Ottawa Tires

Posts Tagged ‘Advice’

Keeping the Ground Clear of Weeds Begin weeding as soon as growth appears. Neglecting the job only leads to more work later on if the weeds are allowed to mature and disperse their seeds. Also, weeds flourish in well-prepared soil and deprive the perennials of both nutrients and moisture. Keep a basket nearby, and drop weeds into it as you remove them. If left on moist soil, many of them will reroot. Add the weeds to the compost pile. Once the ground has been cleared of weeds, a mulch can be applied to deter further growth. Another benefit of a mulch is that it conserves soil moisture during dry spells. In small beds weeding can be done with a short-handled cultivator. But for larger areas, to eliminate prolonged stooping, a long-handled tool is preferable. To remove weeds with a standard hoe, cut them off with a chopping motion, drawing the hoe toward you and taking care not to injure any of the desirable plants. The flat side of a Warren hoe is used the same way; the two-pronged side is used for larger weeds. The scuffle, or Dutch, hoe is pushed backward and forward through the soil, just below the surface, to cut off the weeds. Cultivators break up the surface soil and uproot weeds at the same time. When such persistent, deeprooted weeds as quack grass are growing around the base of a plant, it may be necessary to dig up the plant, split it apart, and replant it in order to remove weeds in the center of the clump or entangled with the roots. Loosening the Soil in Established Beds At the start of the growing season, and again in late autumn, the soil in established beds should be loosened. This is particularly important on heavy or unmulched soil that has become compacted. Loosening allows air and moisture to penetrate to the roots of plants and at the same time eliminates any weed seedlings. A fork can be used, but a long-handled, tined cultivator is ideal. Supplying Plant Food and Constant Moisture The health of plants can be maintained or improved, and their growth encouraged, by the application of a complete fertilizer containing the three most important plant nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash — in varying proportions. Organic fertilizers are particularly suited to perennials, since the nutrients are released slowly over the full period of growth. In early spring, just as growth becomes apparent and before mulching, apply fertilizer by hand. Avoid letting it come in contact with foliage. Use a complete organic fertilizer with an analysis such as 4-12-4. Always apply fertilizers according to directions. Between late spring and early summer feed the plants once with a fast-acting liquid foliar spray such as liquid seaweed. Watering should not be necessary if the bed has been mulched, except during prolonged dry spells. The mulch, which is a layer of organic material over the soil, conserves moisture by reducing evaporation. If watering is needed, the most effective method is to use a watering wand that will direct the water to the soil surface. Clay soils, which compact under heavy rain, should have their surfaces loosened before watering, feeding, or mulching. A mulch also serves some other worthwhile purposes. It prevents compacting. It improves the quality of both clay and sandy soils. It helps to keep water from spattering the undersides of leaves and thus lessens the spread of soil-borne fungous disease. It helps to suppress weed seedlings. And as the organic materials break down, they add nutrients to the soil. Apply mulch in late spring after the ground has been weeded but before growth is advanced. In dry weather soak soil before mulching. It is best to cover the planting bed completely. But if this is not possible, it is better to apply a thick mulch around some plants than to spread it thinly over the whole bed.

The above is an excerpt from the book The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening: Planning – Selection – Propagation – Organic Solutions by Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley and Trevor Cole. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Fern Marshall Bradley and Trevor Cole, editors of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening: Planning – Selection – Propagation – Organic Solutions

Author Bio Fern Marshall Bradley, co-editor with Trevor Cole of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening, is a writer and editor whose favorite topics are gardening and sustainable living. A co-author of Reader’s Digest’s Vegetable Gardening, she also conceived and edited The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Insect and Disease Control, The Expert’s Book of Garden Hints, among others. Bradley is a former gardening books editor for Rodale. Trevor Cole, co-editor with Fern Marshall Bradley of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening, was curator of the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa, Canada, for over 20 years. He was educated in horticultural science at the Royal Botanical Gardens in the U.K. Cole’s previous offerings include numerous magazine articles and the books Care-Free Plants and The New Ottawa Gardener.

Searching for car rental online has never been easier with the help of the internet. You can easily search and compare prices from various car rental suppliers, often on the same website.

Car rental rates often vary considerably depending on what is included in the rate. Look out for those too-good-to-be-true prices – they probably are. You may think you have found a bargain, but it will be a different story when you go to pick up the rental car, only to be told you have to pay for lots of additional charges.

So when you are comparing car rental costs online, ensure you are comparing like with like. There are various extra charges which can push up the price of your rental car, so make sure you look out for them. Often if you add these on to that oh-so-low rate, it doesn’t look so appealing anymore.

What is Included

Most car rental websites will list the inclusions with the rental. These will vary depending on suppliers but generally standard rates include basic insurance and tax.

What is Extra

Again this will vary but look out for the following:

Airport Fees

Also known as a Premium Location Fee, you will be charged extra to pick up a rental car at an airport location. This charge varies depending on supplier and location, but in the UK for example could cost as much as 13% of the rental value.

Vehicle Licensing Fee

This is a Government imposed levy for rental cars to partially recover the registration costs. Approximate cost in the UK: GBP1.22 per day, which over a long period can add up.

Additional Driver Fees

If you want to have more than one driver for your rental car, this is often an extra charge. Daily charges range from GBP4-20 in the UK, EUR4-8 in Italy and from USD3-10 in the States.

Young Driver Surcharge

This is often charged if the driver of the rental car is under the age of 25. In Australia, this ranges from AUD13-22 per day. In France, the Young Driver Surcharge varies from EUR20-35 per day, GBP10-25 in the UK and USD5-45 in the USA.

Excess Reduction

Each rental car often comes with an Insurance Excess which is the amount you would be responsible for if the rental vehicle is damaged. This can often be a few thousand dollars but can be reduced with an optional excess reduction charge which can be paid daily to reduce your excess to a few hundred dollars or even to zero.

Additional Equipment

Things like child seats, ski racks and snow chains are often available at an extra charge.

One Way Rentals

If you want to drop off your rental car in a different city from where you picked it up, there may be a one way fee. Again, this varies depending on the supplier and destination. Ensure you ask before you pay!

All these extras can add up. Sometimes a standard rate may be right for you but if you are picking up at the airport and want an extra driver, for example, it may make sense for you to go with an inclusive rate.

Read the Small Print

Be sure to read inclusions carefully to see what the rental rate covers and which one is right for you. Look for possible restrictions and additional costs and find out what exactly they are before you pay. If you find a low car rental rate, make sure that the additional costs do not outweigh the savings.

At DriveAway Holidays, each car choice will show clearly if it is a Standard or Inclusive rate and will give you a list of what is and what is not included.

People often talk about the “hidden costs” of car rental, but the reality is, they are not hidden at all – you just need to know what to look for.

This is the third in a series of articles containing useful pointers for coping with frost, ice, and snow while you travel by vehicle. The correct tires can make the difference between an enjoyable trip and a hefty towing or hospital bill.1. Summer tread tires are not meant for icy or snowy conditions.

When the temperature dips, so does the traction capability of summer tires. The material used in the manufacturing process loses elasticity and grip as it gets colder. This means that summer tires do not perform as well in freezing temperatures, even on dry roads.2. All-season tires work well in some areas.

If you only experience an occasional mild snowstorm, you might be happy with all-season tires. However, they don’t perform as well as good winter tires. Their composition and tread is a compromise that provides decent handling and traction in a variety of conditions. Busy drivers who don’t have the time to change their tires twice a year will often swear by all-seasons.3. Real winters demand real winter tires.

If you have ever been stuck in a snow bank, you appreciate how much time and inconvenience it requires to get a tow. A car that slides into a snow bank can just as easily careen into oncoming traffic, over an embankment, or into a pedestrian. For safety’s sake, a change to winter tires is a good investment.4. Choosing the correct tire requires some forethought.

There are various types of winter tires. Analyze your driving patterns (fast? slow? heavy on the brakes?), travel routes (uphill and downhill grades? tight curves? gravel vs. pavement?), and other factors that might affect tire performance and needs.

a) Performance Winter Tires

Performance winter tires are responsive on dry winter roads – but their traction is not as good on ice and snow as some other types of tires. The treads tend to be a bit soft; these tires should always be changed in the spring in order to preserve tread life.

b) Snow and Ice Studless Tires

These tires will give better traction than performance winters, but the handling will not be quite as responsive.

c) Winter Studded Tires

These are good-quality winter-tread tires embedded with 60-120 small metal studs per tire. The studs, composed of a very hard metal like tungsten carbide, protrude slightly above the tread surface. This provides superior traction on ice and snow. However, studs also dig into pavement – and they are banned in some areas. If you plan a long trip, be sure to check the regulations regarding studded tires along your route.5. A tire professional can help you to sift through the choices.

Nothing can replace competent advice from a good tire technician. However before you pick a tire shop, consider the following:

a) Does the tire business have a good reputation – or does a check with the local merchants’ association or Better Business Bureau reveal a number of consumer complaints?

b) Do you know of anyone who has used the shop and can provide first-hand recommendations?

c) Are the tire shop’s certifications, licenses, and permits prominently displayed where customers can see them?

d) Are the service people properly certified? And are they experienced?

e) Will the shop honor your vehicle warranty?

f) Do the shop technicians have experience with vehicles of your model and year?

Inventors and manufacturers are continually trying to design the ‘perfect tire’. An online search for ‘tire patent’ will bring up over 1 million pages in Google. Who knows – maybe the perfect tire will be on the shelves next year! In the meantime, do your research, and get the most suitable tire for your driving style and weather conditions.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.