Choosing A Small Trailer And Eliminating Skunks

The Handyguys — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:52:31 +0000

Avoiding skunks in your yard and an answer to “Does a handyguy need a trailer?” We cover both topics in this show.

Skunks

Skunks, how do you get rid of them?

Don’t give them a reason to come into your yard. Make sure you don’t leave anything around for them to eat, dog or cat food, garbage, etc. Make sure they can’t nest under your shed or house. Skunks will eat most anything. They are particularly partial to eating grubs. Grubs are the larvae of Japanese, and other types, of beetles.

So, treat your yard for grubs. Keep the food and shelter sources buttoned up and the skunks will visit somewhere else. If you have them living under your house then its time to call an exterminator.

Grubs

Grubs can really damage your lawn and trees, you may want to treat for grubs.

Thanks to Winterthur Garden Blog for the grub picture

When they mature into Japanese beetles they can destroy your trees. There are both chemical and biological treatments for grubs. The chemical treatments are fast and effective when used correctly. The biological treatments, such as Milky Spore, may be more environmentally friendly but can take several seasons to work and are more expensive.

Trailers

Does a handyguy need a trailer? They sure would be useful. Brian and Paul discuss what to do if you don’t have a good place to store one. Can a fold-up trailer fit the bill? Maybe. What The Handyguys found was that in Pennsylvania its a HUGE hassle to get tags and registration for a trailer you assemble or build yourself. If you have the stomach for it listen to the podcast as Handyguy Brian details the bureaucratic nightmare to register and tag a “kit” trailer in Pennsylvania.

Does anyone know of a decent trailer that can fold up for easy garage storage and that is NOT considered a “kit” by the state of Pennsylvania? Let us know, we may go get one.

Related shows:

How To Grow A Green Lawn

The Handyguys — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:00:54 +0000

The Handyguys talk home improvement and keeping a green and weed free lawn.

Now that you have your mower ready for the new season (after listening to show #14), it is time to discuss proper lawn care. Anyone can hire a lawn service, but the Handyguys prefer the DIY method. Get down to the home center, buy your weed and feed, and start fertilizing before the summer heat strikes. Listen to the podcast for all of the details.

Before beginning your lawn care program (or even if you have already started), it is good to conduct a soil test to determine that status of your soil. The results from a soil test will reveal what nutrients your lawn requires and whether you need to add lime or sulfur to achieve the proper pH.

You can add specific ingredients in your fertilizer plan or just follow a seasonal plan from a company like Scotts or Vigoro. These products should be designed for your region of the country.

Some folks prefer more organic methods of lawn care. More information on organic products can be found here:

Dirt Doctor

Richsoil

The fertilizer programs will only address weeds and nutrients. You may also have specific pests or disease. A healthy lawn is the best defense against lawn disease. Lawn pests include moles, grubs and even mold. Controlling grubs will eliminate a food source for the moles. Watering properly will prevent mold and fungus.

Both Handyguy Brian and Handyguy Paul recommend a broadcast spreader for DIY fertilizer applications.

So, how much should you water? The Handyguys, and their expert advisers, recommend about 1â€ of water per week. This means watering the entire inch at one time in early AM or late afternoon. Do not water at night as this can promote fungus. How do you determine you have applied 1â€ of water? You can use a rain gauge, a fancy timer, or you can just put out a soup can when you water and when it has an inch of water in it you are done. The rain gauge in the picture is only $1.99 in our store and comes with a separate sprinkler gauge. Just click here for the rain gauge. Don’t forget to factor in the water from the rain. A deep soak like this will help promote deep root growth.

What is the proper height to mow for a health lawn? It depends on the type of grass. Generally speaking you want to mow at 3â€ and never cut more than a third of the blade at one time.

But if you really want to get lawn care right… listen to our podcast.

Please note an error in the podcast: Paul incorrectly states that your second fertilizer application should occur before “Labor Day”. He meant to say “Memorial Day” and that is what he thought he said… but I guess recordings don’t lie!