1. The misting system e-learning course is now live and doing quite well. The course is available in a few different forms; as a 45 day newsletter or an immediate PDF download. Also available are individual chapters on various subjects. If you are interested, check out the Misting System E-learning website.

1. If you play around with plants you are sure to need manure. A new website is available where you can find manure in your area. However, it also needs your help if you have manure to share. Here is how it works:If you have extra manure at times and are willing to share, you can create a listing. When someone needs your type of manure in your area, they contact you through a link on the website to check for availability. If you have some, great, if not, that is fine too; no pressure! If you are searching for manure, do a search in your local area and contact the provider. Great idea huh? Visit Take My Poop for more information. Also visit the Take My Poop Facebook page and like it to spread the ….well, word!

1. If you are thinking about raising chickens or already have them, visit the Backyard Chicken E-learning website. There are some great articles there to help you on your journey (like a chart that shows how large a coop you need, how to tell if your eggs are fresh enough to eat) and a forum where you can connect with fellow chicken lovers. One great feature of the website is the ability to send an article you may like to your kindle at the press of a button; awesome idea! Backyard Chicken E-learning is also on Facebook, go ahead and like the page!

Oh, one more thing: I now have multiple Kindle books available on Amazon. Some titles include: Why Your Nearing Frame Must Face True North and Not Magnetic North and How To Properly Do It, How to grow your own Japanese Maple tree from seeds in 5 easy steps, 45 Tips That You Just Can’t Ignore Unless You Want To Work Harder In Your Gardens And Landscapes, and more. Check out my Kindle books on Amazon.

Don’t have a Kindle? No problem, you don’t need one to read a Kindle book!  You can read a Kindle in your browser or use an app for your specific device like iPhone, iPad, Android phone, etc. here is the best part; they are all free!

If it is a cool season grass like Calamagrostis arundinacea “Karl Foerster”, it is safe to divide. Why? It is a cool season grass that actively grows during cool weather like fall, winter, and spring. It grows best when temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees F. Cool season grasses also tend to be evergreen

If it is a warm season grass like Miscanthus sinensis “Gracillimus”, it really depends on a few things.

1. Is it currently flowering?
2. How late in the fall is it?

The fall is actually a great time to divide a cool season grass, as is spring. Just be sure to keep it watered well and it should do just fine.

Warm season grasses grow best between 80 and 90 degrees F and go dormant in the fall. Also, warm season grasses are usually beginning to slow down their growth and putting out flowers in the early fall. Dividing a grass while flowering will cause unnecessarily stress on the plant which may result in it dying.

Dividing a warm season ornamental grass in the late fall will not give it enough time to form roots that will allow it to survive over the winter. The cool weather slows the plants growth down and the roots will not spread into the surrounding soil, anchoring the plant and providing moisture to it as well.

So how do you know if your grass is a cool or warm weather variety? I usually reference the following books:

Good luck dividing your ornamental grass!

I have been working feverishly on creating an E-course on misting systems to offer to my readers. I currently have it about 40% done and still have a way to go, but it is getting closer by the hour.

Here are a few facts about the E-course:

• It will be limited to only 50 people (Hurry, Pre-register today!)
• It costs a mere $25 to take but the information it contains is priceless! (payment is due only when the E-course goes live, not when Pre-registering)
• At this time it has 58 topics (and I keep adding more!)
• It currently has 91 pages (and I am only about 40% done! YIKES!)
• It currently has 18,371 words (I never knew I had so much to say!)
• It currently has many pictures (and many more to be added!)

This sucker is HUGE!

This E-course will cover the following topics (I may add more, fair warning):

1) What is a misting system

2) 10 reasons you should own a misting system

3) Why a misting system is important when rooting softwood cuttings

4) Types of propagation beds

5) Rooting media

6) Do you have enough water for your system?

7) Can you use softened water for misting?

a) 11 reasons NOT to use softened water

8) Can you use rainbarrels to provide the water?

9) What parts are needed for a misting system?

a) Tools required

b) Misting timers

i) Mechanical

(1) Wiring the timers

ii) Electronic/Digital

(1) Electric timers

(2) Battery timers

c) Solenoid valves

i) Typical irrigation solenoids

ii) Misting solenoids

d) Filters

i) Individual zone filter

ii) Whole system filter

e) Wire

i) Single zone

ii) Multiple zone

f) Misting nozzles

i) Common types of nozzles

ii) Freestanding

iii) Overhead

iv) Calculating nozzle spacing

g) Protecting your investment

i) Timer cabinets

ii) Protecting the solenoid valves

10) How to assemble the misting system

a) Single zone

b) Multiple zones

i) Building a manifold for the multiple solenoids

ii) Wiring the DIG timer for multiple zones

11) How to take a cutting

12) Why providing shade is important

a) How to provide shade for your misting bed

13) Tips about electronic leaves and rain sensors

a) Nutrient leaching

14) Routine maintenance

a) Troubleshooting

b) Minor repairs

15) Spare parts that you should have

a) Fittings

b) Solenoid valve

c) Filter

d) Misting nozzles

e) Timer

16) When do I prepare the system for winter?

17) Winterizing your misting system

a) Quick 5 step winterizing description

b) Draining with gravity

c) Using compressed air

18) Setting your system up in the spring

19) Power outages

20) And more!

I promise the course will be broken into manageable chunks to minimize information overload.

Included in the E-course is a report I currently sell for $5 (How your DIG 5006-IP timer can work during a power outage), an E-book I only give out to my newsletter subscribers (10 Reasons You Need An Intermittent Misting System), a link to an online calculator that is used when planning a new misting system or an expansion to an existing one, and a link to a report I am finalizing right now on using rainbarrels or totes to supply water to a misting system (including a full parts list including the pump!). The rain barrel system is totally solar and can supply enough water and pressure for a misting system.

I am limiting the course to only 50 people at this time. If you are interested in taking this information heavy E-course about misting systems, please Pre-register.

There will be a small one-time fee of $25 for taking the course, but I honestly will be increasing the price at some point so don’t wait. There is just no way I can continue to offer this massive E-course for this low price. In fact, there is so much information included in this E-course I am afraid I will put you on information overload. You are getting my many years of knowledge and experience designing, selling, and troubleshooting misting systems for just 25 bucks! Crazy huh?

Hurry, Pre-register now!

First, you should remove as many as you can by pulling them or by using a hand weeder or hand cultivator. I also use a four tine cultivator (links are affiliate links and will take you to Amazon.com) with a long handle so I don’t have to bend over as much…saves the back! Don’t be tempted to just spray Round-up or another weed killer, you may end up harming or killing the plants you are trying to save.

After removing as many weeds as possible, take cardboard (some folks recommend 2 or 3 layers of newspaper, but I find cardboard works better) and lay it throughout your bed, placing it around the existing landscape plants. The cardboard is easily cut using a razor knife, but be careful not to slip and cut yourself…the blade will make a nice, deep, nasty cut; believe me! Be sure to get every inch of space between the plants to be sure any leftover weeds will be covered.

After the cardboard is placed, cover it with at least 3 inches of mulch. Don’t be tempted to eliminate the cardboard and just use mulch, the cardboard will be a nearly impenetrable barrier that will keep the weeds down. Just using mulch will allow some aggressive weeds through, negating all the work you have just done. Also, don’t be tempted to just use an inch or less of mulch to just make the bed look pretty. The depth of the mulch helps keep those weeds down and retains moisture as well. The cardboard will slowly disintegrate and become compost which is good for your plants too.

Here is a link to some handy landscape bed calculators that will figure out how much mulch (or topsoil, or sand for your misting bed!) you will need. There are calculators for round beds, square beds, triangle beds, any shape you need to be able to figure out how much mulch you will need.

For gardens that are completely overrun with weeds, removing everything from the garden may be necessary. Removing the landscape plants will allow you to remove the weeds from the clumps. This also allows you to move the plants to more desirable locations, giving your garden a makeover. Be sure to keep the clumps moist and shaded while they are out of the ground to be sure they will survive.

The pictures below show a before and after of a few landscape gardens I did recently. They show two different gardens that are right next to each other (Yes, I forgot to do before and after pictures for each bed!) and although you cannot see any cardboard in the pictures, I assure you it is there. There is no way I want to redo the gardens anytime soon! I ended up removing every plant, adding compost, tilling the entire area, replanting the plants, laying cardboard, and mulching, all on the hottest day of the summer. No thanks, I’ll pass!

So the next time you decide to weed your landscape beds, be sure to use a layer or two of cardboard to be sure you won’t have to do it all over again anytime soon.

I have now enabled a frequently asked questions module on the blog that will allow you to ask a question and me to answer it. When I answer the question you will get notified via email and the question and answer will be automatically added to the websites FAQ section for everyone to see the original question and answer.

So if you have a question, shoot!

Looking to start your own propagation nursery? A misting system may be just what you are looking for. Check out Mistkits.com for complete systems or components to build your own.