Monday, June 16, 2008

A Kid Weather Activity � Make a Simple Thermometer

By Nancy Johnson Everyday we hear about weather forecasts from the radio, newspaper, television and the Internet. Because the air is always moving, there is always weather! Air warming, cooling, rising and falling causes weather such as wind, rain, fog, snow, hail and thunderstorms. As a kid weather activity, discuss what weather is and why it is important to us. For a science experiment, make a simple thermometer. Knowing what the weather is going to be can affect planning outdoor activities, traveling and just being outside. As an activity, learn to read a weather map printed in a newspaper. Look for places where its raining, hot, windy and cold. From the weather map, record the daily weather forecast and see if you can learn to predict the next days weather. Make a simple thermometer using colored water. The readings will be approximate due to water evaporation, but it will give you an idea of the temperature. You will need a glass bottle with a rubber or cork stopper, a glass tube, larger glass container, red food coloring, water and ice. Fill the bottle with water and add several drops of red coloring. Drill a hole in the stopper to fit the glass tube and slide the tube into the hole carefully. Place the bottle in the larger glass container filled with cold, iced water. Open the smaller bottle, fill the bottle with cold water and replace the stopper. Cut a piece of cardboard the length of the glass tube and secure it with tape to the tube. Mark a line on the cardboard showing the level of the water in the tube. Mark a temperature scale by comparing to an indoor thermometer or just watch the tube levels to show how the temperature changes. Swiss mathematician, Daniel Bernoulli discovered in 1738 that the faster air (or liquid) moves, the more pressure drops. For fun, try holding a sheet of tissue paper between the fingers of both hands and blow hard over the top. The far end of the paper will begin to lift. Below the paper, the air pressure remains the same. This effect allows birds and aircraft to fly and sailing ships to sail! The National Weather Service has lots of weather-related information for kids. As a mother, grandmother, and child development professional, Nancy Johnson, shares over 20 years experience working with children and planning activities on her website, Creative-Child-Activity-Notebook.com. Check it out for more school age child activity ideas including summer, outdoor, learning, nature, and kid weather activity ideas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Johnson http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Kid-Weather-Activity—Make-a-Simple-Thermometer&id=268640 lap top no credit check virginia bad credit lender personal secured loan jacksonville no credit check car loan
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Introduction to Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery – Blepharoplasty

By Daniel Ebroon Many women and men have looked at their eyes and wondered if cosmetic eyelid surgery could enhance their appearance. For some, its the realization that their eyes are starting to look like their mothers (or fathers) eyes. For others, its a recognition that their eyes are communicating a tired and worn look even though they feel well rested and energetic. And for some women, its a simple desire to wear eye makeup in a way they havent been able to for years. Sagging eyelids can cause even more severe symptoms. For example, vision can be blocked by eyelids and eyelashes. This can be noted particularly when reading, but also for other common tasks as driving or watching television. Also, a tremendous amount of energy can be expended by the eyebrows and forehead just to keep the eyes open. A significant amount of fatigue can be felt around the eyes, particularly as the day wears on and these muscles tire of holding up droopy eyelids. Sometimes headaches are a direct result of baggy and droopy eyelids. Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is also called cosmetic eyelid surgery or an eye lift. It is surgery performed on the eyelids to reduce puffiness and remove the excess hanging skin around the eyes. It gives the eyelids a more youthful appearance, reduces eye fatigue, and can help with vision. For so many people cosmetic eyelid surgery is very exciting. In fact, cosmetic eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty is the most popular cosmetic surgery performed every year. Many people have thought seriously about finally taking care of their tired looking eyes. Surgery performed by a cosmetic eyelid specialist with a great deal of experience is a fantastic way of finally taking care of the eyelids. Droopy, saggy, hanging, bulgy eyelids can be transformed to greatly enhance appearance and express to others true energy and vitality. Dr. Daniel Ebroon is an Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeon which means he specializes in plastic surgery of the eyelids. Cosmetic eyelid surgery (also called blepharoplasty) is cosmetic surgery that rejuvinates tired looking eyes. To Learn more about Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery, please visit Dr. Ebroon’s websites at: http://www.ebroon.com and http://www.cosmetic-eyelid-surgery.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Ebroon http://EzineArticles.com/?Introduction-to-Cosmetic-Eyelid-Surgery—Blepharoplasty&id=111296 gold for fast cash poor credit loan best rates for personal loans in canada bad credit secured loan
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Sunday, June 8, 2008

Motorola V3 Black: Design That Speaks

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Keith_Rickwood]Keith Rickwood Motorolas RAZR phones are much in demand in the mobile market. Endowed with advanced technology and superlative design, the phone accentuates users personality in the best possible way. With more popularity, Motorola has again introduced a new and special edition, the Motorola v3 black. Being in the same RAZR category, it is one of the slimmest phone available in the market. The phone dimension is only 13.9 x 53 x 98 mm. Though the phone is very slim, it has not compromised with its features. The black metallic finish is really tempting and the keypad which is created from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy is truly revolutionary. The metallic finish of the phone has a visual impact and you would love to touch the smooth surface of the phone. Capture some special moments with the Motorola v3′s VGA camera that comes with an effective 4x digital zoom. The digital zoom and quick exposure control ensures excellent picture quality. You can also capture MPEG4 video clips and watch it on the 176 x 220 pixel 2.2 colour display feel the pleasure on the move. Moto v3 black has kept a good harmony between its form and functionality. With stylish look, the phone also comes with advanced technology. The phone provides connectivity ease with Bluetooth wireless technology. Connect and transfer videos and images without using a wire. This wireless technology is one of the most important features for sharing data. With WAP and GPRS you can browse the internet and send or receive emails on the go. And the quad band network allows you to stay connected whenever and wherever you go. The clamshell phone weighs only 95g and is easy to hold it on the palm. This special edition from Motorola is simply an exceptional phone both in terms of its slim design and high-end features. [http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk/alldeals.asp?id=229 ]Motorola V3 Black [http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk/ target=_blank]Mobile Phone Deals Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Rickwood http://EzineArticles.com/?Motorola-V3-Black:-Design-That-Speaks&id=472238 default on a payday loan in texas nothing will happen online or in person mortgage loan unsecured bad credit lenders hard money lenders in antioch ca
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Thinking About Losing Weight?

By Amin Motin Can you really lose weight just by thinking about it? Scientists now seem to think you can. Researchers at Harvard have come to startling conclusions about the body-mind connection. Just Think About It. How many times has someone said that to you? More than once, I’ll bet. But now it seems it’s even better advice than ever. It seems an amazing discovery has been made by researchers at Harvard University. Psychologists studied 84 hotel cleaners, whose job involved physical activity. It seems that half the group lost an average of two pounds and lowered their blood pressure somewhere in the region of 10 percent, while the other half had no noticeable changes. If the successful half had been put on a new diet, the world right now would have bought millions of copies of it and every talk show would be discussing how good it is. If you’re wondering what caused half of the hotel cleaners to lose weight, you may be in for a bit of shock. The only difference between the two groups was that the successful group had been coached to believe that the jobs they were doing burned calories, made them healthier and helped them lose weight. In other words the weight loss group were taught to believe what they were already doing anyway was going to have health benefits and the health benefits appeared, without any extra effort on their part. The chief researcher, Ellen Langer, claimed ‘The changes were a function of the change in mindset alone’. She goes on to say ‘If you can put the mind in a healthy place, you can have dramatic physiological consequences’. In other words you can lose weight, or improve your general health just by thinking about it the right way. That’s an amazing statement and has implications for everyone who would like to enjoy vibrant good health. If you imagine yourself losing weight and burning up calories during normal daily activity, you will lose weight and bodyfat. That simple. No dieting, no extra exercising, no pills, no shakes, no meal replacements. It almost sounds too good to be true, but the researchers at Harvard have now proven that it’s not. So next time you see a slim friend who eats what they want and never puts weight on, you’ll know their secret! So why don’t you think about it? Amin Motin has been involved with self-help technologies for over 15 years, using a variety of techniques to implement change for himself and others around him. With special interest in the fields of weight loss and success (both connected), he is constantly seeking more efficient ways to achieve lasting change easily. Lose Weight Without Dieting Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amin_Motin http://EzineArticles.com/?Thinking-About-Losing-Weight?&id=477058 baton rouge refinance car loan bad credit no co-signer no collateral bad credit loan help to find a phone number for cmg group llc payday loan payday loan debit cards ok
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Friday, May 30, 2008

Weight Loss – 10 Tips To Fewer Calories

By Michael Russell Most all of us look for ways to lose a few extra pounds. The key to weight loss is to keep it simple. Here are 10 tips to help you lose those unwanted pounds. 1. Instead of using butter, try fruit purees. The next time you have mashed potatoes, leave off the butter. Try substituting a fruit puree instead. This will reduce the calories and give your mashed potatoes a nice flavor. 2. Take the fat out of the cheese. We all know that cheese contains lots of calcium and is very good for you. But it also has a lot of fat in it, making weight loss very difficult. An easy was to remove the fat is to put the cheese in your microwave oven for approximately 10-15 seconds. Remove it and immediately drain off the fat. Be sure you don’t overcook it or you’ll have a big mess on your hands. The other option is to simply buy a low fat cheese at the store. 3. Don’t eat your meals in front of the TV. This tip may sound silly, but it’s probably one of the biggest reasons for weight gain. It’s so easy to overeat while watching the TV. You become so engrossed at the program you’re watching that you just continue eating and eating. Weight loss and TV don’t work well together. 4. Never try to exercise before eating a meal. When you go out and physically exercise before eating your meal you are going to make yourself even hungrier. You’re burning fat and losing weight. But you’re also making yourself hungrier. For better weight loss make sure you exercise after eating. Be sure you don’t exercise right after eating though, or you will more than likely get sick. Give yourself an hour after eating before exercising. 5. Be sure to eat a good breakfast. The word breakfast means to break your fast. Since you most likely haven’t eaten since dinner the night before, you are literally breaking your fast. It is a proven fact that eating breakfast, even if it’s a piece of toast, will help you burn more calories and lose weight, then if you skip eating breakfast all together. 6. Use the right milk. Make sure you use skim milk rather than whole milk. Whole milk contains cream and of course, adds calories. Skim milk on the other hand contains no fat and helps contribute to weight loss. Skim milk will still give you all the benefits of milk and has very little taste difference. 7. Remove the trans fatty acids. All trans fatty acids are bad fats. A good example of a trans fat is margarine. Butter on the other hand is not. Be sure to never use margarine or butter when cooking. Use cooking oil instead, preferably olive oil. Always read the labels on food you buy at the store. Avoid hydrogenated oil at all cost, in order to lose weight. It contains loads of trans fatty acids. 8. Fructose is an appetite suppressant. Drink water or fruit juice with fructose and not glucose to help with weight loss. Did you know that drinking a glass of orange juice an hour before you eat a meal will help in suppressing your appetite? 9. Trim the fat from meats before cooking. Most of us love to eat meat and that’s fine. But in order to help with weight loss, you need to trim off all the excess fat from meats prior to cooking. This will dramatically reduce your calorie intake from meat. Your other healthy option is to eat more fish and skinless chicken. 10. Four egg yokes or less each week. Eggs are full of the wrong kinds of fat. The whites of an egg is worse than the yolk. In order to help with weight loss, limit the number of eggs you eat to four or fewer every week. While there are many other tips available to help you lose weight, these ten are a great start. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to losing these unwanted pounds. Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Weight Loss Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss—10-Tips-To-Fewer-Calories&id=207563 best payday loan long term loan for bad credit i need atleast a 5000 dollar loan with bad credit baton rouge online used car loan
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

50th Birthday Fun Thoughts and Ideas

By Gail Leino When youve reached that 50th birthday you may find yourself wondering where all the time went to. Just yesterday you were twenty-five and living large, now you feel a little tired. Make up for lost time with a big 50th birthday party. The half century mark shouldnt be a time to sit back, but instead to get up and move around. A stand up cocktail party can provide the elegance some prefer for this big event. Its easy to purchase plenty of 50th birthday party napkins for guests to use at the event. You can even find some light up wine and champagne glasses to add a little glow to your event. Hanging dangles from the ceiling will reflect the lights in the room. To really add some spark to your birthday you can celebrate it with lots of golden decorations. Maybe even turn it into a Safari Party or Pirate celebration and your guests will get to go on a hunt for golden treasure. Dont worry about this being too childish, everyone should take the time to act like a kid now and then. Bring in some plastic coins to spread around the tables and make a golden yellow cake. Guests sometimes surprise the soon-to-be fifty year old with their own surprise party. This can be intended to poke light fun at the guest of honors Over the Hill status. A birthday cake shaped like a tombstone or coffin can bring some ironic giggles. Gag gifts such as an old age care basket filled with Adult diapers, Aspercream, and reading glasses with really thick lenses will get lots of laughs from the guests and hopefully the receiver. Black and gray colored decorations can add to the theme. Get black streamers to hang from the ceiling. And a banner with a funny Over the Hill saying to hang above the buffet table. Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or “just because” parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino http://EzineArticles.com/?50th-Birthday-Fun-Thoughts-and-Ideas&id=337474 paycheck calculator money lenders payday lening in arkansas hard money lenders in tn
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Saturday, May 24, 2008

A Marketing Lesson From “The Godfather”

By Caroline Melberg Maybe it was the commercials for the recent release of the video game based on the movie based on one of my all-time favorite novels that got me to thinking about how great marketers are just like Don Corleone, the infamous Godfather. We all need to make em an offer they cant refuse. Now, Im not suggesting that we all need to start sending dead fish wrapped in newspaper to anyone who doesnt buy from us, or start putting hits out on our competitors well leave those particular tactics to the Corleone family. What I am suggesting is that, like Don Corleone, we tell our prospects all the reasons why it would be beneficial to them to do business with us. Highlight those benefits, and make it so obvious to them that they cant live (happily) without your product or service that they are dying to buy from you! You see people dont really care about you or your company or even your product or service all that much. What they care about is how you and your product or service will benefit THEM. Youve heard of WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get)? Well, heres a new one that your customer repeats every time he reads anyones marketing copy: WIIFM (Whats In It For Me)?M So you tell him! Dont talk about boring features (the drill is black and weighs 2 lbs. 3 oz.) tell him about the benefits your drill has to offer (our drill is so light weight, you wont feel like your arm is going to fall off even after 30 minutes of continuous use!) Your customers dont want your drill they want the hole. Show him how your drill will solve all of his problems, save him time, make his life easier, save him money and make him look like a virtual genius to his friends and family for having chosen such a perfect drill. By highlighting the specific benefits of your product or service, you will appeal to your prospects on an emotional level and youll have made em an offer they cant refuse! Entrepreneur and outdoor photography adventurer Caroline Melberg is President and CEO of Melberg Marketing, Inc., a full-service virtual Marketing Communications Agency. She has over 20 years of experience creating marketing communicatins materials and writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. She publishes the popular eZine, “Blue Chip Tips: The Secrets of Blue Chip Marketing…Revealed!” Get your FREE subscription at http://www.melberg.com! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caroline_Melberg http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Marketing-Lesson-From-The-Godfather&id=323672 tips for applying for unsecured loans no faxing payday loans md bad credit loan personal loans household finance
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Heel Pain – Ten Tips for Treatment

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christine_Dobrowolski,_DPM] Christine Dobrowolski, DPM The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis (plan * tar fash* ee * I * tis). If you experience a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, it is most likely due to plantar fasciitis. This type of heel pain may also occur as achiness at the end of the day in the heel or even burning pain in the arch. Plantar fasciitis can be associated with a heel spur, but this is not the cause of the pain. When the long ligament like structure (plantar fascia) on the bottom of the foot pulls on the heel bone over a period of time, a spur is formed. Only 50% of individuals with plantar fasciitis have a bone spur in their heel. The spur will never go away, but the plantar fasciitis will. Plantar fasciitis is typically caused by a new activity, a new pair of shoes, a worn out pair of shoes, a change of routine or change in job. Individuals with flatfeet or abnormal motion in the feet may have a higher chance of developing plantar fasciitis. Once you develop plantar fasciitis, you may find it very difficult to treat. 1. Identify the cause: There is typically a reason for the development of plantar fasciitis, but since the condition is not typically associated with an acute injury it may be hard to remember. Once the cause is identified, try to stop or modify the activity. 2. Decrease aggravating activities: Climbing up and down stairs, walking or running on hills, squatting, carrying heavy items and walking on uneven terrain all place excess stress through the feet. Decrease these activities by asking your spouse, significant other or friend for help with the kids or carrying heavy items. Avoid multiple trips up and down the stairs at work and home. Limit gardening to flatter more even terrain. Stop running and walking for exercise and try biking or swimming. Avoid the stair stepper, the treadmill and the elliptical machine at the gym. 3. Stop running or walking: Keeping up aerobic activity is important and cross training can help. Try biking or swimming. Most walkers hate the stationary bike at the gym, but this isn’t forever. Don’t drop your heel when you bike and try to avoid standing and climbing steep hills if you cycle outdoors. If you participate in spin classes, you may need to modify the class to avoid further injury to the foot. The recumbent stationary bike may place excess stress through the arch because of the position. The classic stationary bike may be more appropriate. 4. Try using an ice massage: Freeze a sports water bottle and place it on the floor. To decrease inflammation and pain in your arch, roll your foot over the water bottle for at least 20 minutes twice a day. Alternate between the frozen water bottle and a heating pad, at 5 minute increments, for 20-30 minutes a day, three to four times a week. 5. Stretch your calf: Before you get out of bed, wrap the towel or belt around the ball of your foot. Pull the foot towards you, keeping your leg straight. You should feel a stretch in the back of the calf, and this will also stretch the bottom of the foot. Stretch your calf throughout the day with the runner’s stretch and spend 5-10 minutes every evening stretching your calf. 6. Take anti-inflammatory medications: Anti-inflammatory medications will help decrease the inflammation that occurs in the fascia as a result of the stress and tearing. Make sure you decrease your activity level and stretch and ice as much as possible during the time you are taking these medications. Otherwise, you may end up only masking the pain. Take the medication with food and stop taking the medication if you experience stomach discomfort. 7. Wear supportive shoes: A supportive shoe will only bend at the toes. This step may seem logical, but many individuals don’t realize that their comfortable shoes lack support and may be contributing to their pain. Test your shoe by taking it, flipping it over and grabbing the toe area and the heel. Attempt to fold the shoe in half. If the shoe bends in half, then the shoe is not supportive. Don’t go barefoot. See the American Podiatric Medical Association’s (APMA) list of approved shoes at www.apma.org/ seal/sealaccategory.html. 8. Strengthen the muscles in your feet: Place a small towel on the floor and curl your toes on the towel as you bring the towel towards you. Place marbles on the floor and pick them up with your toes and place them in a bowl. 9. Wear orthotics: Prefabricated orthotics are inserts that fit into the shoe to help control motion in your feet. Controlling abnormal motion in the feet can decrease the stress and help the plantar fascia heal. Soft inserts available at the drug store may be comfortable, but they will not help control abnormal motion. Make sure the orthotics you buy are rigid or stiff from the heel to the ball of the foot. 10. See a podiatrist: If your symptoms persist, make an appointment with your podiatrist. Other treatments include prescription anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, night splints, physical therapy, cast boots, shock wave therapy and surgery. Luckily, very few individuals need surgery. Christine Dobrowolski is a podiatrist and the author of Those Aching Feet: Your Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Foot Problems. For more information on how to treat heel pain visit [http://www.northcoastfootcare.com/footcare-info/heel-pain-about-plantar-fasciitis.html] NorthcoastFootcare/heelpain.To learn more about Dr. Dobrowolski and her book visit [http://www.skipublishing.com] SkiPublishing.com. Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christine_Dobrowolski,_DPM ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Dobrowolski,_DPM [http://ezinearticles.com/?Heel-Pain---Ten-Tips-for-Treatment&id=5929 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?Heel-Pain—Ten-Tips-for-Treatment&id=5929 small personal loans for people with bad credit how to qualify for a short term mortgage loan pricing and trading sba loans military pay day loan
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Monday, May 19, 2008

How to Grow Flowering Dogwood Trees from Seed

By Michael McGroarty Flowering Dogwood trees can be easily grown from seed, however 99.9999% of the seedlings that sprout will be Cornus Florida, which is White Flowering Dogwood. It doesnt matter if you collect the seeds from a White Dogwood or a Pink Dogwood, the seedlings are likely to be white. The only predictable way to grow a Pink Dogwood, Red Dogwood, or one of the beautiful Dogwoods with variegated leaves, is to bud or graft the desired variety onto a White Dogwood seedling. See this page on my website for details on “budding”: http://www.freeplants.com/budding_fruit_trees_and_ornamental_plants.htm Dogwood trees begin producing seeds right after the petals drop from the flowers. Its a slow process that takes all summer. By late summer the seeds begin to turn red, which means they are just about mature. Dont pick them too early or the embryo will not be fully developed and they will not be viable. When the seeds are fully developed they will begin to fall from the tree, and at that time you can begin to pick them. Ripe seeds can be removed easily. If they dont pop right off when you grab them, they are not quite ready, give them another week or two. Dont let them fall to the ground, the chipmunks, birds and other critters love them, and usually eat them as fast as they fall. Once picked, let them sit for a week or so, until the pulp begins to soften. At that time soak them in a pail of water to further soften the pulp. While still in the pail of water squeeze the seeds between your fingers to separate the seeds from the pulp. Once they are separated slowly add water to the pail until it overflows, allowing the water to flow over the edge of the pail slowly. The viable seeds should sink to the bottom of the pail, while the pulp should float to the top. Allow the pulp to float out of the pail until you have nothing but clean seeds lying on the bottom of the pail. Drain the water and spread the seeds out on a table to dry. Once dry the seeds can be stored in a cool dry place. They will keep this way for some time. Because Dogwood seeds have a very hard outer coating on the seed, they need to be pretreated or stratified before they will germinate. This process softens the outer coating so that water and oxygen can enter, initiating the germination process. There are several ways to stratify Dogwood seeds, from treating them with acid to storing them in the refrigerator. I will share a couple of techniques that I think will work the best for someone with little experience. One technique requires that you decide what day next spring you would like to plant the seeds and then counting backwards on your calendar for 210 days to start the stratification process. Here in the north May 15 is a good target date for planting because by then we should be safe from frost. You dont want Mother Nature to do them in before they even have a chance. 210 days from May 15 would put you around Oct. 15 to start the stratification process. To stratify the seeds using this technique simply place them in a plastic bag with some moist (not wet!) peat moss, or a mixture of moist peat and sand. Poke some holes in the bag, you dont want it air tight. Store them in this mixture at room temperature for a period of 105 days. After 105 days move them to your refrigerator for another 105 days. Dont put them way in the back where they might freeze. You want them cool, but not frozen. After 105 days of storage in the refrigerator they should be ready to plant outside. Just time it so that you get them outside just after the danger of frost has past. While the seeds are being stored check them weekly, if you have fungus growing in the bag sprinkle a little fungicide in. Near the end of the storage period you should be checking for germination, as soon as 10% of the seeds have germinated they should be planted out. If its too early, plant them in a flat indoors, just make sure they get plenty of sunlight. To plant them simply sprinkle the entire contents of the bag on top of the soil and spread it out. Sprinkle some light soil over top. Do not plant the seeds too deep. of soil over top is all you want. Water them thoroughly after planting, then allow the soil to dry out before watering again. Make sure you plant them in an area that drains well, you dont want them in soggy soil or they will rot. Thats one technique. Another technique is to nick each seed in a couple of different places with a knife right after the seeds are cleaned, and plant them out immediately in the fall. Cover the seed bed with a piece of screen so the critters dont dig them up and eat them. Which technique works better? I dont know. There are so many variables that can change the outcome that I have not seen where one works better than the other. I suggest you do some each way and see what works best for you. I like getting them planted right away in the fall and putting Mother Nature in charge, but its disappointing if something happens and you have a poor stand, thats why its always nice to try some both ways. You can also grow Chinese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) from seed. Chinese Dogwood is very popular because it flowers much later than most other ornamentals. Late June is usually when they are in bloom, and the flowers are cream colored against dark green foliage. It makes the flowers look mint green in color. Just use the same techniques as above. You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_McGroarty http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Grow-Flowering-Dogwood-Trees-from-Seed&id=76579 payday lenders settling an sba loan that is in default online car loan instant approval no credit check personal loan
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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Problems With Peonies?

By Yvonne Cunnington My peony buds start to grow in spring, but they stay very tiny and die. What’s wrong? This is a condition called “bud blast” that can occur in newly planted peonies. The flower buds grow about the size of a small pea but then stop growing and fail to open. Peony plants form their buds in the fall. A clump that’s been divided has a much-reduced root system, and it sometimes doesn’t have the strength to develop all its buds. This problem goes away as the plant matures. In more mature plants, possible causes include poor soil fertility, too much shade, dry spells or cold injury after an extreme winter. Winters that are colder than normal and late spring frosts can abort the buds of mature as well as new plants. The best remedy is to protect peony clumps with winter mulch (fall leaves or Christmas tree boughs work well) applied in late fall or early winter after you have cut down the previous season’s foliage. Some stems on my peony suddenly wilted, turned brown and dried up. What’s wrong? In cool wet springs, peonies can be affected by botrytis blight. A number of stems in a clump can be affected in older plants, while young plants can have all stems affected. You should remove any wilted stems, cutting below the affected area. Be careful not to allow diseased material come into contact with healthy stems. Discard in the garbage (not the compost), and disinfect your pruners with rubbing alcohol or bleach. Your peonies should recover when conditions get drier and warmer. To prevent problems, always plant your peonies in a sunny spot, spacing them to allow for good air circulation, and do a good clean-up of old leaves each fall. My plants have been in the same spot for years, but now they aren’t blooming as well as they used to. Generally, peonies grow well for many seasons, as long as they have humus-rich soil, adequate moisture and full sun. However, if your plants have been in the same spot for years, the soil may be depleted. Mulching them each spring and fall with a couple of shovels full of well-rotted manure or garden compost can help. If your plants are getting crowded or are now shaded by surrounding trees and shrubs, consider dividing or moving them. The best time to do this is in late summer or early fall. Cut into the fleshy roots to make divisions that have at least four or five eyes (the little buds you see on the roots). Replant into enriched soil and make sure the eyes are set no deeper than two inches. Yvonne Cunnington is an avid gardener, garden writer and photographer. She contributes regularly to gardening magazines and is the author of Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless For more gardening tips, visit her website at http://flower-gardening-made-easy.com – For more peony planting and care tips, see http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/peony-care.html – See her Country Gardener blog at http://countrygardener.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_Cunnington http://EzineArticles.com/?Problems-With-Peonies?&id=204884 figuring a paycheck mortgage loan bad credit last chance second chance payday loan all approved cash secured commercial loan
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