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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-05-05, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2005. Secrets for a happy, healthy lawn Top dressing your lawn with peat moss helps keep it green and healthy, naturally. (MS) — Struggling to compete with the neighbour’s pristine, well- tended lawn? If you’re wondering what the peo­ ple next door are doing to keep their backyard looking as meticulous and lush as a golf course, you’re in luck. And it’s easier than you may think. A well-manicured lawn doesn’t just happen by itself. But it doesn't need to be backbreaking work, either. Landscaping pros — and in- the-know neighbours — understand that a little extra effort can produce a beautiful, healthy turf all season long. If you follow these three simple tips this season, you’ll have a thriv­ ing backyard in no time, without a ton of extra effort. 1. Aerate — Just like it needs water and nutrients, grass needs air to thrive. Aeration removes plugs of soil from the lawn, which loosens areas that may have become com­ pacted by heavy use, and lets air get down to the roots. Whether you use a power machine or a hand tool, keep in mind that an aerator that removes plugs is much more effec­ tive than one that just pokes holes (which can actually make soil com­ paction worse). Depending on the type of grass in your yard, you’ll want to aerate in spring, early fall, or both. 2. Top dress — After you aerate, top dress your lawn by spreading 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch of peat moss over the grass with a rake. The top dressing of peat helps gradually condition the lawn throughout the growing season, strengthening the grass to resist dis­ ease and thatch, and reducing the amount of water and fertilizer it needs. Peat moss absorbs moisture and reduces the leaching of nutrients by holding and releasing them slowly over time. 3. Repair bare spots - Discoloured patches on the lawn can ruin the look of your whole backyard, but they’re often easy to fix. It doesn’t matter if the culprit is disease, animal urine, or soil compaction ; a repair job takes just a few minutes, and it works wonders on a backyard’s overall look. Spring or fall are good times to tackle reseeding; the cooler tempera­ tures help the grass grow. First, loosen the top six inches of soil in the affected area. (Throw away the top inch or so of soil if Rover is the reason for the bare patch.) Then, work two inches of peat moss into the soil. Scatter grass seeds on the soil, add fertilizer, and water with a fine spray. You can sprinkle a thin layer of peat moss over the new growth to add an extra measure of condition­ ing, and keep the area moist until it germinates. That’s all there is to it — three sim­ ple ways to give your backyard the equivalent of a fresh coat of paint. Pretty soon, your backyard will perk up so dramatically, your neighbors will be coming to you for lawn-care advice. a common plumbing problem pier than you’d think. Option 1: The plunger. A plunger is the first tool you should look to if your toilet ciogs. * If the bowl is full of water, put on rubber gloves and bail out the water with a bucket until the bowl is now half full. If the toilet is relatively empty, add water until it is half full. * Place the plunger in the bowl so that it completely covers the drain opening. With the plunger completely underwater, press and pull to exert suction for 15 to 20 seconds. now be toilet to A more Option 3: Call a professional. If professional plumber or drain clean- you still can’t clear the obstruction, a ing service may be necessary. Solving Where there’s water, there are chances for plumbing problems. That’s why toilets are prone to get­ ting clogged from time to time. Typically, this results in improper drainage of the bowl or overflowing of the water. The results can be frus­ trating and messy. If the toilet seems to be the only area of blockage (i.e. the bathroom sink or other sinks in the house con­ tinue to drain fine), the clog is proba­ bly in the toilet, drain line or very close to it. The remedy may be sim- What’s your junk worth? You could be tossing $100 bills in the trash every time you clean out the house or garage The values of ordinary looking items have skyrocketed in recent years, accord­ ing to Tony Hyman, host of What’s It Worth? on CBS-TV. Because many valu­ ables were inexpensive or look like junk, folks don’t realize how much these items are worth to today’s collectors. As a result they get thrown away or sold on lawns for pennies. The top 10 items you should never sell at a yard sale include: 10. Cast iron cookware: some skillets, griddles, roasters, and muffin pans of cast iron are likely to have value from $10 to $1,500, especially odd shapes; 9. Banana seat bicycles: in good condi­ tion, these ‘70s toys bring $500 and up and can be sold with one phone call; 8. Costume jewelry: plastic and rhine­ stones that cost $5 or less in the 1930s and 1940s frequently bring multiple hundreds of dollars today (a plastic 1940s frog pin recently sold for $4,800); 7. Christmas decorations: the season may be over, but collectors always love glass ornaments, Santa figures, and early artificial trees of feathers or aluminum; 6. Briar pipes: smelly used ones made by Dunhill©, Caminetto©, Savinelli© and other premium makers bring $25 to $500; 5. Electric trains: experts predict values to fall sharply in the next few years and advise selling now. Lionel train sets from the 1950s can put thousands of dollars in your pocket; 4. Hawaiian shirts: if it’s all silk or rayon and has a colourful print, a shirt is likely to bring between $50 and $1,000; 3. Halloween decorations: papier machd jack-o’-lanterns and cardboard skeletons have value as does anything, even crepe paper decorated with cats and witches; 2. Cigarette lighters: values of the big names like Ronson©, Zippo©, Evans© and Dunhill© can range from $5 to $5,000 so expert advice is essential. 1. Pottery marked with a maker’s name: a $130 yard sale vase was sold by its new owner for $39,000 with the help of an expert referred by Dr. Hyman. Other item are pocket knives, electric guitars, PEZ© dispensers, war souvenirs, transistor radios, calculators, 78 and 33 r.p.m. records, cap guns, auto owner’s manuals, cookie jars, nodding head dolls, yo-yo’s (especially rhinestone studded) and board games based on TV shows. To find out if you own something valu­ able you need expert advice; then you need to find out who wants it at a fair price. * If the water drains, add more water and plunge again. * If the water seems to draining properly, flush the test your handiwork. Option 2: Closet auger, serious clog may require the use of a closet auger — a drain clearing tool designed specifically for use with a toilet. It features a sharp spiral wire on the tip and a semi-rigid wire that can flex through the bends in the toi­ let bowl. It also has a guide tube and an offset hand crank to turn the spiral tip and clear the obstruction. * Insert the guide tube with the curve facing the direction of the drain. Check to see in which direction your bowl drains, front or back. Look for the direction of the drain in your toilet. * Crank the auger in one direction until it tightens, then in the other direction. Repeat this procedure until the auger is in as far as it will go. * Crank again to clear the obstruc­ tion. * Pull the guide tube out of the toi­ let. If it gets stuck, push and pull gen­ tly or turn a crank back and forth while gently pulling up. Do not force the auger out of the toilet bowl or you may break the toilet. * Plunge the bowl for a few sec­ onds and see if it now drains proper- J BAYFIELD TREE SERVICE Fully Insured • Residential & Commercial TREE CARE Trimming - Tree/Stump Removal - Brush Chipping LOT CLEARING 50’ AERIAL BUCKET TRUCK Available for hire John Vanderhaar 524-0178 Doug Vanderhaar 524-0853 May 2nd (or sooner) ’ Monday - Friday 8 am - 8 pm > Saturday 8 am - 7 pm ' Sunday 9 am - 6 pm ' WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN OUR NEW GARDEN CENTRE • Soils • Fertilizers • Mulch • Peat Moss • Annuals • Perennials • Shrubs • Wheelbarrows • Shovels Hoses • Gardening Tools ...and much more! zehrs HWY. 8, GODERICH FOOD PLUS 524’222<9 Sunrooms We have it all for Great Casual Living • Outdoors • Pools • Garden Areas "DIRECT TO YOU" WE ALSO MANUFACTURE UMBRELLAS, REPLACEMENT CUSHIONS & •/GUARANTEED BEST PRICES ALL YEAR LONGI Tradition in Wrought JMlUlStVlCS inc, MAHUFACTUREKS-DISTRIBUTORS