Choosing an artificial tree gives you a lot of advantages when compared with real trees:

First of all, an artificial tree is a lot easier to maintain. It doesn’t need any water, fertilizer or sunlight – all it need is to be cleaned once in a while.

An artificial tree does not need to be cut down as it will always stay the same size. We all know how normal trees can overgrow your home and create undesired shadows. Something like that will not happen with an artificial tree.

Artificial trees can be planted everywhere. The climate doesn’t matter, you can have palm trees in Alaska if you want it (although it might look a bit out of this world).

There will be no problem with insects and other animals. You really have to be unlucky before your artificial tree becomes the nest of a disgusting bug colony.

Finally, you can easily move your tree around if its not to big or even pack it away for a few months. People bringing their trees with them when they move are not unheard of.

Most artificial tree look very life like, but for the ultimate experience it might be desirable to go for a preserved tree. While artificial trees are normally made of plastic, a preserved tree is made of natural materials around an empty trunk. The natural materials will even make the artificial tree smell the right way.

M. Phican is very excited about artificial gardening and have created a website dedicated to artificial trees and palm trees. http://www.artificialtreeinfo.com

HOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEE

Has summer come in with a bang!

Heat waves everywhere.

And where is the rain?

Yolanda is at camp this week.

She gets so excited.

She can remember that camp is a fun time for her, yet she can’t remember or tell you what she did during the week or her last day there.

A few miles west of Grand Rapids is "Indian Trails Camp."

Indian Trails is a special camp for special needs people of all ages.

Camp is staffed with a registered nurse and camp counselors.

The counselors are college students. Many of them come from other countries that are studying and training in a special needs field.

Last year there was a counselor from Australia, Yolanda thought he was a HUNK!

It’s a good respite for all.

Mom is dealing with another bout of pneumonia.

They brought her to the hospital for a 12 hour stay and she’s still at the nursing home.

I just don’t know any more, I weep every time I leave her.

BIRDBATHS.

Recently I have had several questions on and about birdbaths.

So…….. I will address many of these questions again.

Now for you old timers……… you can still read this anyway.

Birdbaths come in many different shapes and styles. From a several hundred dollar fancy one to something as simple as a terra cotta saucer.

All too often, the fancy ones are more of a hassle to clean and keep clean.

The sculpting and flowers are a magnet for trapping dirt and algae.

They can have the proper dimensions and work great as a bath and a quick drink. Just remember they are extra work to maintain.

The width of the bowl isn’t a problem.

A problem can occur when the bowl is too deep.

A proper depth for a birdbath is 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Anything deeper without a raised flat surface (stone or brick) can be asking for trouble in the way of drowning or birds unable to escape quickly.

It’s true, I have a clay bowl 3 inches deep for my robins and bluejays.

I also have a raised flat surface in the middle.

A Petoskey stone I found one year in the Little Traverse Bay at Bayview, Michigan.

It makes a nice added surface and a bit of a conversation piece for visitors to see a Petoskey stone that size.

We also have a two-tiered concrete bath on the tree stump style.

This is a left over from the years we owned our wild bird specialty store.

It’s very functional and gets used, but it takes more time and care to clean.

Still, I like it in my yard as an added feature.

The easiest one to clean and the one that gets used the most is a simple two piece concrete birdbath.

The bowl is 1 1/2 inches deep and has a bit of a raised surface in the middle.

It is a neutral color and a plain surface.

My smaller birds as well as my mourning doves are at this bath all the time.

We need to fill it constantly it seems and it needs sanitizing more often.

THINK LIKE A BIRD.

I keep bringing that up don’t I?

Thinking like a bird does not mean bird brained : )

Take notice as to where birds congregate for a bath, some playtime and a drink.

A simple mud puddle or where the sprinklers puddle up on streets and sidewalks.

Nature’s way of water for birds.

Natural looking sources will help attract birds to your yard and birdbaths.

Earth tone colors.

Tan, brown, terra cotta, gray etc.

Are you getting the idea now?

Natural feeling and looking surfaces.

Stay away from pretty colors like bright blues and greens.

These bright colors are usually found on the glazed baths which as a BIG NO, NO!

Oh sure, the glazed baths are nice and easy to clean, but how often are they getting used?

A glazed bath is also an invitation to a potential death or two.

Birds need something to grip, something to hold onto and feel safe.

Too often a thirsty bird or a juvenile will fall in and drown.

Young birds are clueless to life’s traps and dangers.

They see water or just a place to perch and may easily fall in.

Bigger birds like robins and smaller birds that may be perching, lose grips as well.

A soaking wet bird is slow in flight and a poor surface impedes flight a split second longer.

In nature, that fraction of a second can mean life or death.

Location, Location, Location.

A common phrase in business.

Also an important phrase when it comes to locating a birdbath.

Your bath(s) should be out in the open yet near protection.

An oxymoron?

Not really.

A bath should be placed in an opening or where nothing is growing, yet make sure there is a shrub or a tree near by.

Birds need to find a safe place to perch while they preen themselves.

A wet bird is a slow bird.

All of my baths are within 15 feet of a tree or other protection.

If you plant anything around your bath, make sure it is a low growing plant.

Cats will hide in your garden and pounce on your unsuspecting birds if givin the chance to do so.

Danger also comes from the sky, but birds will be looking for hawks

Also, place your source of water where you can enjoy the action.

Place it where it is easy for you to keep clean and filled.

I can’t number the times I’ve seen an empty or filthy birdbath that is totally ignored because it is located as a piece of yard art, not as a birdbath.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Well, you’ve got your birdbaths or other sources of water.

Now how do you keep it clean?

This isn’t rocket science, yet many people neglect this task.

Maintaining is more efficient then having to do a total scrub all the time.

Yes, it’s true a good cleaning is needed and you will know when it’s needed.

Here are a couple of things that I have found that work for me.

Near dusk, if my bath needs filling, I will refill with fresh water and put a cap or two of chlorine bleach into the water.

This keeps germs and algae down between cleanings and the chlorine will have oxidized by morning.

My favorite stuff is the oxygen bleach products.

I use this on a lot of things.

I was reminded by a dear friend that this stuff foams up some.

My apologies for not making that all too clear.

I can use my Oxi-Boost any time of day and feel safe.

It sanitizes and kills algae, even when my birds take a sip.

They don’t mind a little foaming action.

I sprinkle in just enough around the edges and a bit in the middle and let it go to work.

Experiment on this one until you find what works for you.

I would guess a table spoon full.

I like this stuff because it is all natural, environment friendly, won’t stain my clothes or if spilled, kill my plants.

The only drawback is it leaves a white residue when water evaporates.

I can live with that, however.

Every now and then, a good scrubbing is needed.

Especially on baths that have grooves and patterns.

Even worse to clean, are the ones with stone embedded.

If using chlorine or another harsh cleaner, place your bowl on a neutral surface like a driveway.

Let it soak for several minutes and then scrub.

Rinse and re-rinse.

Oxygen bleach can be done right where it stands without a problem.

I appreciate all the questions and inquirers.

Keep them coming and I will do my best to help out.

Whew………….. I’m pooped.

I hope this has been some help for you.

Hey…………. until next time my friend.

Have a blessed week and I look forward to chatting with you all.

Remember to SMILE.

Ron

Ronald Patterson, has been caring and feeding wildbirds in his backyard for more then 40 years. Ron and his wife Karen also owned and operated a wild bird specialty store for many years. With his gardening skills and knowledge as a Michigan Certified Nurseryman, Ron publishes a weekly newsletter called Backyard Birding Tips. http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/ Sign up now and learn how to attract, garden and care for wild birds in your backyard. Ron, Karen and their daughter Yolanda live in the Grand Rapids Michigan area. http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

My father asked me the other day, what question did I get most from my landscape and lawn care customers. The answer: How much does it cost and what kind of retaining wall can I install?

Customers and potential customers alike are always amazed about the high cost of landscape design. Cost may not always be about the materials used, but it is always, about the time involved in the design and installation. Labor is the key component of any project and any business. If you doubt me, just call for an estimate on an in-home computer repair.

The second question is one that continues to evolve. Not long ago, when a customer wanted a retaining wall installed at their residence, the choice was simple; you get pavers or Windsor’s. That is certainly not the case today as Windsor’s are rapidly becoming extinct as the dinosaur. Here are few tips when thinking of installing a retaining wall:

1. Materials: When choosing materials, select the type that is best suited for the desired result. Many long-lasting materials are available for landscape use including flagstone wall rock, Xeriscape rockery, railroad tie maze, regal stone, Pyzique stone, Windsor stone, and framed fence. Also consider recycled concrete paving treated timbers, vertical poles, pre-cast concrete modular units, poured concrete, and brick veneer.

2. Type of wall: The type of wall you choose should be determined by need. Decide if you need a poured-in-place concrete "structural" wall or a much less expensive "dry-laid wall" consisting of stacked, open-joint material.

3. Determine design or on-site placement: Planning ahead will help you avoid the expense and time it takes to relocate a wall or to modify retained areas once they’re installed.

4. Drainage: Most retaining walls fail because of pressure against the wall caused by water or soil-moisture build up behind the wall. All walls should provide for the back-of-wall water to freely drain down and away from the wall. This is accomplished with gravel backfill, or manufactured drainage blankets and drain pipes. Structural walls require "weep" holes to allow water to drain from behind the wall.

5. Foundations: A wall is only as good as its foundation, and all retaining walls should be built on structurally sound, compacted foundation sub-base material. Leveled and compacted earth or gravel fill are acceptable. The foundation material should extend at least one foot beyond the front and back of the base width of the wall. When building dry-laid stone walls, place the largest, most stable stones on the bottom of the wall, and be aware that the base width may need to be as wide as the wall is high.

6. Cant or batter: Walls are more stable and structurally secure if they slope back or "lay back" into the retained slope. This amount of variance from true vertical is called "cant" or "batter".

7. Anchors: Timber walls and other walls of solid horizontal materials usually have "T" anchors extending back into the slope into undisturbed earth. This helps walls resist pressures that force them forward, or cause them to pivot on footing material. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least one anchor per 16 square feet of exposed wall face.

Installed wall costs generally range from $20 to $35 per square foot of wall face for dry-laid materials. Cost will vary considerably depending upon materials used and overall wall height. Structural wall costs may range from two to ten times that of dry-laid walls.

John Kicklighter is the owner of Kicklighter-Landscaping. His business is near St. Louis, MO.

Annuals in your pernnial garden are something to think about! Annuals give you season long color, easy propogation, they’re cost efficient, and provide first season interest.

If you’re just starting a perennial garden annuals are a great choice to fill in gaps. I remember my first garden. I bought a couple of plants thinking "This is gonna be great!" A few weeks later I realised this wasn’t true. I needed a whole lot more plants and they cost a bunch! I opted for some annual seeds and I had a really pretty garden by the seasons end. Annuals can certainly help to fill in a garden while you wait for perennial to mature.

Even an established perennial garden may have spots where little is blooming at one time or another. Annuals are a great way to fill those gaps and keep color in your garden. They bloom from summer to fall and with a bit of dead heading you can continue to coax them back.

Annuals are simple to start from seed which makes them very cost efficient. You can certainly purchase annual bedding plants from a local garden center, but mail order or seeds at the garden center offer you a much wider variety than your standard petunia, pansy or snapdragon.

Get your free catlogues now so you can plan for next year!

Jill has been an avid gardener for the last 15 years. She faces the challenges of New Mexico’s high desert at 6800 feet. You’ll find gardening resources at http://www.agardenwalk.com

Spruce budworm is a very serious pest in our area and can be found in all species of spruce. The adult moths will lay their eggs in July and early August. These adults will lay approximately 100-150 eggs in a cluster pattern. Each cluster usually contains 15-40 eggs and can be found on the underside of the needles of a spruce tree. After a 2 week period the larvae appear and start to prepare for the upcoming winter season by building nests made out of silk.

These larvae do no damage to the tree at this time. Their goal is to survive the winter to feast on the new growth of your tree in the spring. As the trees begin to bud in the spring the larvae begin by feeding on the old growth. Once the tree has fully budded, the larvae move to this new succulent growth and feed for 4-5 weeks. You can identify spruce budworm larvae by their reddish brown bodies with yellow spots. Their heads are shiny and are dark brown in colouration. After their larval stage the budworm pupates within the tree and emerges as an adult moth in about 10-15 days. Only one generation of spruce budworm occurs every year.

Damage:

By feeding initially on the old growth spruce budworm will do little damage to your tree. However, once the larvae move on to the new growth, they will form nests and feed continually on this new growth. You can identify damage caused by this pest by observing a reddish brown, almost scorched look to the crown or top of your trees. The larvae are inefficient consumers and will often leave partially consumed needles. If your trees have a bad infestation, the larvae can consume all of the new growth on your tree. If this infestation continues for 4-5 years the larvae are capable of killing the entire tree.

Controlling the problem:

Ordinarily natural factors such as predators and weather are enough to control spruce budworm populations. Occasionally these populations will explode and require a different means of control. If at all possible you can pick the larvae off your trees by hand. Ensure this is done early in the spring. Encourage birds that feed on insects such as jays to live near your home. If you are using an insecticide, ensure you follow all the directions on the label before and during applications. Wear appropriate clothing when applying.

Paul is a Certified Pesticide Applicator in the province of Alberta, Canada. He has over 15 years experience in the lawn care industry.

For more lawn care information, please visit http://www.fairyring.ca

Naturalized bulbs look beautiful in a wooded setting. You can plant them and leave them to multiply. After the bulbs bloom the foliage will die down, but you can interplant bulbs with ground covers for a carefree and beautiful garden.

For a natural look you should arrange your bulbs informally. If you toss them and plant them where they land, with small adjustments for spacing, it’ll look much better than if you arrange them.

Bulbs also work well in a perrenial garden. When your bulbs finish blooming your perrenials are just ready to get started and they’re now filling in the spaces and hiding the soon to be dormant foliage of your bulbs. This is a great way to extend color in the garden for a good 6 weeks.

Summer bulbs can be used to fill in areas that need color when perrenials have finished. Keep in mind that most summer bulbs do need to be dug up and stored over the winter. The good part is that next season when you replant them you can totally redesign with them.

Whatever your garden style, make sure you add some bulbs. They’ll provide you with years of enjoyment!

Favorite Picks

Early Spring

Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, Early Tuplips, Hyacinths, Snow Drops

Mid Spring

Daffodil, Crown Imperial, Iris, Tulips

Summer

Dahlias, Gladiolus, Lily

J. Dow has been an avid gardener for the last 15 years. She faces the challenges of New Mexico’s high desert a 6800 feet. Resource websites are http://www.bulbandseed.com and http://www.agardenwalk.com

Low temperatures, frost or dry conditions are all causes of winter injury. In our region we can expect one or all of these conditions during the winter months. The results of these conditions vary from leaf burn to the death of the entire plant.

Causes:

Low temperatures: If the temperature drops below a plant’s ability to tolerate it, this is known as low temperature injury. Generally this occurs in plants which are not suited for a particular zone. Frost cracks or sun-scald occurs when temperatures drop after the bark has warmed up. Symptoms of low temperature injury include branch or stem die-back, black or brown leaves, or splitting of the bark.

Frost: Injury from frost occurs during the late fall or early spring when plants are still growing. If temperatures drop below or near freezing, this is when frost injury will occur. Symptoms of frost injury include brown to black flowers, fruit or leaves.

Dry Conditions: This is also known as "winter burn". It occurs when the leaves of the plant continue to lose moisture, which is not replaced. Generally plants in exposed sites to the wind in the winter are more likely to have this damage occur.

Although these are the 3 most common injuries to occur in winter, there are other problems that can occur. If there is a heavy snowfall or icy conditions occur (freezing rain), these can cause limbs to break. Food is scarce during the winter months for such animals as deer, mice and rabbits. They will seek out leaves, bud and bark to supplement their winter diets.

Solving the problem:

There are certain steps a homeowner can take to lessen the chances of winter injury. The most important step is choosing shrubs and trees that are hardy for the zone you live in. Check with your local nursery if you are unsure of the zone you live in. Ensure your soil drains well when choosing an area in which to plant. Give your trees and shrubs a good soaking before the soil freezes in the fall to ensure they have sufficient moisture for the winter months. Use some sort of windbreak for trees and shrubs in exposed areas. Good maintenance throughout the growing season by providing nutrients, water, and protection against stress to ensure your plants are more resistant to winter injury.

Paul is a Certified Pesticide Applicator in the province of Alberta, Canada. He has over 15 years experience in the lawn care industry.

For more lawn care information, please visit http://www.fairyring.ca

Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens. They add interst and variety, plus are easily moved around. If you live in an apartment or have a small area to work with this may be the only solution for you.

Your Container

Your container can be pretty much anything and is only limited to your imagination. Just make sure there is adequate drainage for your plants. I love old buckets, discarded kitchen pots and baskets for a rustic feel. For a formal garden choose a more traditional container.

Regardless of your choice of container, make sure it’s not to big or too small for your planting.

Your Soil

Do not use garden soil for your container plants. Garden soil is too heavy, dries out too quickly and will not provide the needed nutrients your container plants need. You can find good potting soil at your local garden center or you can mix your own.

To mix your own make sure you include soil, peat, sand and a slow release fertilizer.

Maintenance

You’ll need to pay close attention to your container grown plants — much more than plants in your garden beds. The soil will dry out more quickly so frequent watering it a must. You’ll also need to fertilize more often. Water in the morning or evening whenever the soil is almost dry and water thoroughly until water comes out the bottom drainage holes.

One thing I really love about container gardening is mobility. If a particular grouping doesn'’t work you can simply move your pots and change your garden design.

Have fun, experiment and be creative!

J. Dow has been an avid gardener for the last 15 years. She faces the challenges of New Mexico’s high desert a 6800 feet. Resource websites are http://www.bulbandseed.com and http://www.agardenwalk.com

Appearance:

Yellowheaded spruce sawfly is a serious pest in our area and is found in most types of spruce. Early July is when the olive green larvae first appear and can be found on the branches of spruce. Generally speaking the larvae are similar to budworm in the fact they prefer new growth for feeding. Once the finish with this they have been known to move on to the older growth on the tree. One way of identifying this pest is to disturb them while on the branch. They will usually rise up both their head and tail and produce a liquid from their mouths.

Life Cycle:

Adults emerge in early to mid June and resemble a small wasp in appearance. These adults begin laying eggs in openings they create at the base of new growth needles. Unlike budworm these eggs are laid singularly. As the larvae emerge they immediately begin feeding on the edges of the new growth needles. As they feed and grow they will move on to feed on the entire needle. This process continues for about a month. At this time the larvae will fall to the ground to pupate and over-winter in the ground beneath the tree.

Controlling sawfly:

Weather, parasites, and predators generally will keep populations of sawfly under control. This pest tends to prefer small, young trees growing in the open and on its own. A tree growing for 3 to 4 years in your front yard is ideal for this pest to take advantage of. They begin by eating single branches but can move on to spread to the entire tree. If defoliation occurs repeatedly the tree may be killed. In the event you are required to use an insecticide ensure you follow all label directions carefully. These insecticides should be applied once the sawfly larvae begin to feed. Generally this will occur about 10 days after new growth sheds their bud caps. When your tree is young and small enough you can use cultural controls to combat this pest. By taking the time to handpick these larvae you will minimize the amount of insecticides used on your trees.

Paul is a Certified Pesticide Applicator in Alberta,Canada. He has over 15 years experience in the lawn care industry.

For more lawn care information, please visit http://www.fairyring.ca

We’ve all heard that there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’; well the process described in this article may be as close to one as you get. Most of us already know the benefits of CO2 enrichment for photosynthesis. To maximize indoor growing and greenhouse potential, CO2 is supplemented to maintain an approximate level of 1500 ppm, this can require frequent trips to an industrial gas supplier and/or a lot of propane or natural gas use, and related costs. It is ironic that many indoor farmers are exhausting CO2 to the outdoors from home heaters and hot water heaters while simultaneously releasing or generating CO2 for an indoor grow room or a greenhouse.

Propane and Natural gas burn clean enough that small non-vented gas devices have been approved for indoor use. These gas burning devices all use oxygen (in the air) to burn the gas, resulting in the by-products of CO2, H20 (humidity), and heat (Reusch). Exhaust from gas appliances can provide 3 essential conditions for maximized growth: humidity, temperature, and CO2 level. Most heat from the exhaust is removed by the heat exchanger of the furnace or water heater; resulting in mildly warm exhaust. Photosynthesis for many plants, including marijuana, in a CO2 enriched environment,is most efficient around 85 degrees F.

If a large gas heater’s exhaust is diverted into the grow area, there is great potential for all the oxygen to be burned up or displaced, as well as CO (carbon monoxide accumulation), resulting in toxic air conditions. With proper equipment, the CO2 from your gas furnace and/or water heater’s exhaust can be safely used to supplement the CO2 used in your grow room. This will save time and money, make the plants grow great, reduce fuel use, and dramatically reduce the amount of ‘Greenhouse’ gasses released into the environment. Using this technique, you will help prevent global warming while optimizing growing conditions. The key to doing this safely and effectively is to divert enough exhaust from your gas appliance into your grow area to maintain a CO2 level of 1500 ppm, and have additional exhaust directed outside.

“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have set workplace safety standards of 5,000 ppm” and very high CO2 levels can cause undetectable asphyxiation when O2 in the blood is replaced by the CO2 (Minnesota Department of Health). Keep a CO (carbon monoxide) detector in the grow room for safety in case equipment malfunctions! Do not attempt this project if you use oil or kerosene heat, which do not burn cleanly! The trick to tapping into this source of unused CO2 from gas furnace and water heaters is power dampers. A power damper is a duct section with a flap that opens and closes the flow through the duct and is powered by electricity. Some dampers close with current applied and others are designed to open. Most dampers are low voltage so the right size transformer must be wired inline to the damper; there are some 110volt dampers. Quality dampers will seal much better than cheap dampers. This simple addition to a CO2 enrichment system will pay for itself many times over (especially with today’s fuel prices) and reduce house or business emissions into the environment, making your project ‘greener’. It is necessary to have a CO2 levels monitor hooked to a controller (sequencer) to tell the dampers (by applying power) when CO2 is needed and when the threshold has been reached. You can still use your controller to run your CO2 generator and or regulator.

Find the exhaust pipe of your gas furnace or hot water heater. These devices should already be properly vented. Turn off your gas appliance while working on this. Disconnect (or cut open) a section of duct where it will be closest, with least bends, to tap in and route a new duct to the grow area. The few items needed can be found at most heating supply stores. If you can not find matching dampers for the size and type of duct that you have, you may have to convert the duct to a size or type that you can find dampers for. Using a “Y” connector and a power damper that closes when power is added, hook up inline with the duct running to the outside. For smooth flow, install “Y” so exhaust comes in the ‘bottom’ of the “Y” duct section. Now take the damper that opens when power is applied, attach it to the other “Y” opening. Run a duct from this ‘power open’ damper into the grow area above the plants, since CO2 is heavier than air; but you probably already know this. Now all you have to do is either wire the dampers together or use a multi-outlet adapter and plug them into your CO2 sequencer along with your CO2 generator or CO2 tank regulator using a 3 outlet adapter.

If the pipes are far from the outside wall or roof there may be inline duct booster fans. If the grow room is not getting flow through the new duct, a inline duct booster fan may be needed, especially if there is one used on the original duct that exhausts to the outside past the new “Y” section from the appliance. If you add a duct booster fan, wire it or plug it in together with the dampers, they will then power on and off together. Many furnaces will have an adequate exhaust blower so an additional duct booster fan will not be necessary. Keep an eye on any booster fans (if any) on the original duct between the “Y” junction and the outside, there is a chance they could overheat if running when the damper to the outside is closed. Once this is setup, when your CO2 sequencer determines it’s time to add CO2 to the room and switches power on, the exhaust damper to the outside will close and the damper to the grow room will open; resulting in the furnace’s or hot water heater’s exhaust being diverted into the grow room. The CO2 generator or release regulator will be working also, this way the room is guaranteed to always have just the right amount of CO2 even if the furnace or water heater is not currently in use. When the proper level is reached and the sequencer powers off, the damper leading into the grow room will close and the damper in the duct leading to the outside will reopen. All exhaust at this point will vent outside until the room needs more CO2. For safety, be sure all circuits and/or outlets are supplying no more than 80% of their rated load in watts, and are properly wired. Also, be sure to secure duct well. The 200°F rated duct tape holds up better than the regular (for connecting duct sections).

If you are diverting the hot water heater exhaust for this CO2 enrichment supplement, you can further take advantage of this setup by timing showers, dishes and laundry, as the lights come on (time that enrichment equipment runs the most) and during the light cycle in general.

Using this system, farmers will find they make less trips to get propane or CO2 tanks filled, and are spending less money, while the levels in the grow room remain the same.

This addition to an enrichment system will also reduce the volume of CO2 released into the environment from the house or business. The CO2 diverted to the room is used by the plants during photosynthesis, further reduces the gas appliance’s CO2 release into the environment. Using this system, the room will reach the desired CO2 level quicker, and fluctuate less, further enhancing growth.

Works Cited List:

Minnesota Department of Health

This page, located on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website, is a good source to show the adverse health effects high levels of C02 will cause. As best as I can tell, this site is run by the State government. The information on this page is consistent with other sources also describing the harmful health effects caused by too much CO2 in air. This page, while short, clearly presents figures and dangers, agreed upon by government scientist, that are associated with high CO2 levels. The statement, "At very high levels, 30,000 ppm and above, CO2 can cause asphyxiation as it replaces oxygen in our blood.” clearly demonstrates the potentially fatal condition that elevated CO2 levels can cause.

“Carbon Dioxide (CO2)” Minnesota Department of Health. Mar. 2004.

27 June 2005

Reusch, William. "Reaction of Alkanes" Michigan State University

This page clearly describes the physical process of propane combustion. After reviewing a dozen sources of propane and natural gas combustion, I found this page to have most precise, in-depth yet understandable descriptions of the potential reactions of propane combustion. Although the article cites no references for the information it contains, the information is consistent with common knowledge and other reference materials and is on the Chemistry Department’s web site of the Michigan State University. By showing the structural formulas for the reactions mentioned along with clear reasoning demonstrating why the reactions may differ, this source will allow a reader of my essay to understand what products can be created by propane combustion. This article shows how CO2 and H2O are the direct products obtained by the burning of propane when sufficient O2 present.

Reusch, William. “Reactions of Alkanes” Michigan State University Department of Chemistry 1999. rev. 2004. 28 June 2005

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