A lot of people don’t compost because they have heard of composting problems that people have had and they don’t want to deal with them. so here are some composting problems and solutions that you can use to put your mind at ease.

Composting Problems 1 – Smell

If the idea of smell is keeping you from having a composting bin inside, you shouldn’t worry. It can be controlled much more simply than you believe. If your bin is starting to smell, add some newspaper or dry leaves to the pile. This is going to balance out the content ratio of wet to dry and control acidic odors.

Composting Problems 2 – Pests & Rodents

The best way that you can keep pests and rodents from the bin is to choose the right compost container. Choosing a bin with a solid side and a lid is going to help with keeping the unwanted critters from getting into the bin. You also want to avoid dairy, fats, and meat in the bin.

Composting Problems 3 – Slow Decomposition:

This can be fixed by stirring the pile using a shovel or hand trowel once per week at a minimum. This is going to aerate the oxygen into your mixture. You also want to keep small items like banana peels that are cut up in your pile also is going to help with speeding the process up.

These are three common composting problems that people think about when it comes to composting. If you follow the solutions that are listed here, you are going to find that the problems are no longer an issue.

Now that Halloween’s almost here, one of the things that you might want to do is carve a pumpkin into a jack-o=lantern. Whether you want to make it scary or funny or even just create a scene on the pumpkin, Here are some tips for carving pumpkins that you want to know. Here are these tips below.

Tips for Carving Pumpkins 1 – Choose Pumpkins Wisely

Think about what you want to do before you choose your pumpkin. Just because a pumpkin isn’t perfectly round it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have personality. Look for something fun to do and choose the right one for it.

Tips for Carving Pumpkins 2 – Use a Template

If you are looking for something especially intricate, using a template is one of the best things that you can do. The good news is that there are plenty of them online that you can print out now. So print out the template that you choose and then place it against your pumpkin. Poke holes around the template so that you know where you should carve..

Tips for Carving Pumpkins 3 – Begin in the Middle

After you’ve transferred your pattern to the pumpkin, you want to get started on those details close to its center. It’s going to become a lot more difficult for carving those intricate designs as the pumpkin weakens. Save your larger outlines for last since they are going to weaken your masterpiece.

Tips for Carving Pumpkins 4 – Give Your Pumpkin a Shave

This can create a really cool effect and give your design a two-tone look. It also will give it depth.

Tips for Carving Pumpkins 5 – Use the Correct Tools

If you have kids who want to carve pumpkins, you want to choose kits specifically for them. Another good option is to let them paint designs on the pumpkins. It’s much safer and there are no fire concerns.

These are five tips for carving pumpkins that will make pumpkin carving a lot easier this year. Have fun!

One of the best things that you can do for your garden is to start composting and have a compost bin. Below is an introduction to composting and what you need to do to get started.

Composting requires 4 basic components:

Before you begin there are four basic components that you need for your compost bin. Each of these gives something that will help your garden.

• Greens – vegetable and fruit waste from your kitchen, clippings from the lawn, etc.
• Browns – Wood chips, shredded leaves, etc
• Moisture – water will help with creating the perfect environment to break down the ingredients
• Air – Even though it can happen without any aeration, air will accelerate the process.

What You Should Include in a Compost Bin

Below are the things that you want to put in your compost bin. These are the organic items that are going to help your garden.

• Coffee grounds, tea bags, and coffee filters
• Eggshells
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruits & vegetables
• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Nutshells
• Paper, newspaper, and cardboard (torn or shredded for quicker breakdown)
• Sawdust & wood chips
• Yard trimmings
• Yard trimmings

What You Should Not Put in a Compost Bin

Now that we know what you should put in a compost bin, we are going to look at the things you should not put in a compost bin. Most of these are going to attract unwanted visitors to your yard, so you don’t want that.

• Bones
• Cooking oils & grease
• Dairy products
• Meat scraps
• Pet waste

We hope that you enjoyed this blog. Look for more posts about composting as we continue our series.

If you are looking for mulch options, sometimes you may have heard of people using pine needles as mulch. There are pros and cons to using this type of mulch. So we’re going to look at them here so that you know what the advantages and disadvantages are.

Pros of Pine Needles as Mulch

• They are lightweight. They’re easy on the back and won’t compact the soil.
• They don’t usually have weed seeds. They also will block the sunlight from getting to weed seeds already in your soil. Therefore, they won’t germinate
• They decompose slowly so that they won’t have to be replaced often like other kinds of mulch. As time goes by they will break down, enriching the soil.
• The moderate temperature of the soil in the summer. They also will prevent soil from freezing during winter so that roots don’t heave.
• Once they have settled, they don’t usually float away during heavy rain. They’ll create a mat and remain.
• They’re recommended for hillsides and slopes. They allow light rains and irrigation to get to the soil instead of washing the water to the slope’s bottom and carrying the precious topsoil away.
  drawbacks
• They’re easy to find

Cons of Pine Needles as Mulch

• If the soil isn’t fully covered, you are going to have weeds to deal with. It’s not easy to weed in needles. Even though it looks fluffy and light, the needles are pointy. !
• It’s flammable. If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, you should choose something different.
• It’s not good to use a lot of it. Pines will use the needles for smothering out competitors. So if your layer is more than 4”, it’s going to create an effect that will shed water from your plants. Therefore, you want to stick with a layer of 2-4”.

These are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using pine needles as mulch. Thank you for reading. If you are looking for someone to supply your mulch, we offer mulch delivery. Contact us for a quote.

Preparing your driveway for winter is something that you should put on your to-do list this November. Below are some tips that you can use to make sure that your driveway is as ready for winter as possible.

Preparing Your Driveway for Winter 1 – Clear & Clean It

Before it becomes covered in ice and snow, be sure that it’s clean. Pick up debris such as leaves and branches and wash sit so that you loosen grime and dirt. If you leave them behind and are covered with ice and snow, your driveway can deteriorate.

Preparing Your Driveway for Winter 2 – Check for Any Damage

You want to make sure that you are checking the driveway to see if there are any kind of cracks on it. If there are, they are going to worsen if you don’t fix them.

Melting snow and rain is going to seep through them and freeze eventually when the weather gets colder. When this freezes, it’s going to expand and put additional pressure on the pavement. This is going to cause a shift in the material. When it melts, it’s going to stay cracked and expanded.

So you want to seal cracks that you have found before the winter months.

Preparing Your Driveway for Winter 3 – Apply Sealant

Put sealant on your driveway. This is going to fill any of the tiny cracks. This can also prevent damage from the de-icing chemicals that you are going to use. apply the sealants after you have repaired any damage.

Preparing Your Driveway for Winter 4 – Check for Any Draining Issues

When you have poor drainage, it can cause the melted snow to pool on the driveway. If you have fluctuating temperatures, puddles can become ice. Just like any other type of crack, this is going to expand and make your driveway worse. To stop this from occurring, make sure that the drainage is proper before winter.