with hawk eyes before signing the deal.