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Your Questions About Gardening « gardenerscardiff.co.uk
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gardenerscardiff.co.uk

For the Best Gardeners in the Cardiff Area

   Jul 02

Your Questions About Gardening

John asks…

Do coffee grounds enrich the soil?

My house was built on a former brownfield (factories) in downtown Chicago. My yard is comprised of rocks, clay, stone and about 1/2 inch of topsoil. I grind my own coffee beans and have been putting them in the flower garden. Does it help the soil?

GardenersCardiff answers:

Coffee grounds are good for acid-loving plants–the ones that pop to mind are azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries. But, you’ll need more than just that, even if all your flowers are acid loving. I would suggest having a load of topsoil delivered, and then amending that–compost, peat moss, sand, depending on what the topsoil is like. Also, I’m sure there is a university or an agricultural extension agent who can test your soil and tell you more specifically what you need, given what you want to grow.

Helen asks…

How to make nails grow fast ?

I’m going to a nail salon in about two weeks, and I wanna grow my nails so that I could get a French manicure that looks natural. Can someone tell me how to make them grow fast please? And how do you stop biting them?

GardenersCardiff answers:

Over a year and a half ago my doctor advised me to take Vitamin E for my badly picked and bitten nails. I was ready to try anything, believe me! This worked beyond my wildest dreams! My nails are strong and healthy and ugly deformed bumps on my thumb nails disappeared. Now they grow and grow fast! I use a rectangular nail block to keep them a good length (no talons for me!) and I pamper them with good hand lotion and cuticle cream. I use Develop 10, from Amazon, which is a great strengthener as well as being a shiny clear polish that can be reapplied every few days. One trick that I found on my own is a real winner – I clasp my hands together while watching TV, sometimes massaging in hand cream at the same time. I also have worry stones (from eBay), inexpensive but beautiful smooth stones to rub when stressed) all over the place – in my purse or pocket, on the nightstand, near my couch, and a bowl of them as decor on the coffee table! I check for rough spots or snags on my nails regularly and go after them with the nail block so that no breakage will occur. I even use the nail block for dry, hard places on the skin around my nails, leaving nothing to bite or pick. I am very satisfied to have, finally, a routine that works!

Robert asks…

How can I fatten up my horse?

My baby boy is 12. I have had him for 6 years, and he is getting skinny. I love this horse and it breaks my heart to see him like this! I am very concerned for him and want my boy to be fit. He is extremely muscular and has a TON of energy! I am hoping for some tips and home-made remedies. His feeding schedule is:
Morning: 1 Scoop (coffee can) of oats; 1/2 bale of hay
Evening: 1 Scoop of oats; 3 flakes of hay; and a handful of 14% supplement.
He is on a routine of worming and medication. We also have another horse that is 15, but he looks better than my 12 year old. Any ideas or tips?

GardenersCardiff answers:

You’ve got your yanswer in all your answers.

1. Have his teeth checked. If you don’t have the vet check him compare his poop to the other horse.

2. Be sure he gets his own hay. Is he by himself or with the other horse? Can the other horse steal his hay?

2. Make sure he gets enough hay.
I grow my own and hearing people refer to “flake” as a unit of measure is sickening. A “flake” is simply the hay in the chamber of the baler when the plunger makes a stroke. This is dependent on hay density, mower width, baler size, ground speed, etc. Moisture content of the hay plays in that too. You can save a lot of money by providing enough good quality hay. The rule is 2% of body weight a day in good quality hay. But it depends on quality. Right now I feed 8 roughly 30 pound bales to 10 quarter horses. My bales vary so much I make sure I over-feed and they usually over eat. When they leave hay and get really picky it lets me know to give a little less the next time. Don’t worry about hay-belly. My opinion is that will not be there with proper exercise.

3. As a measure to gain weight back, add cooking oil to his oats. Try just about 1/4 cup each feeding.

4. Be sure he is fed on a schedule. Horses are grazers. They are not like cows, Horses pretty much should eat continuously. If a horse goes too long without re-filling his gut with hay it can literally kill him. Like in a day. Had it happen. Feeding twice a day is the limit. More often is better. If you can break his ration into 4 feedings it will aid digestion. Never feed once a day unless you can ensure that he has a supply of hay (or pasture) that will last him longer.

5. Beet pulp is great. However its more money. You have to wet it. Had a Clydesdale that would bolt his beet pulp or grain. I Panicked once and called the vet. After that, I’d just laugh. His throat would unplug eventually. Wetting pulp or grain avoids this problem.. Is it that important he gains weight that quickly? (Even with beet pulp it won’t seem quick)

6. This will fire up a debate, I have started feeding corn to my horses. I have a neighbor where I can get it wholesale by the 100# bag for less than 2/3 my sweet feed price. Whole or ground. The most important thing to remember with corn is that it is like 3 times as powerful as a sweet feed. So if you feed 3 to 5 pounds sweet feed twice a day, you will only need 1 to 1-1/2 pounds corn twice a day. I currently use a Red Solo Cup and feed about two each feeding. It doesn’t seem like much but it all the energy they need. If you add oil it will help with the weight gain. With corn you can also feed it dried on the cob. Makes them eat slower. Just be sure to avoid mold. It can hurt them. As with everything, a little won’t really hurt just not all black and overfeeding.

Don’t let anyone bully you into exotic feeds and supplements. These work great but are very costly. People try to equate spending money with caring for your horse. Life doesn’t work that way and the only one that will feel better is you (and the feed store) Horses love hay. Oats or Corn are great too but they only add energy. Horses have lived healthy lives for all of time with grazing. What is important is they get enough in their gut.

Didn’t mean to get too wordy. The other wordy answer hurt my head, now mine is longer. I think my answer is pretty simple and can be sumarized one way. Good Hay, Good Hay, Good Hay.

Best of Luck

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