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Plant your favorite vegetables in containers for a small space garden that yields a harvest of fresh produce. If you have a sunny place on your patio or deck, you have enough room to grow a wide variety of container veggies. Growing vegetables in pots puts the plants within easy reach for a quick snack or meal. Imagine the convenience of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, beans and peppers that thrive just steps from your kitchen door. Stretch your growing space by arranging containers closely in groups, or place pots on pedestals and stands to bring them to eye level. Wall pots, window boxes, and boxes fastened to railings can create garden space where there didn't seem to be any. Stick a single or double type Shepard's Hook in the ground near your door to support hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes, snap peas or strawberry vines. Grow veggies with vertical impact like pole beans in pots next to lower growing plants. Train climbing vines of squash or cucumbers along a railing or trellis to create height and save space. Planters can also be attached to a nearby fence, lamppost or tree. Container basics Although it only takes a few containers to bring home grown food to your table, be sure to choose the right size and shape pot for each plant. A good container should be large enough to provide room for soil and roots. Since proper drainage is the key to growing healthy veggies, the pot must have bottom drainage and enough headroom for proper watering. Think big when buying containers. A common mistake is using a pot that's too small. If the container is too small, the plant may topple over, become root bound, dry out or not develop properly. When a pot is too large, the soil holds water too long, and the plant's roots will rot. Most veggies grow rapidly in a container that holds at least 5 gallons of soil. Terra cotta or clay pots are a natural choice for container grown vegetables. They are available in shades of earthy beige, brown, pink, or off-white, depending on the clay used to make them. Unglazed clay pots are popular due to their low cost and their ability to allow air and water to move through their walls. Plastic is among the most practical of all container materials. Good plastic pots are tough, tolerate freezing and thawing, and retain moisture well. Improvements in plastic design have resulted in affordable prices and a variety of container styles previously unavailable. Plastic pots with grapevine designs and basket weave patterns are popular choices, but you can select from a huge variety of other attractive embossed containers. Wooden containers, made from rot resistant redwood, cedar or cypress, require more frequent watering but provide insulation from extreme temperatures. Try versatile concrete, cast-iron metal, fiberglass, polyurethane foam, pressed paper, or even wire. For something really unusual consider an old wheelbarrow, iron pot, whiskey barrel or half barrel. Just make sure the container is large enough for the vegetable you're planting, provides good drainage and gets a lot of sun. The right mix Plant your vegetables in the highest quality potting mix you can find. Nothing determines the success of vegetables grown in containers as much as a good potting mix. It may surprise you to learn that the best potting mixes do not actually contain garden soil. Instead, they are made with ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, composted bark, vermiculite, perlite, and sand. When shopping for potting mix, look for a bag that lists quality ingredients and gives a satisfaction guarantee. In general, veggies prefer a potting mix that holds plenty of moisture but won't be too soggy. A standard mix is designed to sustain plant growth with little or no enhanced growth capability. A premium mix includes additions such as fertilizer, wetting agents, and extra water-holding capacity. Although they're more expensive, premium mixes are usually a better buy because they take the guesswork out of container gardening. Choosing your veggies New varieties of early maturing, compact, dwarf, or baby types of vegetables make it easier and faster than ever to improve your chance of success. Miniature edibles like “Tom Thumb” lettuce, “Tiny Tim” tomatoes, “Little Finger” carrots and “Golden Midget” corn are popular choices. Varieties of cabbage, bush squash, bush cucumbers, eggplant, beets, and snap peas have also been down sized to fit almost any container. Standard size vegetables, like salad greens, beans, peas, peppers, squash and tomatoes also provide a productive and tasty container crop. Gourmet greens like arugula, endive, garden cress, and radicchio can be grown in the same pot with romaine, endive or leaf lettuce. Perk up your summer stir-fry with compact summer squash like “EightBall” or “Spacemiser” zucchini. Plant colorful peppers, ranging from sweet varieties “California Wonder”, “Sun Bell” or “Patio Bell” to hot peppers like “Thai Dragon” and “Habanero” for extra zest. Even small eggplants like “Bambino” and “Ichiban” grow beautifully in a container, as do “Blue Lake” bush beans and “Kentucky Blue” pole beans. No container vegetable garden would be complete without tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are easiest for containers, although some other tomatoes grow well in pots, including both bush and vine types. The “Sweet 100″ cherry tomato is a vigorous grower and popular selection. Or choose a compact variety like “Patio” or “Celebrity” if you want to raise fewer but larger tomatoes. A veggie for all seasons Warm season vegetables do best when temperatures average 65 to 95 degrees. They thrive in warm summers and should be planted after the danger of frost is over in the spring. Favorite warm season vegetables include beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, summer squashes and tomatoes. Plant cool season vegetables several weeks before the last spring frost is expected in your location. They grow best when daily temperatures reach only 55 to 75 degrees. The most popular cool season vegetables are beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green onions, scallions, kale, peas, radishes and spinach. You can even bring herbs inside for the winter. Be sure to cut them back about 3 inches or repot them before they start their indoor growing season. Chives, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme do better than other herbs when placed near or on a sunny windowsill. Try hanging a group of cooking herbs in a wide, flat basket near a bright window. Or, arrange small pots on waterproof trays for a countertop herb garden. Planting and Care When to plant depends on what you're planting. Some vegetables grow best in cool soil, while others need warm to hot weather and can't survive a frost. In general it's best to plant warm weather types in early spring and cool weather plants in late summer for a fall crop. See “A Veggie for all Seasons” for a list of warm and cool weather vegetables. Before you to plant your veggies in their new pots, water them thoroughly in their nursery containers. Remove plants and lightly separate matted roots. Pour moist potting mix into the container, place the plant so that the surface of the root ball is within 1 inch of the rim and fill in with additional potting mix. Press the soil firmly around each freshly planted veggie with your fingers. The soil will settle after you water, so be sure to add more soil as needed. When you're finished planting, water with a slow, gentle spray. Fill the pot to the top, letting water sink in until it drips from the drainage holes. The smaller the container, the more often you'll have to water. Check your pots daily when the weather is hot or windy and water lightly whenever the soil surface feels dry. Most vegetables require about 6 hours of sunlight a day and regular applications of slow-release fertilizer to produce a good harvest. Keep weeds pulled because they steal nutrients and water from your container plants. Control the pest population by spraying with a natural mixture of dishwashing liquid, cooking oil and water. Cultivate vegetables regularly or your plants will stop producing. Harvest your veggies when they are ripe and at the peak of perfection. Source: www.Foremost.com
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Your mobile home is prone to coming out of level, simply because of how it’s built. Here are a few things that may indicate your home is not properly leveled:
If your warranty has expired, it might be best to hire a professional. Other things that can cause your mobile home to shake:
When it comes to the weather and other things going on outside, all homes may experience shaking from time to time. The only difference is, you can perceive that shaking a lot more in your mobile home because of how it’s built. While you may not be able to permanently eliminate the shaking, these things might help minimize it:
Form number: 9025745 Sources: https://architecttwocents.com/why-mobile-home-shake/ https://freedomresidence.com/why-your-mobile-home-is-shaking-and-what-to-do-about-it/ Source: Foremost Insurance www.foremost.com Foremost Choice Recreational Vehicle Programs Highlights -- Are you ready for your next adventure?2/22/2024 Whether you own a site-built home, mobile home, RV or small business, it's always a good idea to create a Personal Property Inventory. Photos, etc. of big-ticket items can be very helpful in the event of a claim! Ah, Valentine’s Day is near, and love is in the air. Well, love and a few other things, such as chocolates, romantic dinners, candy hearts that say “Be Mine” - and, of course, jewelry. It’s exciting to receive jewelry from a loved one — or to give it as a gift. Not to mention romantic. But if you’re lucky enough to have some new jewelry in your Texas home this Valentine’s Day, you should take a few minutes to think about something you probably don’t find exciting or romantic: insurance. Don’t know where to turn? Don’t worry. At First Community Financial Group, we think it is exciting to help our customers protect what’s most important to them — so we’re ready to help and can answer all of your questions. Things to consider when insuring jewelry: You may need to purchase additional coverage. Your Texas homeowner's policy may cover valuable items such as jewelry, but only up to set amounts. If the cost of replacing your jewelry exceeds that limit, you will want to purchase scheduled personal property coverage. You can check your policy or give us a call at 936-327-4364. You might want to reconsider your deductible amounts. As always, this impacts your policy premium. It’s a good idea to take a look at your deductibles whenever you make a change to your policy. Do you need an appraisal? You may need to have an independent appraisal if the insurance company requires it or if you don’t know the value of your jewelry. Each item should be listed with a description and value on paper. What kind of coverage is offered? You’ll want to determine if items are covered no matter where they are, whether they’re in Livingston, Houston, Dallas... or on an international trip, and if the policy offers full replacement cost. You also should ask if you will be required to replace your jewelry if lost or stolen, or if you can simply keep the cash settlement. Pictures can be helpful. Lost or stolen pieces of jewelry sometimes can be recreated if the jeweler has a good photograph to work from. Should I go with a company that specializes in jewelry insurance? There are companies that specialize in jewelry insurance. Whether you choose one of these, or a company that we represent, you’ll want to make sure they are reputable and stable. Is the value of your jewelry mainly sentimental? Is an item irreplaceable? If the answer to either of these questions is “yes,” you might consider foregoing insurance. But please, talk to us at {agency-phone-#} before making that decision. That’s what we’re here for. Of course, it’s important to store your jewelry securely when it’s not in use; a safe in your home or a safe-deposit box is best. We want your jewelry to be replaced if it’s lost or stolen, but we’d rather your sentimental and valuable pieces stay with you and your family for years to come. Here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day is full of fun and romance. And if there’s no jewelry involved, well, there’s always next year! Contact Us! For further questions and assistance, please contact First Community Financial Group at 936-327-4364 or info@firstcfg.com. Content provided by Safeco Insurance |
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