What Is Teak

The culture of loving and giving they've created in our community is felt and noticed, and changes are being made. Although I could still feel vibrations of the busy day, the quietness of these final minutes allowed me to take stock of the season and...

Adding more compost will give your huegel a more finished appearance, but this step is a matter of preference rather than necessity. Just know that the results of the bed will improve as the wood breaks down over time, so don't expect the best results...

Here in Lexington, Ky., where the HF editorial office is located, we didn't get the worst of the vortex's chilly wrath, but my phone did clock the temperature at -3 degrees F with a wind chill of -26 degrees F Tuesday morning?definitely not what we're...

In the case of an animal emergency, it's important to reach out to your veterinarian or extension agent first. Life-threatening injuries and illnesses can be treated with homeopathic remedies, but it's best done under the direction of a homeopathic veterinarian.

If pets have access to garden areas where winterberry is grown, consider removing branches that put fruit at their mouth level. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), also known as winterholly, brightens winter landscape with brilliant berries.

Ever since I started working for Hobby Farms , my daydream tangents have frequently started turning to what chicken breeds I'd like to keep or which veggie varieties I'd like to start growing.

Dubbed "tomorrow's leaf,” this Chinese herb can be grown in northern climates and is said to bring good health those who eat a leaf daily. It is reported to be a fast grower once it passes the seedling phase.

However, identifying immature insect nymphs can be a challenge for gardeners, as the nymphs of many pest and beneficial species share little to no resemblance with their adult forms.

Keep reading to find out how to tell if ground is frozen or not.Although it may seem as if spring has arrived, it's important tofor readiness before working your soil or planting your garden.

The conditions of damping off vary depending on the fungus.Normally, however, cool, wet soils favor development of the disease. Damping off can be alarming to a gardener trying to grow seeds and can leave them asking, “What is damping off?” and “What...

I know I sure wouldn't want to risk it, would you?Mother Jones News recently reported "California regulators traced residues of dichlorophenyl-dichloroethylene, a breakdown product of DDT, and bifenthrin, an ant killer, to compost in pots of organic wheatgrass...

Another is to add some butter between the skin over the breast and the breast itself. Gardeners are becoming increasingly diversified, and getting into more sustainable practices such as raising heirloom vegetables and saving seeds.

Except maybe for the large pot of sauerkraut pork stuffed rolls I will cook for Christmas, into which I will add several laurel dry leaves. Our kids were happy to have lots of chocolates and candies to eat, but we weren't as happy about the other leftover...

Lucky bamboo is not, in fact, related to true bamboo plants. The common names of plants can be a tricky area. This high-humidity houseplant can grow to heights of nearly five feet.Dracaena sanderiana is considered non-toxic to humans.The ASPCA's Poison...

The richer the soil food web, the more fertile the soil. "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings," sings poet Robert Louis Stevenson in an apt summary of the wealth and diversity in nature's plant kingdom.

Fertilizers and intelligent companion planting came first. It was commonly done in Medieval times, long before technologies existed to permit persistent, large-scale plantings. Agriculture can deplete the soil, especially when the same crop is planted...

Okoume lumber has little resistance to insect and fungal attack.Okoume accepts stain and glue very well but, even though soft, is only moderately easy to work by turning, carving, cutting or planing.

(I'm reminded of a certain “Seinfeld” episode… Remember “little Jerry”?) Anyway, if you know anyone in western Pennsylvania who is in need of a nice, robust Rhode Island Red, please, please send them my way! On a totally different note, the...

I've found that sentiment to be true in other areas of life, too: Novelty and pleasure often go hand in hand. Maybe you'll even discover a brand-new appreciation for your agricultural endeavors, similar to my fostered love of mustards and spicy foods.

Frost will kill it. Although deer may occasionally munch on bougainvillea, they usually don't like the plant enough to destroy it. It can also be grown indoors year-round. It grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and warmer.

According to this definition, an acid is a substance that generates hydronium ions when dissolved in water. With respect to the chemical concept of pH, "alkaline" is another term for "basic." These two terms are interchangeable.

These soil critters work double-duty: As the soil organisms break down the mulch, it will enrich the soil. But by taking the time to give some extra care and thought to your soil at the beginning and end of each gardening season, you'll cultivate soil...

Seeking to make the 100-plus-year-old house as efficient as possible, we weighed the costs and benefits and determined that spray foam was the way to go for our farmhouse. This has been, by far, one of our fastest projects on the house to date.

The Australorp will feather out with black iridescent feathers, and the Black Sex Link will be black but with brown neck/hackle feathers. And, they can also be very wrong. When your spring chicks arrive from the hatchery, take these steps to identify...

The root system at the base of the plant anchors the grass to the soil and takes in water and nutrients from the ground. Harvesters (humans or machinery) chop down the stems and leave the roots to regrow for next season, collect the stems and load them...

From white to shocking pink, the varieties range in height from 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall. Originating in Madagascar, this tropical plant will often naturalize in warm climate zones. If you have a deer problem in your region, surround your vegetable garden...

This product is sometimes known as vanaspati or clarified butter.Traditional ghee is a creamy spread produced by boiling butter until the liquids and solids have separated. Vegetable ghee serves as a substitute for traditional ghee, an important ingredient...