Travel and Tourism

Winter is here! This leaves us lots of small chores and tasks, some of which it’s very wise to not put off for very long. If you have a water feature, chief among them is to make sure you’ve taken the time and the small effort to winterize it and protect if from the season’s elements. Winterizing your water feature equals a big potential savings both in money and even in time later down the road. Believe me minutes spent now could save you hours come spring!

Let’s take a look at some easy tips to get your water feature ready for winter. We’ll keep them pretty broad so they’ll cover small features all the way up to the medium end of things at 200 gallons or so. Most of us fall within this range.

Here we go!

1. Keep the Water Moving. This is very important, especially if you have fish. Most people will either keep their pumps at a maximum flow to ensure big water movement and avoid it freezing over or warm a small area of their feature for the fish (if any) to take up residence in. This should keep you fro freezing over totally and help protect your water feature.

2. Take out the Plants. Removing plants is a great idea for the winter and I’d suggest taking care of this at first frost.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean. I know, cleaning your water feature is no fun but it’s also absolutely necessary. Start with any large debris and then work your way down to the small stuff. Check carefully and see if there’s algae either on the bottom or sides of the feature or on or near the pumps (if any.) Don’t worry if you do find algae, it just means you’re going to have to follow through with a algae treatment or two. These treatments are pretty inexpensive and all you do is follow the simple directions on the bottle. Another one of the possible options is to drain the feature (if practical) and totally scrub it down and then refill before freezing weather comes in but this depends on your individual water features size and complexity as well as your own time and desire to deep clean.

4. Pump Removal. OK should you choose not to keep the water moving (tip 1) it’s very important to remove your pump or it will freeze and break. This will turn into a very big avoidable expense as water gets into the inside of your pump and ruins the electric work. Whether you choose to follow tip 1′s advice or tip 4 here is really up to you, and the aesthetics of your outdoor area but please, for your winter garden’s sake, do one or the other!

5. Prune Surrounding Trees. This will save you lots of time having to clean your water feature every day. Prune your surrounding trees so they are constantly dropping debris into you feature. You’ll look nice and not have to worry about your pump clogging should it still be running or other issues. Spring will go much smoother as well!

6. Clean up Brown Water. If you didn’t act fast enough with cleaning out your water area and removing debris / pruning your surrounding trees you may notice your water taking on a hint of brown. Follow the steps above first and then add activated carbon to the water to quickly get it sparkling again.

7. Consider a De-Icer. If your area is known to become super cold a floating de-icer is a good option to protect your water feature in winter. These are very cool (no pun intended) floating in the water and automatically turning on when it reaches a freezing temperature, turning back off once the water is heated. A great way to save money as well as ensure your feature isn’t damaged.

8. Keep the Fish Happy! If you do have fish there’s no need to feed them all winter as they’ll naturally enter a sort of hibernation. In fact once the temp gets around 55F if you do keep feeding them you can even endanger their lives! So cut them off at that point. What you will need to consider is adding a small re-circulating pump to keep the water oxygenated for them. This will also keep a whole in the ice, if any, ensuring a gas exchange and live, happy fish.

So as you can see there’s lots of winter excitement to be had keeping your water feature protected from the elements! Did I miss any tips you do every year? Let me know I’d love to hear them!

Outdoor plants will enliven your backyard space with lots of greenery and turn your garden into a space that looks pleasant, stylish and fresh. Outdoor plant stands also create visibility for smaller plants and maximize garden space. By using a plant stand, you can show off your gardening skills by placing accordingly. However, there are various other benefits of having outdoor plant stands for your garden space. Let’s talk about them:

• Available in a wide array variety

Stands thoughtfully designed for outdoor space are available in numerous design and size options. You must pick a plant stand that provides variety. Some of the best options include three-step plant stands, pot stands, hanging plant stands, wall-mounted plant stands, hanging plant stands, and much more. This is the reason why most people are moving towards the use of multiple styles for a better overall look.

• Plant stands help enhance the garden look

Outdoor stands can be used to decorate different areas of the garden and its beauty. It complements the room and every space in the garden while creating a positive impression. Keeping plant stands in the entryway also provides a sweet gesture to your guests and loved ones. The lush green garden also gives a natural feeling whether sipping tea or having breakfast while sitting in the garden. Since plant stands come in different shapes, sizes and looks, you can have a great option to choose from. Some are ideal for small balconies, while few are perfect for yard space. Therefore, a plant stand is valuable to increase the garden’s look.

• Saving Money and Space

An outdoor plant stand is taller than a simple flower pot. Placing plants in an outdoor stand saves space between the stand and the floor. The biggest advantage of putting up a stand is to use the small space wisely by arranging several plants in one place. A plant stand often has extra space for more than one plant. For example, Instead of choosing multiple flower pots, it is good to have a plant stand that provides ample space. In this way, you can save a lot of space and money too. Check some list of outdoor plant stand here https://www.plantstandindia.in/ if you are planning to purchase it.

• Well-Shaped

The fact is that the shape of a plant stand is also special. Outdoor stand designed practically to take up less space. But round plant stands take up a lot more space than a rectangular or square flower pot. Otherwise, a plant stand is suitable for outdoors, light, space and time-saving.

• Lightweight

A well constructed outdoor plant stand is made of light material, such as iron, brass, metal, or wooden. This not only makes the stand portable, and also makes it easy to shift to different locations. The weight of the stand makes it easy to carry, move, and transport. The material of the stand allows you to move the plant if the weather is pleasant or very hot.

Do you like to enjoy home-grown veggies and fruits throughout the year? But due to tough climatic conditions, it is truly difficult to grow fresh greens at your place. You live in a place where the soil is infertile, rainfall is not sufficient, the weather is harsh and rough for the growth of plants. But still, there is a way to enjoy harvesting crops at your place. it is by hydroponics gardening.
What is hydroponic gardening?
It is a bit different than the traditional means of cultivation. Where soil is the main basis of traditional farming, the hydroponic system allows you to plant trees without using the soil. People who live in an infertile area where the soil is rocky and sandy, this system offers a lot of benefits to cultivating effectively. Water is the key ingredient to start farming in this way. Water and water-soluble nutrients are used to emphasize the growth of plants. Farming is easy and enjoyable when you set up own indoor garden to grow several fruits and flowering plants hydroponically.
Why it is a better way than traditional farming?
It is because it maintains consistency. In most places, people are compelled to stop harvesting foods during the harsh winter or a dry summer. When you use this scientific system you can enjoy farming all over the year. The water uses are limited and recyclable. So, it does not hinder plantation during the dry summer days. Water is stored, filtered, and recycled in the manner that plants get fresh water all the time. In snowy winters, plants can be safely covered to prevent them from the snowy breeze. So, in all respect, it is the safest way to grow plants and crops around the year.
Is sunlight affects the plant’s growth in this way?
You all know that sunlight is imperative for photosynthesis. Plants make their food with the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. Trees grow healthily in sunlight. What if there is insufficient sunlight? Does it affect the plants? How can you manage the issue? The hydroponic system is the only solution to manage this entire negative situation. Set up a unit where sunlight is profuse. In rainy season or cold winter days when sunlight is insufficient you can use commercial grow lights to persist the growth of your garden. For the best CMH grow lights Perth choose an online store and collect suitable lights, the best substitute of sunlight.
What other tools are required to start a garden hydroponically?
You need some specific tools and equipment to start a greenhouse hydroponically. Water tub, carbon filter, centrifugal fan, growth-boosting nutrients, water pump, pest and disease control products, growing mediums like perlite, aqua clay, Rockwool, coconut husk, coco bricks, peat, coirlite etc, organic boosts, calibration fluid, like Ph buffer, tent, etc are some needed tools and equipment to start your garden hydroponically. To collect hydroponic gardening equipment you can choose a perfect kit where you have all the necessary items together.
You can enjoy fresher and healthier fruits and flowers hydroponically than the traditional mean. Find out a reliable and reputed hydroponic equipment supplier and enjoy the best method of harvesting fresh crops all through the year.