Hardware Cloth Guides

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A young maple or linden that forks into two equal trunks looks full and balanced for a few years. It is also building the weak, bark-filled union that splits in a storm once the tree is big enough to hit the house. How do you fix two competing leaders on a young shade tree? Pick the straighter, taller stem as the leader. Shorten the other one with a reduction cut back to a smaller side branch so it grows slower, or remove it if it is approaching 2 inches thick. Above about 4 inches, shortening is usually safer than removal. Colorado State University Extension's structural pruning guide for young shade trees calls codominant trunks a major structural defect. It says to remove a competing leader that is approaching two inches in diameter, and to shorten one larger than four inches rather than risk exposing heartwood. University of Flori...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Trench composting skips the bin and buries scraps right where next year's crops will grow. The work is all shovel work, and the depth and cover decide whether it feeds your soil or feeds the raccoons. How deep should a compost trench in a vegetable garden be? Dig the trench 12 to 15 inches deep and 8 to 10 inches wide, chop the scraps small, and mix them with some soil in the bottom. Stop filling while there is still room to backfill with at least 8 inches of soil, and leave out meat, bones, and fatty foods. Nebraska Extension's trench composting article gives the 12 to 15 inch depth and the 8 inches of soil cover. It says decomposition takes one month to one year , depending on soil temperature, soil microbes, and the carbon content of the scraps. Oregon State University Extension's composting systems guide describes a path v...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A 4-by-8 bed filled 12 inches deep holds 32 cubic feet of soil mix. That is a pile you will move one barrow load at a time, so it pays to plan the mix, the loads, and the order before the delivery truck dumps it on the driveway. How much soil mix does a 4-by-8 raised bed 12 inches deep need? It needs 32 cubic feet, or about 1.2 cubic yards. With a 70 percent topsoil and 30 percent compost mix, that is about 22 cubic feet of topsoil and 10 of compost, or roughly six level loads in a 6-cubic-foot wheelbarrow, plus a little extra for settling. Iowa State University Extension's raised bed soil mix FAQ suggests about 70 percent topsoil and 30 percent compost . It says to add a few inches of mix at a time and work it into the existing soil, because distinct layers impede water movement and discourage root growth. The University of Maryland Ex...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Old H-braces on garden and paddock fences were often tightened with a wooden twist stick wound into the brace wire. When the stick rots or the wire rusts, the corner post leans in and every fence line pulling on it goes slack. How do you re-tension the brace wire on an H-brace corner? Run a double loop of 12.5-gauge high-tensile wire from the top of the brace post to the bottom of the corner post, over the brace pin and under loose staples. Close the loop with an in-line joiner or strainer placed away from the fence wire, then tighten until the corner post stands firm. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Energized Fencing Handbook for High-Tensile Deer Exclusion Fence says the brace assembly is held together with a double loop of 12½ gauge high-tensile wire and a strainer. It says the staples at the bottom should be set loos...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Turning a few sheep loose on a whole acre wastes grass, since they graze favorite spots to the ground and trample the rest. A movable polywire strip gives them a fresh slice each day, and a small solar charger keeps it hot with no outlet nearby. Can a small solar charger run a temporary polywire fence for sheep? Yes, for short runs. Most solar energizers put out under 0.5 joules, which is generally enough for temporary fence under 1,500 feet, grounded with a single 2- to 3-foot rod. Train the sheep first and keep the fence hot, ideally near 7,000 volts. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Reducing Labor When Using Temporary Electric Fencing (SPES-709) gives that output and length guidance. It says many producers keep fences at 7,000 volts for sheep so the animals respect the fence even when power is briefly lost. Oklahoma State University...

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Fire blight leaves a pear tree with blackened shoot tips curled like a shepherd's crook, and the bacteria wait out the winter in sunken cankers on the limbs. Removing those cankers while the tree is dormant is the single best way to cut down next spring's infections. When and how should you prune out fire blight cankers? Prune cankers out in winter while the tree is dormant. Cut each infected limb at least 8 to 12 inches below the visible dead or sunken bark, back to healthy wood. Remove the stubs left from any summer blight cuts, and clean your saw if it touches infected tissue. Utah State University Extension's fire blight annual management guide says removing overwintering cankers from dormant trees is one of the most important steps in managing the disease. It says to cut limbs with wet, off-color, or sunken bark at least 8 i...