Need advice - got into some ‘DIRT’
Aida DM
23 days ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
23 days agoAida DM
23 days agoRelated Discussions
Got 3 heat pump bids-need some advice
Comments (4)baldloonie-I need to clarify that the supply ducts are 12" flex and the return duct is larger-not sure of exact size but it appears to be about 2-3" larger across than the supply ducts-don't know if this makes a difference or not. We never had a problem with the 4 ton cooling the upstairs. In fact, from reading I would say it is definitely oversized as it cooled the upstairs down very quickly even on hot days which is apparently not supposed to be how heat pumps work. Thanks for the opinion on Airease as I had never heard of it before. rabadger-could you be more specific as to what homework I need to do? I looked through the majority of the posts you link to and can't really see what point you are trying to make. I know it is important to have the correct sized system based on load calc. Are you referring to the load calc maybe being incorrect or size quoted or something else? Sorry to sound so confused but this is why I am asking for advice and opinions...See MoreGot 2 wildly different quotes for some tree pruning work... advice?
Comments (12)Here's a good way to explore Davidrt28's analogy about ISA-certification and doctors. Pruning trees is kind of like doing surgery (actually, of course, it is surgery). If you are the kind of person that would trust someone without a medical license to do surgery on your husband, wife, or kids, then maybe you don't need that ISA-certified arborist; after all, living life on the edge may be for you. If however, you want at least a little reassurance that the person you are hiring knows something about what they are doing, then insisting that they are licensed/certified might be a good idea. Yes, there are a few out there (a small minority in the tree-cutter's world, I can assure you) that may know all they need to in order to do a great job pruning your trees, yet still aren't certified. I'm sure there are people out there that could competently perform surgery on one of your family members but don't have a medical license. Do you want to take that chance? Most homeowners (some on this forum may be exceptions) don't know how to prune trees. Since they don't know how, they are not able to instruct some rube-with-a-Ryobi in how to perform the job. David's assertion that an ISA-certified arborist would cave to the homeowner and not perform the job up to standards is not usually how things go! Any decent ISA-certified arborist will take the time, if necessary, to educate the customer on why they can't leave a hatrack in the customer's front yard. David's suggestion is like saying that a licensed doctor would do some botched surgery job, just because there'd be a few bucks in it for them. This isn't how things work! ...at least not usually! All that said, not every tree job requires an ISA-certified arborist. If you are having a tree taken down out in the middle of your field, that probably doesn't require a huge amount of knowledge about how trees work. Significant pruning on a tree in your landscape probably IS a situation where you want a professional that knows what they are doing....See MoreGot some cacti. Need soil advice and help with identification.
Comments (2)Nice plants. Can't help with identification but I've repotted many cactus recently to a new growing medium. You will want to pot these in a fast draining mix. Many members here like to make there own gritty mix (you can search the forum, many threads) or you can amend a commercial bag of potting soil by amending it at least 50/50 or more with something such as pumice or perlite. Sand may also work as long as it's very course, not the type of sand used in sand boxes. If possible, use a potting soil without peat/low in peat as once it dries out it's nearly impossible to re-wet and ends up just repelling water. I would recommend avoiding top soil. You can pot these in ceramic just fine as long as there is a drainage hole in the bottom. Before potting, clean as much of the old substrate as you can from the roots and let the plant rest in a shady, dry spot for a few days to a week; this gives the roots time to heal after cleaning. Once potted wait a few more days before you water. You'll want to water your plants once the soil dries out during the growing season, typically spring through fall with most cactus. The timeline can vary depending on the plant's environment, pot and medium but about once a week seems typical for me. I check my plant's soil before watering by sticking a wooden skewer into the soil along the edge of the pot all the way down, if it comes out dry the plant is ready for water. Water thoroughly until water comes out the drainage hole and make sure all excess water is allowed to drain out the bottom of the pot. During dormancy, typically winter and sometimes the height of summer as well if it's really hot, these plants will need very little water if any at all as they won't be actively growing. A good rule is if in doubt about watering, don't. Good luck with your new plants!...See MoreDirt? Need some creative ideas for what to do with large quantities...
Comments (7)Are we talking about top soil? If so, I'd be offering it for SALE to a contractor. Offering it on Craigslist or Freecycle is also a good idea. When I have extra soil or "dirt," I've used it to augment the grade around my foundation so that it slopes away from the house. That tends to erode and it's so important. I also use it to create mounds on which to plant new trees and shrubs that could use more root run and drainage on my ledge rocky property. It can give them an extra foot or two or three of height, which is equivalent to a few years headstart for a screen. But I think you're looking for more fun, creative ideas, which I hope will be forthcoming. May we offer more fun ways to spend that 7,000?...See Morebeesneeds
23 days agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
23 days agoSherry8aNorthAL
23 days agoBillMN-z-2-3-4
23 days agoAida DM
23 days agoWill M65(SE,PA 7A)
23 days agoKR KNuttle
23 days agolast modified: 23 days agobengz6westmd
22 days agolast modified: 22 days agoKR KNuttle
22 days agoAida DM
22 days agodchall_san_antonio
4 days ago
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