52 THE QUEENS COURIER • AT HOME • AUGUST 16, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
at home
6 sure-fi re tips that save time and labor on yard work and gardening
It’s summertime, and you’ll want to
spend many sun-drenched hours in the
great outdoors. But while Mother Nature
is fl ourishing, it feels like you’re wasting
too many precious summer aft ernoons
and evenings doing chores in the yard
and garden.
Give some of these labor-saving tips a
try so you have more time for your favorite
summer activities.
1. Get organized
Nothing wastes time like having to
search around for misplaced trowels, seed
packets and garden rakes. It’s worth the
time and eff ort to create a zone in your
garage or shed that’s just for gardening
and yard care tools. Use organizing tools
like pegboards and repurposed containers
to keep like items grouped together.
A dollar-store photo album is perfect for
keeping seed packets and plant care sticks
organized for future use.
2. Harness perennial power
Instead of planting a new set of annual
fl owers and plants in the ground each
spring, opt for more perennials. Th ese
hardy plants will leap back to life without
needing much attention. Talk to the
university extension offi ce in your area
or a local nursery to discover the beautiful
blooms that thrive and renew in your
region.
3. Lighten your container pots
Larger container pots add color and
dimension to any yard or patio. Trouble
is, they can get heavy and hard to move.
Before planting, fi ll the bottom half of
the empty container with packing peanuts.
Th en, fi t a piece of landscaping
fabric on top. Th is lets the water drain
through, but still barricades soil. Fill the
rest of the container with soil, add the
plants, and, voila! Your containers are
now several pounds lighter and much
easier to move.
4. Automate your watering
Watering your lawn and garden is not
only physically taxing, it’s easy to forget.
Between over-watering and under-watering,
it can also be tough to get just right.
Luckily, there’s a new generation of irrigation
tools that let you customize and
automate your watering schedule for the
entire yard with a smartphone app.
Th e Gro 7-Zone Controller is an easy-toinstall
smart irrigation system that uses realtime
weather data to tailor watering schedules
to your lawn’s needs. Add Gro Water
Sensors to container pots and gardens to
measure the moisture content in your soil;
when plants get thirsty, you get a smartphone
alert. Finally, Gro precision watering
kits feature one-time, easy installation for
hands-free watering while delivering water
precisely where and when plants need it
most. Even if you’re on vacation or getting
through a hot dry spell, these tools will greatly
streamline your watering routine while
keeping your turf lush and blooms beautiful.
5. Use “instant” lawn fertilizer
Emptying the grass catcher wastes precious
time when mowing the lawn. Save
yourself some labor and simply let grass
clippings fall right onto the turf. Th ey
break down relatively quickly, providing
the perfect food for your lawn.
6. Win the war on weeds
If unwanted weeds start surfacing in garden
beds, try this easy, chemical-free fi x.
Start by placing newspaper and cardboard
on top of the soil, leaving a little space around
the stems of the garden plants. Th en, cover
the entire surface with a layer of mulch. Th is
barrier blocks weeds from emerging at the
surface and lets you cross that chore off your
list for the rest of the season.
Th e summer season is all too brief. But with
these tips, you can spend less time on chores
and more time enjoying yourself outside!
Courtesy BPT
• ROOF REPAIRS
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Manhattan Roofing
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www.manhattamroofs.com · 718-489-4044 · 800-590-1309
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