Man’s best friend is not always a lawn’s best friend and their territorial markings and gotta-go areas can really cause some severe damage to a lawn. There are many methods that you can do to try and recover your existing lawn patches with burn spots, and ways to patch it up as well. There are even ways to help reduce the impact of dog urine on your lawn if you do not own a dog but notice one using your lawn for their dirty business. Taking steps to prevent the problem also encourages great lawn growth and happier bonds between our canine friends.

Trying to revive dead or severely burned grass can be difficult and frustrating, especially because the chemistry of the lawn will be changed and the soil will be very difficult to recover from excess nitrogen for a while. The simple solution is to neutralize the nitrogen with a strong absorbent compound such as gypsum. Gypsum is a great mineral that is naturally occurring and can help to fertilize the ground to shoot life back into your lawn. Many companies market patching seed complete with gypsum to help recover your lawn in a much quicker fashion.

Complete removal of a dead patch and digging up tainted soil may be one of your only options. This is possible if you have areas of lawn that do not have any grass and are hidden or not intended to be seen. This means transplanting useable soil to re-grow your lawn or patching with special seed. This can be very time consuming, but the result is a nicer lawn that shows you care by taking care of the situation.

Preventing the problem can be difficult but possible. Let’s say that you do not own a dog, but your neighbor’s poodle gets loose and has a fun time watering your lawn with lawn poison. If you catch the little critter in the act, you can super saturate the ground with water so the nitrogen rich urine is diluted and gives the lawn a chance to survive. If you notice that your lawn is starting to burn in certain areas, you can try digging up the area if it is not completely dead yet and rinsing the soil out very well somewhere that the runoff will not harm your lawn. You can then try replanting and adding some gypsum or Epsom salts to the area to help the grass recover slowly.

Crab grass can be a nuisance and very unappealing growth on your favorite part of your estate, your lawn! There are many ways to deal with crab grass, but the most effective way is to prevent it getting to you altogether. Killing crabgrass may take some hard work, but it is work well done when your lawn is looking beautiful and in its best shape, while crab grass free.

Pre-emergent herbicides offer you the ability to kill crabgrass seedlings before they get a chance to sprout their unattractive selves into your majestic lawn. Taking care to aerate your lawn before applying this crabgrass prevention method is important, as aeration after treatment provides holes which may allow the little nuisances to get through. These treatments should be done at specific times before crabgrass begins to germinate. When done correctly, you may enjoy a crabgrass free lawn the entire growth season.

Post-emergent spot treatment herbicides offer you the ability to kill crabgrass after it has gotten through your pre-emergent treatments. The process is simple, spray at the roots to kill off the offenders leaving your lawn nice and free of crab grass. The only problem with this method is that you have to apply the treatment when crabgrass is relatively young. This can be a problem when the seedlings look just like all of the other grass blades, making it very difficult to detect and control efficiently.

Organic methods of treating crabgrass are available such as using corn gluten. Corn gluten helps to kill off crabgrass just like a pre-emergent herbicide while it acts as a fertilizer with your preferred lawn grass. This is the perfect way to make sure your lawn is well fed but the crabgrass is certainly dead. This method also helps to reduce losses due to other conventional herbicides and is less toxic to small animals and beneficial insects.

The last method for crab grass control is the time tested method of weeding. Good old fashioned weeding is one of the most effective but time consuming methods of crab grass removal. You can target middle aged plants before they have the chance to flower and spread seed. This method of crab grass removal is free but at the expense of hard work and persistence. Killing off crab grass in your own lawn does not mean your neighbors are doing their part! Make sure to discuss the severity of crab grass and other weed problems with your neighbors to ensure that all of your lawns are looking their sharpest and crab grass free!

Building greenhouses with reusable materials should be the first option for anyone who is conscious about the earth and the pollutants currently filling the world’s landfills. There are many materials that you could use to build a greenhouse that are readily available through your local dump or by posting free advertisements in your local classifieds looking to take the materials off of peoples hands for free or close to it.

The materials you will be using can vary depending on the size of the greenhouse and what you will be growing inside. Old windows from torn down building or from renovations could be used to fashion smaller greenhouses or starter cases for your plants. Old PVC piping or scrap tubes from various sources can be used to build a frame with a thick plastic film is possible and can be found almost anywhere. Clear plastic films or polymer weaved covering for your greenhouse is easily obtained online or from recycling sources and could be rather durable for many years before needing replacements.

Once you gather all of your materials, you will need to lay out your plans for the greenhouse and place the framework to keep the greenhouse covering securely fashioned to the ground and prevent flying away with strong winds and bad weather. Larger wooden posts may be needed for the corners of your greenhouse and can be found from many different sources for a moderate price. Once the framework is completed, fastening the materials for the greenhouse covering will be next and depending on your materials different amounts of work may bee needed.

For window greenhouses, you will need to build a sturdy framework to attach the windows to and create walls that allow sunlight to penetrate into the greenhouse. The top of the window greenhouse can be fashioned of clear polymer cloth or made of semi-opaque fiberglass paneling. With the use of the polymer cloth or thick plastic for the whole of the greenhouse material, a dome type of framework would be best suited. Securely fashioning the polymer cloth to the frame can be difficult if you do not have the right materials. You should try your best not to puncture the material and instead create a series of fasteners that may clip on or tie well onto the frame of the greenhouse for easy removal later on if it needs to be moved or replaced.

The final steps are to make sure your doorway is able to secure well and keep animals and harmful insects out of the greenhouse. Choosing a well draining gravel substrate will help to drain excess water and keep weeds from growing strong within your greenhouse structure. Installing misters and other watering devices for large greenhouse structures is optional and may help to reduce plant loss when watering becomes an issue during different parts of the year.

Home canning your food is one of the best and healthiest ways to obtain delicious fruit preserves, pickles, dried fruit, and more! There are several methods for doing home canning, and it’s all fairly easy once you get used to the process. Home canning requires basic knowledge of food, jars with lids, and a few basic ingredients. Most canned foods can last years and still taste delicious, and come in handy in the event of a natural disaster or emergency. Preservation and canning is also a great way to save money, help the environment reduce waste used by buying factory canned foods, and to provide your family with healthier options.

Mason glass jars are easily the most effective for canning your food. They are used most often, and are extremely durable. They also come in various sizes, so you can always find one to suit your needs. Different foods also have different requirements. For example, jellies and jams and marmalades require pre-sterilization to ensure that no bacteria or other issues can develop in your foods. Other products may not need any sterilization if they are going to be heated to higher temperatures.

Also, it is important to understand the differences in fruits and vegetables. Many fruits are high in acid and require specific temperatures for canning and processing. Low acid vegetables and fruits require higher temperatures to kill bacteria that can be harmful to your health.

Some things to remember when preparing to do a home canning for any food:

• Never tighten the lid too tightly. This can cause bursting.

• Always allow the air to escape from the jar, and never open and re-close after the process has begun. You can permanently ruin your hard work.

• Lids cannot be reused, but the bands of a lid can. Most mason jars for canning come with two parts. The main lid must be thrown away once you open and use up any canned product.

• It is extremely important that you choose a mason jar, and not a regular glass jar. “Regular” glass jars are not strong enough to go through the processing steps.

• Always make sure that your equipment is clean and free of bacteria.

• Use Kosher Salt for pickling, not any other type.

• Only use vinegar and cider that has an acidity of 5%, less acidity simply will not work.

Following all of the above steps for home canning will ensure that your food is as delicious as possible. If you mess up, try again. Most unsuccessful canning processes can be frozen and used up quickly.