12
votes
Accepted
How often should I loosen soil?
Once, and then don't walk on it. Since you are starting with raised beds, which presumably have not been walked on since they were made, I'd not get overly concerned about it.
There are, to be sure, ...
- 22.7k
8
votes
How often should I loosen soil?
Unless it is rock hard you really do not loosen the soil, because when you do you should keep in mind all of the weed seed under will be giving them a chance to sprout (unless it came in a bag). ...
- 2,582
8
votes
Uses of the scythe in a modern garden
I have one, bought last year. It's far more pleasant to use (quiet, not covered with green goo from head to toe) than my string trimmer, and also much easier to be selective with. Works far better ...
- 22.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Direct sunlight measuring device?
There are various devices on the market for measuring sunlight - the link below contains three or four different ones, although I can't speak for the accuracy of any of them. Although it's easy to ...
- 132k
7
votes
Direct sunlight measuring device?
I don't know how accurate it would be, but if you download 'Google Earth' you can make it show you the passage of the sun and shadows based on it's rendering of buildings and trees. It would be ...
- 5,102
7
votes
Accepted
Can my weed wacker designed for .065" (1.651 mm) trimmer line handle .08" (2 mm) one?
It looks like it could fit (in a pinch). I have successfully used different guages of line on other weedeaters (although I have never used this particular weed eater). So I'm just going to list some ...
- 1,585
7
votes
Accepted
English word for a "soil filter machine"?
Screen ,or screen drum, strainer or sieve could be used. For analysis of particle sizes in limited volume, screen sieves ( Taylor is a common name ) are commonly used.
- 8,556
6
votes
What are these garden tools used for?
The first one's a manual lawn edger, as shown here
http://bestweedeaters.com/whats-the-best-manual-lawn-edger
Not sure what the second one's for, never seen anything like it, sorry. It's quite ...
- 132k
5
votes
What is the name for a weed-eater head with metal or plastic blades?
Your trimmer may or may not support them, so you may need a new trimmer. I picked my last one on the basis that it would support them...
Stihl (I'm just a customer) calls theirs:
A "polycut head" (...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I reduce the pressure and flow to only part of an irrigation system?
I would use a shut-off ball valve (as opposed to a butterfly) such as the one pictured, turned to the required gpm.
- 51.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Best tool for underground lawn sprinkler system head removal?
There are a few tools available to help you with this process.
I would suggest getting a donut sod cutter or a Sprinkler Head removal tool.
They're designed to cut a small hole around the sprinkler ...
- 242
5
votes
How do I free a stuck ball bearing on a garden hose quick connecter?
Spray some WD-40 and then try to move the balls with a piece of rubber, or with your finger wearing rubber gloves. I've used this technique to free a sensor wheel from a thermal heater clogged with ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to channel an electricity cable under the lawn?
Depending where you are, you often have a minimum burial depth, which in my area depends on how you protect the cable. Pouring concrete around/over it reduces the depth it needs to be buried to.
As ...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Why do landscapers constantly play with the throttle on a leaf blower?
Because it is how one should use the blowers.
When there is something to blow, one should full throttle, but when moving (e.g. to change the direction or flow, or to start from an other edge), it is ...
- 14.1k
5
votes
Garden tool handle shapes: the DTs
A brief visit to some on-line historic tool collections indicates that all 3 types were common.
In my personal experience, the cross-handle (D or T, but D is more common in my tools, even the older ...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Uses of the scythe in a modern garden
Until last year I have thought that scything is done only by old people in rural areas (in Romania, a country in Eastern Europe). To my surprise, when I got an awful allergy from some plant I didn't ...
- 5,396
5
votes
At what size garden does a backpack leaf blower make sense?
Garden size is only one factor. If you are healthy and want some exercise, use a rake to collect the leaves when you feel you need to collect them. Otherwise, you can always leave them in their ...
- 7,844
5
votes
At what size garden does a backpack leaf blower make sense?
As someone who filled 78 leaf bags two falls ago, I can offer some suggestions to you from my own experience. I am on a .30 Acre lot with maples and white oaks on and surrounding my property.
A ...
- 637
5
votes
Accepted
Bulldog Edging Knife Useless
It should not need to be even as sharp as a spade, because penetration is less (say 2 - 3 inches rather than nearer 12"). And used like a spade (forced down with a foot on top of the blade) even quite ...
- 86
5
votes
Accepted
What is the garden wire used for?
Despite what Wikipedia says, it's not always 100% reliable as a source of information. Garden wire is NOT garden twist wire; the term garden wire may refer to large rolls of chicken wire or clematis ...
- 132k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I fix my metabo hedge trimmer myself?
Simply don't. Trimmer are kind of tricky tools. Moreover if it is an electric model.
If you have no idea on what to do or where to start to find the issue, you should go ask for specialized advice.
...
- 3,739
5
votes
What are the right tools and techniques to dig a hole in stony or heavily rooted ground?
I've never found anything better than a digging bar for stony soil.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digging_bar
If you need to hack through big roots you may want something sharper or loppers, but ...
- 633
5
votes
Accepted
Anvil or by-pass pruner?
Bypass pruners have two sharp blades, like scissors (except that the blades are curved, so they don't slip off the branch you are cutting). Anvil pruners have one sharp blade that is pressed against a ...
- 11.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Fixing a stainless steel garden hose connector?
The metal part you are holding is the outer non-kinking protective pipe. There should be a flexible rubbery tube inside. I hope it hasn't retreated far down the pipe because it has to go over the barb ...
- 1,855
4
votes
Is shovel made of spring steel really worth it?
So I actually bought several identical shovels like that - primarily because they have otherwise good design. Three years later I can say that yes - it's worth it, especially for grubbing bushes. A ...
- 1,665
4
votes
What is the name for a weed-eater head with metal or plastic blades?
I believe the google term you're looking for is "weed trimmer blades". That will show a variety of the blades and hubs they go onto.
Of course the blades -do- wear out, but they aren't as ...
4
votes
Best tool for underground lawn sprinkler system head removal?
A Strap Wrench would be the generic approach to this (intended as an example of the type, not a specific recommendation of brand or store) (and in my usual process of answer the question then read ...
- 22.7k
4
votes
How do I free a stuck ball bearing on a garden hose quick connecter?
Thank you so much for the Silicone spray. This worked on the one of three that I found was 'stuck'. It took less time to fix this at the barn than trying to get the rubber washers in the correct way!...
- 41
4
votes
Uses of the scythe in a modern garden
Harvesting grains
2000 square feet (200 sq meters) of wheat produces about 120 pounds (55kg) of wheat, which is enough for about 120 loaves of bread. We also buy wheat and/or flour to supplement ...
4
votes
What tools will I need for cultivating an acre of lawn?
Year 1: pencil, paper, thin rod, hammer, sunhat, chair. Idea is to get a good idea of the area and its weaknesses and strengths. Make up a grid of granularity that suits your time allocation. The rod ...
- 19.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible