Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

I’m pretty sure that certain garden stockists sell a “membrane” which you put over the are of soil-after using a weedkiller like “sodium chlorate”,and then you could put sand,and then slabs,or even just gravel on the membrane,which should stop the weeds coming through,but to level it off,you may need a bit of professional help-possibly from your garden centre/building supply merchant..costs nothing to ask!

GardenersCardiff answers:

Go to your garden supply depot, explain to them the problem you have and I’m sure they will have something on their shelf that will get rid of these pests. Some have suggested spraying or dusting the leaves with hot pepper. Try a chemical called “Sevin” I have used it on other types of garden pests such as aphids and apple tree blights with success.
Good luck and good hunting

GardenersCardiff answers:

Put yourself together a car wash/detail kit. Here’s what I use:

– Tire Brush (stiff bristle)
– Wheel Brush (soft bristle)
– Rim Cleaner Spray (read the label to make sure it’s compatible with your wheels. If in doubt get the one that says “safe for use on ALL wheels”)
– Tire Cleaner Spray (Westley’s Bleche White is good)
– Car Wash Mitt
– Chamois (Get a real leather one. The synthetic ones don’t work well)
– Squegee
– Glass Cleaner
– Paper Towels
– Car Wash Soap Concentrate
– Spray Nozzle for your garden hose with adjustable sprays
– Upholstery Cleaner
– Vinyl Cleaner Spray
– Armor All
– Soft Cotton Cloths
– Bucket
– Vacuum (optional, can use your house one if it has a hose attachment)

You can get all these items at Wal-Mart or similar. Fill up your bucket about 1/4 full with water. First, spray down your wheels/tires with the hose. Use a fast stream to knock off most of the brake dust and road dirt. Spray the wheel cleaner on the rims and let sit for a minute. Scrub with the wheel brush. Next, spray the tire cleaner on the tires, let sit a minute, then scrub with the tire brush. Dunk the brushes in the water as often as you need to. Rinse the wheels with the hose. Repeat for the other three.

Next, dump the bucket and rinse it out well. Put some car wash concentrate (read the directions) in and fill the bucket with water. Rinse the car with a gentle shower spray from the top down. Take your car wash mitt and do a section at a time, starting with the roof, windows, then the hood/front fenders, driver’s door and rear quarter panel, rear decklid, etc. Until you wash the entire body. Dunk your mitt in the soapy water as often as you need to. A little secret: if the car is REALLY dirty, fill up the bucket with as hot water as you can stand from your shower. The hot water dissolves road grime better. Rinse the entire car.

Now, wet your chamois and wring it out. Dry the roof first. Next, dry the windows with the squeegee. Then dry the rest of the body. Dry your wheels last. Let the tires drip dry.

Next, vacuum your interior. If you want to clean any stains on your upholstery, do it now. Clean your windows with the glass cleaner and paper towels. Next, clean all your interior vinyl with the cotton cloths and vinyl cleaner. Lastly, apply armor all to the vinyl. Avoid your steering wheel! If you want, apply armor all to your tires. Don’t use petroleum-based tire shine on your tires, because it degrades the rubber (it will say “contains petroleum distillates” on the can).

Last bit of advice, try not to wash your car in the direct sunlight, because you’ll get water spots. A full-on wash/detail may take you a few hours. Good luck and have fun!