Expert Advice on Home Improvement

Removing limbs from trees and shrubs is a necessary part of gardening, but you must do the job correctly. To avoid splintering the cut, make a relief cut a foot or so outside the branch collar. Watch this video.

One of the easiest mistakes homeowners can make in their lawn or garden is not anticipating the eventual size of a plant. Most of the plants you buy at the nursery will be labeled to tell you what their mature size will be. Watch this video.

If you look hard enough you can find solutions to many of your lawn and garden problems “naturally.” The pungent aroma of many herbs acts as a natural insect repellent. Planting herbs like parsley or basil among your vegetables will offer them some protection from bugs and simplify harvesting a salad. Watch this video.

To keep seedlings healthy and growing feed them gelatin. Any flavor is okay as long as it’s sweetened with sugar - not artificial sweeteners. The gelatin contains the nutrient nitrogen, which helps plants form green leaves. The sugar actually feeds beneficial microbes already in the soil that help young plants defend against disease causing organisms. Watch this video.

A trellis is great for a wall or even a fence that needs a little something more. To build one simply take pressure treated 1×2’s (we used 8-foot pieces) and secure one end of all the boards together at one end using screws. Fan the pieces out and attach them to horizontal pieces using galvanized nails so that they do not rust. Watch this video.

Adding a border to your planting beds is both practical and attractive. Almost any border material will serve as a barricade to prevent grass from intruding on the planting area or running plants from escaping into the lawn. Watch this video.

Exposed drain lines in an attic are often a trip hazard and can easily become damaged. To reduce this risk and prevent an accident build a bridge to cover the drain lines. Watch this video.

Every kitchen has a junk drawer and we can’t change that, but we may be able to help you organize your junk. Drawer organizers can be purchased from most home centers or discount stores but rarely do they allow you to truly customize the drawer space. The solution: create custom dividers using lattice strips (sizes vary but most are about 1/8′ thick and 1 ¼’ to 1 ¾’ wide). Layout the pattern you want and create interlocking joints by cutting notches in the lattice half the depth of the lattice and the full thickness. Hook them together and set them in place. Watch this video.

Roses love banana peels. They rot quickly, releasing minerals roses need such as calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates. Just cut them up and mix them in the soil at planting time or anytime you want to give your roses a boost. You can also make a banana peel tonic for use after the plants are established. Watch this video.

You really can’t get an accurate level reading on an area that is larger than your level without a little modification. Effectively extend the accuracy of the level by putting it on top of a perfectly straight 2×4. If you purchase a new 2X4 for this purpose be sure to use it within a day or so since it may warp as it dries out. On a vertical surface you may want to tape the level to the straight board to simplify the process. Watch this video.