Published on: 01 November 2017
Last Updated on: 22 February 2020
When you think about landscaping, you probably think about visiting a nursery to pick out plants or planting flowers to create a beautiful accent garden. Flowers, plants, and trees are only one part of the equation, however. You also need to think about how your landscape will look after the sun goes down. Residential landscape lighting can enhance the look of your home after dark, drawing attention to key architectural details of your house and highlighting the beautiful plants that surround it. Use these tips to boost your home’s curb appeal today.
Understand that landscape lighting goes beyond solar path lights
Lighting up your landscape involves far more than just sticking a few solar lights along the edge of your sidewalk and calling it good. Instead, it is about creating a specific feeling in your yard after the sun goes down. When done correctly, landscape lighting can transform your outdoor space, turning it into a beautiful accent for your home. This type of lighting is not only meant to be functional but also to enhance the look and feel of your home.
Decide what you hope to achieve
Before you start picking out lights and deciding where to place them, come up with an overall plan for what you hope to achieve. Are you trying to make your yard safer by lighting up your sidewalk or patio area? Do you want to create a well-lit area where you can entertain? Do you want to draw attention to certain areas of your home, highlighting its unique architecture? Are you trying to improve the security of your property? By identifying your objectives before you begin, you can do a much better job of designing a lighting setup that will help you achieve your goals.
Take care of an essential lighting first
There are certain parts of your yard that should definitely be lit. Here are some of the key components that you should include in your overall design:
Pathway lights. Any sidewalks, pathways, or entrances should be well lit to make it easy for people to see.
Driveway lighting. You should incorporate plenty of light in your driveway area so that you can get to and from your car with ease.
Stairs. If you have stairs leading up to your home, make sure that they are well illuminated so that people don’t trip and fall.
Patios or decks. Any outdoor gathering area should incorporate lighting so that it can be used after dark.
Trees. If you have any trees that you want to highlight, you can easily do it with lighting.
Key architectural features. You can use lighting to enhance the architecture of your home. If you have any water features on your property, you should also consider lighting them.
Choose LED lights
Rather than going with halogen bulbs, opt for LED lighting. Not only do these bulbs last a long time but they are extremely energy-efficient.
A single bulb can last as long as 100,000 hours. That means that you won’t have to replace them often – an important consideration since outdoor lighting fixtures are not always easily accessible.
LED lights can also stand up to the elements, making them perfect for use outdoors. No matter how bad the weather gets, you shouldn’t have to worry about your lighting.
Incorporate multiple types of lighting to create an interesting design
Your residential landscape lighting design should include ambient lighting, which is lighting that shines over the entire space. It should also incorporate task lighting, which is used to provide illumination for tasks like cooking. Finally, it should also include accent lighting, which is used to draw attention to certain features of your yard. For instance, you could put a spotlight on a tree to draw attention to it. Incorporating all three types of lighting will help create a balanced, professional look that will set your yard apart from others in your neighborhood.
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If you are a gardener like me, you must have thought about harvesting greens that you eat at restaurants at your house. One of these days, I was with my friends from my university, and we were discussing the importance of eating veggies for staying healthy. And they could not figure out the best ways to effectively do so. Reading my previous blog about cilantro, Laila asked me, “how to grow and harvest asparagus?”
Well, surely asparagus is one of the most delicious and nutritious vegetables you can grow in your garden. But what a lot of people do not know is that it's also one of the easiest once you know how to harvest asparagus properly.
In this article, I will cover everything you need to know about harvesting asparagus, from when to start, how to cut, and how often to do it. Additionally, I will also share some tips on how to store and freeze asparagus, as well as the benefits of eating this green wonder.
So, keep on reading till the end to learn more...
How Does Asparagus Grow?
Before I dive into the seemingly difficult process of how to harvest asparagus, let me help you grow it.
Asparagus is a perennial plant that grows from a crown of roots that can live for up to 20 years. The crown produces spears, which are the edible part of the plant, every spring.
The spears grow rapidly, sometimes up to an inch per day, and can reach a height of 6 to 10 inches. The spears are harvested before they open into fern-like leaves, which are edible and tough.
Asparagus grows best in well-drained, sandy soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It prefers full sun and moderate temperatures and needs regular watering and fertilizing.
Asparagus can be grown from seeds or crowns, but crowns are easier and faster to establish. Crowns are planted in trenches about 12 to 18 inches apart and covered with 2 to 3 inches of soil. As the spears emerge, more soil is added until the trench is filled
Benefits of Asparagus
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Asparagus is not only tasty, but also healthy. It's low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants just like spinach. It can help lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, support digestion, and prevent urinary tract infections.
Asparagus also contains a compound called asparagine, which is a natural diuretic that helps flush out excess fluids and salts from the body. Asparagus is also a good source of folate, which is essential for pregnant women and fetal development
When to Harvest Asparagus?
The first year after planting, you should not harvest any asparagus spears, as they need to grow and strengthen the root system.
The second year, you can harvest a few spears for a short period, about two to three weeks.
The third year and beyond, you can harvest asparagus for a longer period, up to eight weeks, depending on the climate and the health of the plants.
The best time to harvest asparagus is in the early morning when the spears are crisp and tender. You should harvest asparagus when the spears are about 6 to 10 inches tall, and before the tips start to open up. If you wait too long, the spears will become woody and bitter.
How to Plant and Care for Asparagus?
Asparagus is a long-term investment that can reward you with years of delicious harvests. However, it requires some planning and preparation before planting.
Here are some steps to follow to plant and care for asparagus:
Choose the Day
Choose a sunny and well-drained spot in your garden, preferably with sandy or loamy soil. Avoid areas where water tends to pool or where weeds are hard to control. Asparagus also needs plenty of space, so make sure you have at least 4 to 5 feet between rows and 12 to 18 inches between plants.
Prepare the Soil
Prepare the soil by adding organic matter, such as compost or manure, and adjusting the pH to 6.5 to 7.5. You can use a soil test kit to check the pH and nutrient levels of your soil. You may also need to add some fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 10-20-10, to boost the phosphorus and potassium content.
Dig it Deep
Dig a trench about 8 to 12 inches deep and 12 to 18 inches wide. You can make the trench longer or shorter depending on how many asparagus crowns you have. Asparagus crowns are the dormant roots of the plant that you can buy from nurseries or online. They usually have one-year-old or two-year-old crowns, which are more reliable and productive than seeds.
Fertilize
Spread some fertilizer along the bottom of the trench, about 2 pounds per 100 square feet. Then, cover the fertilizer with 2 to 3 inches of soil, forming a ridge in the center of the trench.
Placing the Plant
Place the asparagus crowns on top of the ridge, about 12 to 18 inches apart, with the buds facing up. The crowns should be slightly below the soil surface, about 1 to 2 inches deep. Do not bury them too deep, as this will delay the emergence of the spears.
Focus on the Crown
Cover the crowns with another 2 to 3 inches of soil, and water well. As the spears grow, gradually fill in the trench with more soil, until it is level with the ground. This will help protect the crowns from frost and weeds.
Add Mulch
Mulch the bed with straw, leaves, or wood chips, to conserve moisture and prevent weeds. You can also add some organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or seaweed extract, every few weeks during the growing season, to encourage healthy growth.
Keep in Mind
Do not harvest any asparagus spears in the first year, as they need to establish a strong root system. In the second year, you can harvest a few spears for a short period, about two to three weeks. In the third year and beyond, you can harvest asparagus for a longer period, up to eight weeks, depending on the climate and the health of the plants.
How to Harvest Asparagus?
Now, coming to the most important part that you wanted to know about. Let us talk about the ways to harvest asparagus!
To harvest asparagus, you need a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. You should cut the spears at the base, about an inch below the soil surface.
Be careful not to damage the crown or the emerging spears. You should also avoid cutting too many spears from one plant, as this will weaken the plant and reduce the yield. A good rule of thumb is to leave at least one-third of the spears on each plant.
You should harvest asparagus every day or every other day, depending on how fast the spears grow. You should stop harvesting asparagus when the spears become thinner than a pencil, as this indicates that the plant is running out of energy.
You should then let the spears grow into ferns, which will replenish the crown and prepare it for the next season.
How to Store and Freeze Asparagus?
Unlike lettuce, which you can store for more than a week, asparagus is best eaten fresh, as it loses its flavor and texture quickly. If you can't eat it right away, you should store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To keep it fresh, you should trim the ends of the spears and stand them upright in a glass of water or wrap them in a damp paper towel and put them in a plastic bag.
If you want to preserve asparagus for longer, you can freeze it. To freeze asparagus, you should first wash and trim the spears, and then blanch them in boiling water for two to three minutes, depending on the thickness.
Blanching is a process of briefly cooking and cooling the vegetables to stop the enzyme activity that causes them to spoil.
After blanching, you should drain and cool the spears, and then pack them in freezer bags or containers, leaving some space for expansion. You can freeze asparagus for up to a year, and use it in soups, casseroles, or stir-fries.
How to Prevent and Treat Asparagus Pests and Diseases?
Asparagus is generally a hardy and resilient plant, but it can still suffer from some pests and diseases that can affect its growth and quality.
Here are some of the most common problems that affect asparagus plants, and how to prevent or treat them:
Asparagus beetles
These are small, black or red beetles that feed on the spears and the ferns, causing them to wilt and turn brown. They can also lay eggs on the spears, which hatch into larvae that chew on the stems and leaves.
To prevent asparagus beetles, you should keep the area around the plants clean and weed-free, and remove any old or damaged spears. To treat asparagus beetles, you can hand-pick them and their eggs, or spray them with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
Fusarium wilt
This is a fungal disease that infects the roots and the crowns of the plants, causing them to rot and die. It can also cause the spears to become yellow, twisted, and stunted. Fusarium wilt is more likely to occur in poorly drained, acidic, or infested soil.
To prevent fusarium wilt, you should plant disease-resistant varieties, rotate crops, and avoid overwatering or injuring the plants. To treat fusarium wilt, you should remove and destroy any infected plants, and apply fungicides to the soil.
Rust
This is another fungal disease that affects the ferns, causing them to develop orange or brown spots and pustules. Rust can reduce the vigor and yield of the plants, and make them more susceptible to other diseases. Rust is more likely to occur in humid, wet, or shady conditions.
To prevent rust, you should plant resistant varieties, space the plants well, and prune any excess or infected ferns. To treat rust, you should apply fungicides to the ferns, and avoid watering them from above.
Crown rot
This is a bacterial disease that causes the crowns and the bases of the spears to become soft, mushy, and foul-smelling. Crown rot can spread quickly and kill the plants. Crown rot is more likely to occur in wet, compacted, or poorly drained soil.
To prevent crown rot, you should plant healthy crowns, improve the drainage and aeration of the soil, and avoid overwatering or injuring the plants. To treat crown rot, you should remove and destroy any infected plants, and disinfect the tools and the soil.
Bonus: How to Cook and Enjoy Asparagus?
There are many ways to cook and enjoy asparagus, from steaming, boiling, roasting, grilling, to sautéing. The key is not to overcook it, as it will become mushy and lose its flavor.
You should cook asparagus until it is bright green and crisp-tender, which usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the method and the thickness of the spears.
You can season asparagus with salt, pepper, butter, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, cheese, or any other condiments you like. You can also pair asparagus with eggs, bacon, ham, chicken, fish, pasta, rice, or salad. Asparagus is a versatile and delicious vegetable that can complement any meal.
Wrapping It Up!
Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable that you can grow and harvest in your own garden. It's easy to care for, once you know how to harvest asparagus properly.
You should harvest asparagus when the spears are about 6 to 10 inches tall and before the tips start to open up. You should cut the spears at the base and leave some on the plant to grow into ferns. It would be best to store asparagus in the refrigerator for later use.
And yes, you should also enjoy the many benefits and flavors of asparagus, by cooking it in various ways and pairing it with different dishes. Asparagus is a springtime delight that you don't want to miss.
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The beneficial thing about learning easy to utilize basic cooking tips is the way that anyone can utilize these in the kitchen zone to diminish the time and transform into loose while adapting to present day way of life requests, which have rendered presence so occupied.
The following are just a few from the helpful hints and clues home-creators can join to their every day timetables to arrange dinners and make arrangements nutritious nourishment for your friends and family and guests rapidly, other than staying inside a financial plan.
Some Basic Tips and Tricks of Cooking:
You can keep away from Bacon pieces from contracting by pre-washing them under virus water after which broil them. In addition, the gassy nature of beans could be diminished by pre-splashing these inquiries enormous compartment that a tablespoon of Soda bicarbonate keeps on being included. Another helpful kitchen clue is ideal for bubbling eggs: a small smidgen of salt or maybe a dash of vinegar put into the bubbling water could keep the egg covering unblemished. Cooking its upheld bubbling corn for around 3 minutes, adding it into the dish of bubbling water with no salt to counteract passing up taste and streaming warm water over solidified vegetables which are wedged together.
Grinding cheddar that has been pre-solidified close to 30 minutes can enable it to shred effectively, while a touch of sugar into the hitter of the hotcake will ensure even and quicker sautéing a fast in and out the formula to make a flakey baked good for any cake requires supplanting the teaspoonful of vinegar with water.
Cooking with Unripe Products:
Other crucial cooking tips related with cooking with unripe products of the soil is essentially store these inquiries darker paper bundle pack put away inside a dim bureau for a couple of days and hacking ice shelf lettuce into wedges to spare time used in tearing the vegetables! Another accommodating tip for taking out the acidic taste of tomato plants when cooking spaghetti sauce is mix inside a spot of Soda Bicarbonate into it while thick cream soups produced using tomato plants, mushrooms, chicken and celery allows for good, GlobalSeafoods, moment sauce-formulas as well.
Vinegar contains attributes to quickly discharge common juices of the meat item and encourage its cooking and just a tablespoon of putting into bubbling water when cooking ribs or meat furnishes you with quicker, more delicious stews in a little portion of the time. Also, drenching dried vegetables by 50 percent glasses of water that a tablespoon of vinegar keeps on being included will resuscitate them. To clean sticks produced using wood, pre-assimilate cold water for around twenty minutes will ensure they don't consume as helpless against doing – attempt some major cooking thoughts to lift up your nature of presence.
Importance of Cooking Tips:
Numerous reasons exist why you might need to plan at some phase in your reality. At whatever point you have to set it up is normally brilliant to get help with supportive data or distinctively to most likely figure out how to be viewed as a decent get ready. One thing that may help you an extraordinary arrangement is to find cooking tips. There are heaps of techniques for cooking disconnected and online which will teach you the bounty.
The more prominent cooking tips you find the more noteworthy get comfortable with. It is typically keen to compose bring down the rules to cook or utilize them your pc and you'll find them. This will be noteworthy in such a case that you have been events when you are cooking that you'll need to address to your tips. So keep them helpful, just in circumstance.
Here are a couple of basic cooking tips that you could start utilizing promptly at whatever point you plan. These pointers to cook can enable you to spare your time in the kitchen region just as make cooking less requesting for you by and by. They may likewise spare minimal expenditure. Some of these tips are used through the best culinary specialists everywhere throughout the world.
Excellent Cooking Tips:
One: Obtain a little bit of paper or maybe a white-shaded board that you basically keep by or in your cooler. You have to compose bring down any basic supplies that you'll need when you are shopping.
Two: Before you start cooking anything you like to verify you get every one of your fixings prepared first. Simply, do the majority of your blending, hacking and computing before you start cooking.
Three: You have to get ready and set up the suppers which will feel free to take longest first before you choose to do those that don't take extensive. This aide's everything get ready at the same time. Additionally, while your suppers are preparing that you can do another set-up that will allow something to be accomplished at the same time moreover.
Four: Have a few clocks inside your kitchen. You might want one clock for each dish you'll be cooking. This should enable you to concentrate on your work rather of endeavoring to mentally watch out for what time each dish arrives.
Five: You wouldn't need your dishes to wind up sliding wherever at whatever point you endeavor to mix or blend the formulas, with the goal that you can without much of a stretch block this from occurring by putting the bowl onto a towel before you choose to mix.
Six: It is easy to prevent a pot from bubbling over by putting a toothpick between your top and furthermore the pot. You may likewise do that with secured goulash dishes.
Cooking Tips: Conclusion
These aren't all the cooking tips you should know yet they're those that may help you presumably the most when cooking. Make a point to discover as various methodologies for cooking as conceivable since the more tips you will locate the more straightforward cooking will be for you by and by.
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Owning a home includes a good deal of responsibility.
Homeowners have dozens of minor tasks they need to keep up with if they want to avoid paying for costly repairs. With adequate preparation, though, the many maintenance tasks required of homeowners can be performed easily without taking up too much time.
Read on to find brief checklists for monthly and seasonal tasks that will make it easier to stay on top of everything.
Spring Maintenance Checklist
Winter can wreak havoc on a home, and everyone looks forward to using spring as a time to get outside and away from the house, but homeowners should take care of a few things first.
For example, spring is the best time to handle major projects like scheduling roofing services and repairs to address any damage done during the winter. Most homeowners also find that a small amount of work early in the season can help them prevent some extra hassles when summer approaches. Be sure to tackle the following.
Spring cleaning, both inside the home and in the yard.
Tree inspections to find signs of damage from winter storms.
Reseeding and fertilizing the lawn.
Properly servicing and storing seasonal equipment from winter, such as snow blowers.
Conducting a full inspection of the home's exterior, including its roof, gutters, and paint.
Giving the house a quick scrub.
Cleaning the deck or patio.
Opening the pool for summer.
Summer Maintenance Checklist
Getting the bulk of the major landscaping and exterior maintenance or repairs done in the spring gives homeowners more time to enjoy the summer. That said, they'll still need to take care of a few things regularly, including the following items.
Turning on the sprinklers for the season once the rain ends.
Mowing the lawn and weeding the garden every week.
Keeping the pool clean by scrubbing it twice a month and checking chemical levels weekly.
Completing weekend home improvement projects while the weather is nice.
Fall Maintenance Checklist
Just like spring brings a lot of work with it because it represents the changing of the seasons, fall home maintenance requires a lot of advanced planning for the winter months ahead. Important tasks to remember include the following.
Planting perennial flowers, trees, and shrubs.
Harvesting annual plants.
Raking leaves.
Cleaning gutters.
Turning off the sprinkler system.
Stacking firewood for winter.
Cleaning, closing, and covering the pool.
Winter Maintenance Checklist
Most modern families hunker down for the winter and don't worry too much about home improvement projects. However, there are some maintenance issues that must be handled in the early winter. They include these items.
Preparing the snowblower for the season.
Stocking up on ice melt and other supplies.
Coming up with a plan for dealing with ice dams.
Checking the emergency generator to make sure it's in good working order.
Monthly Maintenance Checklist
Not all home maintenance tasks are seasonal. Some must be performed every month of the year. They include the following elements.
Changing HVAC filters.
Inspecting major home systems.
Checking the plumbing system for damage.
Restocking cleaning supplies.
Checking and cleaning gutters.
Performing a full walk-through of the property.
Know When to Hire a Pro
Basic home maintenance tasks are easy enough to perform for someone with a DIY mindset. However, major repairs and renovations are best left to professionals. This is particularly true of projects like roof maintenance, plumbing repairs, and major landscape changes.
Read Also:
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