Healthy Homes of Rochester

If you invest a bit of time now, you can ensure a bountiful harvest and a beautiful landscape to make this your best gardening season yet. Preparing a strong spring foundation means new plantings are better able to survive the heat, drought and pest attacks of summer.

“Start your garden off right by adding several inches of organic matter to the top 6- to 12- inches of soil,” recommends horticulture expert and author Melinda Myers. “Peat moss, compost, aged manure and other organic materials improve drainage in heavy clay soil and increase the water holding capacity of sandy soils.”

Incorporate a slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite before planting flowers and vegetables. “I like Milorganite’s low nitrogen formulation” says Myers. “This makes it goof proof so you will not harm young tender plants no matter what your gardening skill. Its slow-release nitrogen encourages overall growth without preventing flowering and fruit production that can occur when too much nitrogen is applied.”

Reduce weed problems and increase the health and vigor of your lawn by properly mowing, watering and fertilizing. “Mow high to encourage deep roots that are more pest- and drought-resistant,” Myers suggests. “Taller grass is better able to fend off weeds.” Mow often and leave the short clippings on the lawn to add nutrients, organic matter and moisture to the soil. Use a sharp blade for quicker recovery and a better-looking lawn.

Water thoroughly but less frequently to encourage deep roots. Water your lawn early in the morning to minimize water loss. If you allow your lawn to go dormant during drought, leave it dormant until temperatures cool, rains return and nature brings it back to life.

Use a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer for your spring feeding. An organic nitrogen type fertilizer will not promote lush growth that is more susceptible to disease and requires more mowing. Plus if you stop watering or your community institutes a watering ban, it won’t damage the lawn. In fact, the fertilizer will stay in the soil until the weather improves and your lawn starts to grow.

Improve the health of trees and shrubs with proper watering and mulch. Water new plantings whenever the top few inches of soil are dry. Don’t forget about established plants. These need a helping hand during extended periods of drought. Always water thoroughly to encourage deep drought-resistant roots.

Maintain a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around trees and shrubs. Woodchips, shredded bark and other organic materials help conserve moisture, suppress weeds and improve the soil as they decompose. Keep mulch away from the trunk of trees and crowns of other plants to reduce the risk of disease.

Myers suggests you create or expand existing mulch rings without the use of chemicals.  She says it’s simple, “Just edge the mulch bed, cut the existing grass short, spread a layer of newspaper or cardboard over the area and cover with woodchips or shredded bark.  The paper provides an extra weed barrier and eventually breaks down adding organic matter to the soil.”

Use an all-purpose fertilizer to give existing trees, shrubs and perennials a nutrient boost.  A low-nitrogen, slow-release formula encourages moderate growth that needs less pruning and is less susceptible to certain pests.

And don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of spring while preparing your landscape for the season ahead.
Thank you for reading, the Fixie Chick

Recycling is great, but precycling is even better! Pre-thinking our purchases is a great way to get one-step-ahead on the road to reducing our impact on the environment.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) estimates that in 1996, New Yorkers disposed of more than 17.7 million tons of solid waste? And the DEC warns that it is becoming more expensive to dispose of our wastes. Recycling helps, but it is only part of the solution. Consider the amount of energy that is used to transport the materials, melt them down and then re-manufacture items.

The idea behind precycling is trying to avoid the amount of material that winds up in landfills and the recycling bin to begin with.

Some of the common steps we are all taking, like re-using cloth grocery bags instead of paper or plastic, has certainly had an impact. For every bag that’s used just twice, the number of bags used per year is cut in half. That amounts to half the trash right?

Same goes for packaging and reusing other products. Choosing consciousness over convenience is always the way to go when it comes to our environment.

My favorite precycling practices include:

Using cloth napkins instead of paper ones and using microfiber cleaning towels instead of paper ones. BONUS: I never run out!

Purchasing items like hand soap in bulk and using refillable soap containers.

Buying concentrated laundry detergent in bulk (and using less then recommended).

When I need to make a new purchase, I look for “long-life” items like batteries and light bulbs.

What about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips on precycling. Give me a call on Property Source Radio, 585-222-6397 Saturday from 9-10am.

Thanks for reading,

-The Fixie Chick

January is National Radon Action Month. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), exposure to radon in the home is responsible for an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Although testing for radon is easy and inexpensive, 80 percent of the homes in the U.S. have not been tested. Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is best detected when doors and windows are all tightly closed.

Radon is a radioactive gas produced from the uranium which is in the geological formation under the soil. The amount or radon gas varies depending on the amount of uranium in the formation. The type of soil under the house, the design of the house and the life style or the family living in the house all affect the amount of radon gas that enters a home.

The only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon is to test your home for radon or have it tested by a certified professional radon tester. For do-it-yourselfers, radon kits can be purchased for $25 at building supply, hardware and general merchandise stores. A basic test takes 10 minutes to set up and when complete is mailed to a lab for analysis.

If test results are above the EPA recommended action level you need to have the radon level reduced by a certified radon ‘mitigator.’ Reducing radon is not technically difficult and costs approximately $800 – $2,500.

Tune into Property Source Radio with the Fixie Chick, Saturday morning at 9 am to learn four easy things you as homeowners, renters, and parents can do to take action in January.

Thanks for reading,

-The Fixie Chick
Here is another link for radon information:

http://www.epa.gov/radon/nram/event_kit.html

I am sure all of you have seen part or all of the steam cleaner infomercials on TV. I know what you were thinking when you watched. Is that true? Does it really clean without cleaners or chemicals?
Well, yes it does to put it simply. I purchased a steam mop during the holidays. All I had to do is fill the small tank with tap water and plug it in. To my surprise it started to generate steam very quickly, within a minute. I mopped the tile floors in my home with the steam mop quite easily. The mop has a cloth attached to it to pick up any dirt or spills as it steams. It worked perfectly. There was nothing left on the floor! Not even the light film that you get when you use a regular mop with floor cleaners. I love the new gadget!
This is the perfect way to clean around your home by saving money on cleaners over time and not using those toxins that can harm children and pets.
Here is one that I would recommend.

There’s a new show in town!  Join Brenna Hartmann, THE FIXIE CHICK, with Patrick Coyne, live Saturday’s at 9:00 am on ESPN 950 to hear Property Source Radio.  Property Source Radio, a local radio talk show in the Rochester, NY market which will be bringing listeners currents trends in real estate, rentals & home improvement.  It is the listener’s companion to the Property Source Newspaper available at over 700 locations including Tops and the Mall Boards.

 Tune into to hear who’s-who, what’s-what, and how-to’s. Have questions about your mortgage, your realtor, your contractor, your neighbor?  We’ll be taking your calls every Saturday, Live at 9:00 am.  Don’t miss the premier January 9, 2010. www.propertysourceradio.com 

About Brenna:

Brenna Hartmann is the Fixie Chick.  She is an award winning info-prenuer and has published hundreds of articles on home improvement and green living.  Brenna is the founder of Home&Yard Media Group, which recently merged with www.PropertySourceOnline.com.  Brenna lives in Webster with her husband and two children.

About Patrick:

Patrick Coyne is an accomplished business consultant with years of real estate, rental and remodeling experience.  He is the co-founder of HealthyHomesofRochester.com and other successful web based businesses.  Patrick lives in Pittsford, NY with his wife and two children.

 You can also listen live at this link 9am EST:

http://player.streamtheworld.com/_players/entercom/player/?id=WROCAM

A Real Christmas Tree is the Natural Choice

Each holiday season, shoppers find themselves confronted with a difficult choice: celebrate with a real or plastic tree. What most people don’t realize is that the best choice has always been the traditional and natural choice, a real Christmas tree.

Real Christmas trees are a benefit to the environment from the time they are planted until after the holiday season when they can be recycled.

While they’re growing, real Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. This helps prevent the earth-warming greenhouse effect.

Every acre of Christmas trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. In the United States there are approximately 1 million acres of growing Christmas trees; that means that 18 million people a day are supplied with oxygen thanks to Christmas trees.

The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies, and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas trees are grown on soil that doesn’t support other crops.

Artificial trees are a petroleum based product that consume vast resources during fabrication. A burden to the environment, artificial trees aren’t biodegradable and will remain in land-fills for centuries after disposal. The average life span of an artificial tree is only six years.

Real Christmas trees, on the other hand, are easily reused and recycled.

• Christmas trees are biodegradable – the trunk and branches can be used as mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides a protect barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.

• Mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the nation. Check with your local department of public works for information.

• Some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on river beds. Sunk into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish.

• Before recycling, Christmas trees can be used to make bird feeders, adding color and excitement to the winter garden. Utilize orange slices, suet, and seed to attract the birds. They will come for the food and stay for the shelter in the branches.

The practice of using a living tree to celebrate the holidays is gaining in popularity. Living trees have their roots in tact and can be re-planted outside following the holiday.

WHICH TREE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Balsam Fir

As a Christmas tree, balsam fir has several desirable properties. It has a dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles, and attractive form. It also retains its pleasing fragrance.

Douglas-Fir

The needles are dark green or blue green, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, soft to the touch and radiate out in all directions from the branch. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed. Nationally, it remains one of the most popular Christmas tree species.

Scotch Pine

Scotch Pine is an introduced species which has been widely planted for the

purpose of producing Christmas trees. As a Christmas tree, it is known or its dark green foliage and stiff branches that are well suited for decorating with both light and heavy ornaments. It has excellent needle retention characteristics and holds up well.

Norway Spruce

For Christmas trees, overall color of Norway spruce is fair to excellent, but needle retention is considered poor unless the trees are cut fresh and kept properly watered. It

is readily identified by its dark green needles and drooping branchlets. Trees have dark green crown with a triangular shape. Needles are 1/2-1 inch long, and sharp or somewhat blunt at the tip.

White Pine

For Christmas trees, sheared trees are preferred, although some people feel shearing results in trees too dense for larger ornaments. Needle retention is good to excellent. White Pine has very little aroma, but, conversely, is reported to result in fewer allergic reactions than do some of the more aromatic species.

Fraser Fir

The combination of form, needle retention, dark blue-green color, pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics has led to Fraser fir being a most popular Christmas tree species. Fraser fir is a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree. Needles are 1/2 to one inch long, have a broad circular base, and are usually dark green on the upper surface and lighter on the lower surface.

Blue Spruce  

Blue Spruce is finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree as a result of its symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. The species has an excellent natural shape and requires little shearing. Additionally, needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornamental leads many consumers to use blue spruce as a living Christmas tree, to be planted after the holiday season.     

White Fir

As a Christmas tree, white fir has good foliage color, a pleasing natural shape and aroma, and good needle retention. Needles are usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch long, pointed or notched

at the tip, bluish-green when young turning dull green with  age.

TREE CARE TIPS

• In selecting a tree, make sure that the “handle” at the bottom is long enough to allow the trunk to fit into you tree stand. Otherwise, it will be necessary to remove large branches near the base, which could ruin its appearance.
• Make a fresh cut to remove a 1/4″ to 1″ thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree. If you use a “center pin” stand, make sure the hole is drilled in the stem after it is trimmed
• Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can go 6-8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty. Trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.

• Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
• Keep trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.

DID YOU KNOW?

Over half of a Christmas tree’s weight is water. So, be sure to give it lots to drink during the holiday season. Try to maintain one quart of water per inch of stem diameter in your tree stand – any temperature is fine – and check to be sure that the water is in contact with the stem.

• Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.
• Applying film-forming anti-transpirants to the tree does not have a significant effect on the rate of moisture loss from the tree. These products supposedly block the evaporation of water from the surface of foliage, but in reality they have little effect.
• Adding water-holding gels to the stand can actually reduce the amount of water in the stand that is available to the tree.
• Do not use additives in the water, including floral preservatives, commercial tree preservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, soft drinks, aspirin, honey, and other concoctions. Clean water is all that is needed to maintain freshness.
• Use of miniature lights will produce much less heat and reduce drying of the tree.
• Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree. If worn, replace with a new set.
• Do not overload electrical circuits.
• Always turn off the lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.
• After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house. Go to www.realchristmastrees.org and type in your zip code to find a recycling program near you.

• Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove of fireplace.

How to take 10 Years off the appearance of your palace

As I walked around the yard picking up fallen twigs and debris blown my way, I looked at the old place and decided that there are a few things that I should think about to give my home a facelift. While in the budgetary mode, a few simple changes can still be made.

Assess what needs attention. Is your home suffering from year old dirt on your siding, windows, and roof? The simple fix to clean just about anything, is a power washer. Power washers can be rented, but they are a relatively inexpensive purchase. Start at the top of your home and spray your way down. The roof can be washed and cleared of dirt and debris, work on the gutters too while there. If the paint is not in good shape, stand about 3-4 feet away while spraying.. you don’t want to loosen the paint even more. Wash the siding using a sweeping motion and let the water run down, until all the dirt is removed. While you have the sprayer out, wash the deck to remove stains and mildew.

Clean the yard. Pick up sticks, rake autumn’s leftover leaves, and clean up debris. Walking around the yard with your wheelbarrow , rake and garden clippers, visually decide what needs attention. Is it the garden? Does your house need painting? Is your patio furniture looking shabby?

Paint your shutters. A fresh coat of paint on the shutters will give your home a lift. Try a new shade of dusty aqua on a grey house, or a deep, blackish green on a brick home. While painting the shutters, also give your front door a color change. Try something new. Add a bright color, maybe orange or sunny yellow. Do your window boxes need a boost? Plant your window boxes with herbs this year. It is convenient to have your herbs close and off the ground when cooking. One year, I planted mine with different varieties of parsley. They were lush and full, and so easy to care for.

Edge your lawn. Place a stake at one point and then a stake at another point. Tie a string between them to make your straight line. Follow it with your garden tool to scribe an edge. If you have a sidewalk that has grass growing between the grooves, easily remove the grass with an old steak knife or sprinkle salt between the cracks. Use new mulch around your shrubs. Some towns offer it free. Call your town to find the location, bring some heavy plastic bags and a shovel and you are in mulch heaven.

How does your porch furniture look? Buy new throw pillows for the chairs, Pier One has so many to choose from. Remember they don’t have to match. Mix it up. Be creative. Try fresh, bright colors like grass green or orange. I made new slipcovers for my pillows from remnants in my fabric caboodle, using all mismatched stripes.

The most important fix to add Spring freshness to your home is buy a new door mat. There are so many to choose from this year. At your home stores, you can find florals, stripes, and amusing designs- more than a boring black ”welcome” mat. I found one that mimics a post card- too cute!

Have fun with your home’s appearance. Add color, bright color, this year. You will improve your home’s curb appeal, while taking years off your home’s face.

Greener Living = Healthier Indoor Air

If you want to live a more sustainable life and protect your family from cancer, you may want to learn more about one of the home’s most dangerous pollutants—radon. Radon is a cancercausing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and claims about 20,000 lives every year.

Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those with cancer. Fortunately, many of the causes of lung cancer can be prevented—and this is especially true for radon.

The Office of the Surgeon General has issued a health advisory warning Americans about the risk from breathing radon in indoor air. Americans are urged to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building—homes, offices and schools—and can climb to high levels if it’s trapped indoors.

For most Americans, the greatest exposure to radon is in their homes, whether those homes are old or new. Any home, any type, any location can have a radon problem. All homes need to be tested unless the building is a high-rise above the third floor. If your home has not been tested, now is a good time to take the test. This will help protect your family’s health and it’s easy to do.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter of air (4pCi/L) or above. While testing can be easy and inexpensive, millions of Americans still need to have their first home radon test to protect their family.

You can test your home yourself or hire a professional. Reliable testing devices are available by phone or mail order and can be purchased in hardware and home improvement stores.

Fixing a radon problem is easy too—and doesn’t have to be costly. Radon reduction systems can lower radon to an acceptable level. Even very high levels can be reduced to a safer level.

“It’s inexpensive to build a new home with radon-resistant features. A better home will be both greeener for the planet and healthier for your family,” said Fuad Reveiz, a member of the National Association of Home Builders.

For help in identifying radon companies, call your state radon office or visit www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html. For more information, call 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236) or visit www.epa.gov/radon.
If you would like to test your home on your own, I would suggest purchasing a radon test kit below.