This is a guide about preventing dirt from getting under your fingernails. Even if you wear gardening gloves, dirt often gets under your nails as you work.
Watch this video to learn how to easily keep dirt out of your fingernails.
Did you know that broken or split nails could indicate the presence of brittle or weak nails? Learn how to protect your nails and finally get the beautiful, strong nails you deserve with these 18 tips.
If we had it to do all over again... These are notes I made for a weekend presentation about our experiences starting and then "growing" a business on our farm. Juno, Blake, first greenhouse, 1979 So you think you want to have a greenhouse....grow plants under cover, in a climate controlled environment. Do you want to grow bedding plants? Perennials? Vegetable starts for your garden? Vegetables for people to eat? What is your goal for your product? Farmer's markets, direct sale to customers on your farm, or wholesale? Selling mums at the Wine Fest 2013 .....I wish I could tell you we had answers to all these questions nearly thirty years ago when we started down the greenhouse road. I wish I could say truthfully that we had a business plan, visited with others in the field for advice, and proceeded along a predictable path from minuscule to minute to breakeven to full scale full time business to second generation family sized enterprise. Lee and her daddy..note untreated lumber. Maybe you can do better. Perhaps our experience in the school of learn by doing will keep you from living one of Grandpa's favorite aphorisms: If you don't use your head, you will use your heels. We did one thing right: we started small. We were young, just starting our career farming, still proving ourselves at one job, and short on time and cash. We built our greenhouse business for years like Johnny Cash built his long black Cadillac...one piece at a time. We were risk averse (farming was risky enough!) and we learned by doing. This meant it took us quite a while to build past the hobby stage, move into the too big to be fun and too little to be a business stage, and finally achieve the volume of sales to be worth the time we were putting into our work. We had the advantage of "free" real estate; we had the disadvantage of that land being in the middle of nowhere by any and every definition. Note: Westboro's Only Greenhouse..still is We knew from the very start that growing our business meant selling outside our community. Do you have a place to put a greenhouse business? Not just a greenhouse, because one greenhouse will supply one garden....believe me, I know. Our family sized business is now 2.5 acres under cover with another 2.5 acres devoted to outdoor production of summer and fall crops. Do you have access to lots of water? Open space for light? Protection from high winds or prevailing winds? What will be your source for heating? I cannot tell you how often someone has asked me if we need to heat our greenhouses.....they don't seem to realize that while the greenhouses can be warm and toasty on a cold sunny day, the sun still goes down. The insulation value of polycarbonate or polyethylene coverings is well under the R values of your pink attic insulation....Greenhouses are energy hogs any time they are operating. The home place 1987 Years ago, I had someone come visit the greenhouses with the notion she might like to go into the business. She was quite clear that she was going to be in it for the money. "I don't really even like plants, "she told me. Wrong! Any enterprise that involves living things, whether animal or vegetable, is going to require passion. Plants, like animals, require constant attention day in and day out: while you have plants in your greenhouse, you won't be taking any week long vacations unless someone trustworthy is plant-sitting. This is a lesson we learned early on. Our very first home made greenhouse had two stage ventilation; first stage, opening the door and second stage putting a box fan in the open door. We went to church one cloudy Sunday morning, leaving the door shut. Before we got out of church, the sun had come out and our little tomato seedlings resembled nothing so much as a wilted lettuce salad. Annie peddling the leftovers Obviously, our climate controls have advanced considerably since that first greenhouse. And if you are building your own greenhouse, you will want to give heating and cooling serious consideration and close attention. It is tempting to scrimp on the high dollar and complicated controller systems, and it is possible to create a pretty good environment using just thermostats. But eventually you will want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your plants are growing in the most ideal conditions of warmth, light and humidity that you can give them. I don't want to get too much in the weeds here, but there is a happy medium between sensible investment and unnecessary bells and whistles with regard to environmental controls. Multi tasking with Ben hand seeded flats...Lee tagging When we started growing, I seeded most of the flowers and all of the vegetables by hand in rows into flat trays filling with potting soil, watered the soil, then covered them with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture. When the seedling were big enough to transplant, I pricked them out and planted them into cell packs. I bought begonia plugs and seed geranium plugs because they took so long to grow or the seed was simply too tiny for me to manage. As time went on, we bought some cuttings: New Guinea impatiens and zonal geraniums. We bought a seeder that consisted of a machined tray of tiny holes that matched up with a plug tray. A little portable vacuum cleaner provided the suction...when I turned it off, the seeds dropped into the plug tray. It wasn't a bad system for pelleted seed like petunias and moss rose, or smaller seed like impatiens, but it was pretty unwieldy for marigold or vegetable seed. Blake built me a seed room with humidity provided by two misting nozzles and extra heat from a host of 4 foot fluorescent shop lights after he had visited a large greenhouse with its own plug growing operation. We visited greenhouses every time we took a trip and spent days at the trade show at the Ohio Short course. We finally sold enough plants to have a couple of salesmen call on us out in the middle of nowhere. One was a greenhouse salesman; he had a habit of showing up just before suppertime. We bought six greenhouses and fed him a lot of spaghetti over the years. In the beginning, I filled pots and trays and baskets from 3.5 cu ft bags of Metro Mix; we progressed to a hopper and chain driven flat filler with a loose mix bulk bag like that used for bulk soybeans. Finally, we purchased a bale breaker in order to take advantage of the most inexpensive bulk potting mix. We buy in all the flower plugs now and run thousands of them through a mechanical transplanter. A huge part of our business is cutting raised plants in either 4"or planters or hanging baskets. Labor and time are always limiting factors in our compact spring season, and especially in a rural area where greenhouse season coincides with crop planting. What you grow will be determined by your market....but we have noticed a trend away from flats of flowers and toward ready made containers of larger plants. We sell more single vegetables than we used to. I have to believe more gardeners enjoy their plants in pots and fewer get down on their hands and knees and plant into the ground. But I admit we don't have a big retail business. Being a small wholesale greenhouse means we survive by accommodation; we are willing to grow whatever plant our customers want in whatever container size they specify and deliver on the date they ask for it. Selling flowers these days is a buyer's market. We didn't know where our first small greenhouse would lead us. There have been plenty of both ups and downs; flowers are discretionary and sales take a hit during economic hard times. We have lost customers, found new ones, expanded, seen sales shrink, blown greenhouses away in storms, and dealt with crushing droughts. We expanded our sales season by growing mums and other fall plants in the field behind our greenhouses. By far the biggest accomplishment has been the ability to bring our family into the business and see our children raising their children among the flowers and tomatoes just like we did. A greenhouse business, like other types of farming, is a great place to teach children about the wonders of the world they live in and is full of chores to help them learn responsibility. Just last week, bay 9 and Josh Posted with Blogsy
Here are tips and steps you can follow to get dirt and grime out from under your fingernails and toenails.
This is a guide about cleaning fingernails after gardening. When you get your hands in the soil without gloves, the dirt under your nails can be a challenge to remove.
Here are tips and steps you can follow to get dirt and grime out from under your fingernails and toenails.
If you’ve ever wondered why that happens—and what that beneath-the-nail stuff is really made of—here’s your answer.
Looking for some creative nail-cleaning tips? Fingernails are like magnets for dirt, grime, and grease. But with a little extra care, you can keep them looking healthy and feeling strong. We're teaching you everything you need to know—so...
"I’ve had the first one of the year…..more to come. A customer wants to know which ….uhhh…let me copy and paste this because I can’t do it justice. Please advise." I take a deep breath. Our family grows a lot of plants for the woman sending us this email. We ship vegetable starter plants, finished hanging baskets and flowering pots, and...starting this year....herbs and cucumber plants, stevia and edamame (yep, edible soybeans) and a host of other flowering annuals. In our greenhouses, we grow not just hybrid tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, but also heirloom tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, destined for the patios and gardens of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, with some making their way as far north as the Dakotas. Last year we fielded questions about our entire production system for growing the vegetables that would eventually bloom and produce something edible: were they organic; did they contain GMOs? (insinuating that being GMO is a contagion one can catch.) But the letter she was preparing to copy and paste..copied and pasted here ....was clearly one for the record books. Read it and weep. "I need to know which plants that you sell are genetically modified - what I mean by genetically modified are plants that undergo unnatural genetic engineering including shooting genes into chromosomes. I am fine with plants that have been selectively bred. Selective breeding is a natural process of natural selection. I would prefer native but will accepts selective breeding options. If any of these flowering plants are native and not altered in any way, I need to know that for sure. I would like to place a sizable order but your plants are not marketed to indicate which ones may be unnaturally genetically modified. I do not want to kill bees and other pollinators by planting unsafe plants for them. I am also selective about considering plants that produce vegetables for our consumption. I only plant non genetically modified (no lab created seeds) food plants for my family's consumption and only use organic soil. I do not use miracle grow or other harmful products in my food gardens. If your food plants are not modified, you need to indicate it for sure. I need to know, for sure, that the flowering ornamental plants I consider from your company will not be harmful in any way to our ecosystem." Sigh. Really, where does one start. With the confused, incomprehensible, and value laden differentiation between 'natural' and whatever it's antithesis is considered to be? (Unsafe? Harmful? Unselective, perhaps? Foreign, heaven forfend.....) How can we possibly cut a Gordian knot that defines "selective"breeding as a "natural" process of "natural" selection!!? Selection involves a choice...by someone or something. In this case, the someone is a human being. In the broadest sense, yes, a human being is certainly something "natural", but using that interpretation makes all genetic alteration natural and I don't think that's what the writer intended to imply at all. Choosing a desirable characteristic is certainly "selection", but there is nothing "natural", aka accidental or arbitrary, about it. Let's continue. No, I'm afraid none of the flowering plants we are growing for this account are 'native'. They are annuals and unmistakably altered (bred) for color, hardiness, disease resistance, long blooming, and probably, drought tolerance, seeing as many of the flowers purchased by our customers have to endure conditions that are quite "unnatural".... roots constrained to a very small volume of soil and watered once a week or less.... But no problem: if one desires a "natural" planting there are other options. Just let these highly improved annuals reseed for year or two and the offspring will revert to the pallid ancestors of sporadic bloom and sprawling habit. Or grow your own natives from seed or purchased perennials. There ARE indeed grand and garden worthy native plants; I'm a huge fan. But growing indigenous species will not make you a better person or provide more habitat for pollinators or butterflies than a pot of lantana or a planting of pentas. Grow 'em both; that's my advice! And let's get one thing perfectly straight; there isn't going to be a genetically modified seed or plant in any of our greenhouses this year. I wish there were! I wish there was a way to prevent fungus from spotting zinnias, botrytis from browning geraniums, and put a stop to the downy mildew plague that has devastated impatiens the last few years! If one buys a tomato from us, it may be a brand new hybrid with lots of letters after its name signifying its resistance to various nasty fungi...or one can choose something tried and true like Rutgers or Big Boy....but we will be just as happy to sell you a heritage tomato variety like Cherokee or German Johnson. Choice is good, and one need only leaf through a catalog like Totally Tomatoes to realize the past, present, and future of home garden production offers a cornucopia of decisions. While I'm on my garden soapbox, allow me to point out that it would be a really tough job to find a totally inorganic soil. Even an abused garden plot will contain a fair amount of organic matter in the form of stems, leaves, roots, mulch and other leftovers in various stages of decomposition. I guess my grandkids' sandbox might be considered an inorganic garden spot...but not after they've pounded a half dozen gourds into pulp and planted the seeds..... Ecosystem is such a sterile technical term. A garden can be many things...organized or unkempt, monotone or multi-hued, edible or ornamental, frivolous or practical. Forgive me if I believe planting flowers and vegetables, whether for consumption or pleasure, is a net gain for the earth and all the creatures thereof. We grow plants for a living...and for love. That's the kind of rule I can live with....
Gel manicures are a luxury most of us justify even when we can't really afford them. But manicures have a damaging impact on nails. Here's how to treat them.
Onycholysis, the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed, can be a painful condition. It is caused by the nail bed responding to an irritation an allergen or mechanical damage by creating keratinous structures and cornifying nail bed epithelium.
A doctor explains the differences between a melanoma black line under the fingernail and a normal one. “Splinters or dark streaks under nails can occur when microscopic areas of bleeding happen and allow blood to …
Diseases have an interesting way of manifesting themselves. Sometimes through the eyes, sometimes through the tongue, and yes, sometimes through your nails.
It’s finally Spring here in Door County. Sûr le RocherCountry House and Gardens is in FULL swing. Hard work never hurt anyone, children included.
Redness under fingernails appears when there's infection somewhere in the body. Often redness is above or around the moon at the bottom of the fingernail.
To look polished, many women opt to have acrylic fingernails applied to their real fingernails at the nail salon. Acrylic nails are applied using a gel coating that dries over your regular nails; they are strong and difficult to remove from your fingers. Like your regular nails, acrylics tend to ...
If you've ever noticed excessive skin growth under your nails, it may be hyponychium. We asked a manicurists to explain.
Although white spots on fingernails are usually a sign of nutrient deficiency, they may also appear due to fungal infections. Wondering if there are any natural cures for this problem? Read on to find out.
5/29/2021 ~ I’ve had a picture of bending fingernails related to COPD on my site for a long time…
Let's whip those nails into shape.
These subtle changes could clue you in to some bigger issues.
What is the best way for a person to clean under their nails? Read on to learn more about finger and toenail hygiene and how to keep them clean.
My little finger's nail was lifting, a condition known as Onycholysis. Soaking my finger in alcohol for 20/min while watching telly easily cured it.
Looking for some creative nail-cleaning tips? Fingernails are like magnets for dirt, grime, and grease. But with a little extra care, you can keep them looking healthy and feeling strong. We're teaching you everything you need to know—so...
Looking for some creative nail-cleaning tips? Fingernails are like magnets for dirt, grime, and grease. But with a little extra care, you can keep them looking healthy and feeling strong. We're teaching you everything you need to know—so...
A detailed guide to properly moisturize your nails
Looking for some creative nail-cleaning tips? Fingernails are like magnets for dirt, grime, and grease. But with a little extra care, you can keep them looking healthy and feeling strong. We're teaching you everything you need to know—so...
These subtle changes could clue you in to some bigger issues.
10 Uses for Your Old Toothbrush: Here are some handy ways to re-use your old toothbrush. You may think this small little brush is only good for cleaning your teeth, but here are 10 ways you can keep the toothbrush cycle going including beauty and cleaning tips and tricks.
Looking for some creative nail-cleaning tips? Fingernails are like magnets for dirt, grime, and grease. But with a little extra care, you can keep them looking healthy and feeling strong. We're teaching you everything you need to know—so...
362 views, 4 likes, 1 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Reels from Dr Dray: Fix damaged nails with lactic acid & urea. These ingredients help hydrate & smooth the nails, normalize nail thickness, & reduce...
Have you ever noticed ridges on your fingernails? Find out what causes ridges on finger nails and how they can be treated and prevented.So, here we have a complete detailed information on your fingernail ridges.
Do you have dry nails and cuticles? While your first instinct may be to run to the nearest nail salon, you can revive them at home. Here's how.
Even if you wear gardening gloves your hands and fingernails get ingrained with dirt that is hard to remove.
Gardener's hands can get pretty dirty but with this homemade hand scrub no one would ever know. This scrub is perfect for getting the dirt out from under fingernails and out of the nooks and crannies (aka wrinkles) in our hands. It takes just minutes to mix together using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
