Gardening & Landscape, Vegetables

Wide Row Gardening

Wide row gardening is a technique that I have been using for years. I got the idea from a book called the Victory Garden. Basically, rather than doing skinny row planting, you sow blocks (mine are about 2 ft by 2-3 ft, depending on the plant) with a thick covering of seeds. This works with crops like turnips, radishes, beets, lettuce and other greens, carrots, peas, etc. Depending on the size of plant, you do it a bit more thickly or thinly as needed (carrots a bit more thickly than peas, for example). This allows for fewer paths in the garden and less compaction.


No making lines to follow, no trying to separate individual seeds or carefully measuring out your plot. My method was to prepare the block of soil, grab the packet of seeds, try to distribute them evenly over the area, then cover with a bit of soil (Miracle moisture retentive garden soil). So easy!


More recently, the second benefit from wide row gardening I see is that even though I have done basically zero weeding, after the blocks are so full of plants that there isn’t a whole lot of room for weeds to grow. This has been especially true with my radish, spinach and lettuce. Carrots and parsnips take longer to get big and leafy tops, so that patch is certainly a bit weedier, as is my beet patch where there is poor seed germination and therefore very few plants. Overall, though, this technique definitely has its perks!

Garden Pests

The Right Bug Light

Bug lights, although most of us want to avoid attracting insects to our light bulbs for mostly selfish reasons (insects = annoying).

Overall, incandescent light bulbs pulled in the highest number of insects, followed by CFL, halogen globes, and cool-colored LEDs. The second best light was the ‘bug light’, and the winner, with the least amount of insects attracted, was the warm LED bulb.

So for now, stick to warm-colored LED bulbs to light your garden or porch this summer. Not only will it reduce the amount of insects hanging around, it’s also a lot better for the environment than traditional globes.

Home Improvement, Home Maintenance

Change the Mood with a Change of a Light Bulb

Each light bulb has its pros and cons and certain bulbs work better in different spaces of a home. Take a deeper look at the different light bulbs to see where each should be used.

Incandescent is the most commonly used light bulb and usually the least expensive. This type of light has a warm, inviting quality and is very complimentary to skin tones and psychologically appealing. Incandescent bulbs usually last between 700 to 1,000 hours and can be used with a dimmer; however, they’re not as energy efficient as other options.

Edison lighting

Halogen bulbs are a variation of incandescent. They give the closest approximation of natural daylight, known as “white light.” Colors appear sharper under halogen light and the bulbs can be dimmed. They’re a little more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, but are more expensive and burn at a higher temperature. Most often halogen bulbs are used in under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights and recessed cans. Remember not to use bare hands when changing the halogen bulb. The smallest residue of oil from a human hand can rub off on the bulb, creating an atmosphere where the bulb warms too quickly when the lamp is turned on, which can cause the bulb to explode.

Smart halogen light bulb that can change color

The typical fluorescent gives a flat, cold light, often bluish and harsh. It is a daylight-equivalent and cannot be put on a dimmer. There are many types of fluorescents on the market: warm ones, cool ones and special-colored ones, and they typically produce more light and last longer than incandescent. Fluorescent bulbs work well to light large areas like basements or attics.

Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) consume a quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs do and last 10 times longer. Unlike the old fluorescent lights, CFLs are quiet, instant-on and have warmer, color-corrected tones. They can be used anywhere you would use a typical incandescent light bulb. CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, a harmful substance. Although the bulbs contain far less mercury than other household items, care needs to be taken to prevent breakage. Also, when CFLs burn out, they should be recycled.

LED, which stands for “light-emitting diode,” is a lighting technology that is long-lasting and extremely energy-efficient, but they’re not ready to supplant all other bulbs yet. For one, they provide only directional light, not diffused light, making them ideal for under-counter task lighting, but not general room illumination. To overcome this, new models consist of large arrays of LEDs clustered together, but at prices from five to six times higher than CFLs, the bulbs are not for everybody.