There are many occasions when it becomes necessary to trim your trees. Trimming trees, if done properly can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your property and allow your trees to flourish. As a matter of safety, taking steps to thin overgrown trees and remove dead or diseased branches is an important part of maintaining your property.
Before you get out the chain saw and start removing limbs, you should be aware of the potential hazards of trimming trees.

Trees and large tree branches carry substantial weight which makes them inherently dangerous. A long branch on a mature tree can weigh several hundred pounds, so, you want to make sure it does not fall on anyone or anything. Trimming trees properly involves good planning. You should survey the tree from all angles and determine how and where you want the cut limb to fall. Many people do not take the proper precautions and wind up doing damage to their house, car or themselves by improperly cutting a large tree or tree branch.

One of the most important things to watch out for when attempting to trim your trees is the existance of power lines. Never take it upon yourself to trim trees that are dangerously close to power lines. The risk of coming into contact with a high voltage line and causing serious injury or even death is too great for the average homeowner. It is best to either have a professional tree trimming company come out to do the job or call the power company who will usually take care of the matter for free.

Trimming trees often involves climbing up on a ladder. You must be careful to place your ladder on solid, steady ground so that it is stable and will not suddenly shift while you are in the middle of cutting the targeted branch with a chain saw. Many people defy the clear warnings on ladders not to stand on the upper few steps as they attempt to reach a little higher to get that one troublesome branch. This is extremely hazardous as you can easily lose your balance and take a nasty fall. Never reach above your head to cut a branch. Not only will you have limited control of the chainsaw, but you are also subject to being hit by the falling branch.

If a branch is very long, heavy and cumbersome, it is prudent to take it down in manageable pieces. Starting from the outer edge, take two or three separate cuts to remove the branch. It is much safer to take ten foot sections down than trying to remove a thirty foot branch.

Trimming trees is part of managing your property and knowing the proper techniques for removing branches is very important. Avoid potential hazards, be smart and take your time when trimming your trees.

Posted in Trees & Conifers at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

8 AM Friday morning should see us steering our rig off the front lawn and into our family's adventure of a lifetime. We've been planning a trip around Australia for the past 18 months - even longer if you take into account the moment the idea first popped into our heads. In a little more than 24 hours that dream is about to be realised.

Needless to say, Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas will be changing course over the next half-year. That's right, we're taking you with us. While we will still be adding heaps of helpful hints and tips I'll be showing you some of the wonderful plant specimens and gardens as we traverse this awesome country.

Plus, if you want to keep up with where we're going we've set up a family blog at AussieRoadTrip.com.

Before you ask, the kids will be educated while on the road but mostly from their experiences. One of their activities will be sharing their day via their own blog while Deb and I will keep ours for posterity sake.

We'd love to have you come along with us and if you have any gardens that you know of that we should be visiting please let us know.

Catchya.

Posted in at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pond pumps and filters for your backyard pond are absolute necessities. No garden pond will survive or thrive for long without water movement and cleaning. A pond pump keeps the water circulating and the pond healthy. When choosing a pond pump there are several things to consider:

• The pond filter with which it will be used


• How much power it needs


• The length of the manufacturer's warranty


• The maximum height the pond pump will move the water (head height)


• The litres per hour (LPH) of each pond pump

Maximus ECO pond pumps provide efficiency, performance and durability. They deliver higher performance due to an energy efficient motor and impellor system which reduces running costs and environmental impact. The strong construction of the impellor and motor designed it for the toughest conditions. This pond pump operates silently yet powerfully enough to run a filter system for a fountain or waterfall. The Maximus ECO's wrap-around filter housing provides excellent water flow without needing an anti-clog, foam pre-filter which completely eliminates maintenance. This high performance pond pump is designed to run 24/7 and comes with a 3-year warranty. Prices range according to liters per hour (LPH) pumped.

• 800 LPH costs $46.27 AUD


• 8,000 LPH costs $172.50 AUD

The "new" Blagdon Force-Hybrid pond pumps make taking care of water features easy. These Force-Hybrid pond pumps deliver quality flow pressure at realistic 2 meters+ meeting filter and waterfall installation requirements. This is an asynchronous (single direction) motor made of the highest quality parts providing a reliable, durable pond pump that is efficient and economical. The maximum head height is greater than the majority of caged pond pumps, up to 5.5m. All Force-Hybrid pond pumps have a multi-hosetail inline ball valve controlling water flow in an easy to reach location. They come with a sludge removal or multi-purpose intake mode, a 3 year guarantee, and costs $139.58 AUD to $207.23 AUD depending on LPH.

Pond filters are the other requirement of your water system for a healthy pond with fish, turtles, etc. Pond filters perform several functions to keep water pure.

• Trapping debris in the mechanical pond filter (removed for periodic cleaning)


• Biological filtration allows beneficial bacteria to feed on water impurities ridding it of organic matter and fish waste
  Ultra-Violet Clarification in a pond filter causes water-borne algae to clump together through the action of the ultra-violet light spectrum, adding to filtration efficiency

All pond filters are rated according to maximum pond volume. The pond filter chosen must be effective for actual pond volume, with allowance for fish. Beneficial biological filtration provides beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia from fish waste, impurities, and dead organic matter into nitrites. The nitrites provide nutrients to facilitate plant growth.

Pond One Claritec 3000 Pressure pond filters move filtered water to the level needed for a waterfall feature. A gravity pond filter is recommended when Koi or turtles are resident. This pond filter provides an easy to use back-wash system, and is a quality product for the money. Units with UVC have a "lamp on" indicator light, and come with a 3 year warranty.

• This pond filter costs $189.00 AUD.


• The Claritec 5000 UVC Pressure Filter costs $309.00 AUD and has a maximum flow of 3,300 LPH.

The Oase Bitron Self-Cleaning pond filter uses a quartz lamp cover tube allowing 95% of UV rays to penetrate the water affecting the algae. Plain glass or plastic UV pond filters only permit 30% or 50% to pass through. Hose connections to the inlet and outlet are all that's required for easy installation. Translucent hose tails glow when the UV light is operating. Various diameters of hose may be attached to the UVC for most efficient performance. The cost of this pond filter is $169.00 AUD.

A pond feature adds aesthetic enjoyment to any yard. Be sure to choose the right pond pump and pond filter to keep it at its beautiful best.

Posted in Landscaping at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)