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Saturday, May 9, 2015 An Advertising Feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

Jamie Hancock Garden Column – Act now so you can stay cool this summer – The value of home warranties – TCJ Pin of the Week – Christmas in Action in Topeka –

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Vegetable gardens in containers Jamie Hancock

jamiehan@ksu.edu Do you have limited time, limited space, limited know-how or all of the above?

Have I got a deal for you! No, it’s not a used car. I have a gardening idea for you that supports your interest in gardening, provides nutritious vegetables for your table, and offers fun family opportunities and challenges. It’s vegetable gardening in containers.

A window sill, doorstep, balcony or patio is a great place to stage a container garden full of tasty vegetables. The ease of access, reduced area to weed and water and the challenge to grow a tomato bigger than Dad’s makes container gardening a good choice for the season.

Containers Almost any type of container will work

for growing vegetables, bushel baskets, drums, gallon cans, tubs, wooden boxes, or fancy pots. All they need is a hole for drainage. Soggy soils will rot plant roots.

Larger plants need larger containers but, green onions, radishes or beets can be grown in a cake pan.

Growing media Fill the container with good potting soil.

Soil from the garden works well outside, but becomes very hard and loses air space in pots. If your pot is very large you can mix half field soil with good potting soil although weed seeds and diseases may invade your pot. The extra weight of field soil can help tall plantings from blowing over in the wind. Potting soil is reusable for several years if no diseased plants were growing in it. Spread disease free, wornout soil into your garden or compost pile.

Fill the pot with soil leaving about 2-4 inches from the rim. The plants you add will raise the soil level and you still want space for watering without overflow.

Moisten the soil thoroughly before planting. This may involve digging into the pot with your hands. Go ahead; getting dirty is half the fun of growing plants!

Crop selection Almost any vegetable that will grow in a garden will do well in a container. Lettuce, squash, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, parsley green onions, and eggplant do especially well. Pole beans and cucumbers grow well also but, will need considerably more space because of their vining growth habit. A small trellis, tomato cage or string netting attached to the patio roof can give the vines something to grow on.

Crops may be grown from seed or transplants. Seed can be started indoors 4-6 weeks before the transplanting date which should be after the last threat of frost. In our area that date is about May 10 (Mother’s Day). Plant starts can also be purchased at local nurseries.

Fertilizing Most fertilizers will be time-release or water soluble. Time-release is mixed into the soil before planting. Osmocote is a pelleted time-release fertilizer with 14-14-14 formulation. Peters 20-20-20 or Miracle Gro 15-30-15 are examples of water soluble fertilizers. Apply water soluble fertilizer

HANCOCK continues on 10A

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, May 9, 2015 | 3

Act now so you can stay cool this summer

By Dustin Lemmon Special to The Capital-Journal

It might not be warm enough yet to turn on the air conditioner, but now is an ideal time for some AC maintenance to ensure you won’t be suffering through an upcoming summer heatwave. It can also save you from higher energy bills or a more costly repair.

Many local companies provide annual tune ups, which typically cost anywhere from $70-$150. During one of these visits, you can expect the technician to add refrigerant, clean condenser coils, flush and clean the condensation drain pipe and inspect numerous parts of your system, ranging from your thermostat to your outside fan blade.

Larry Inks, president of Topeka Heating & Cooling of Topeka, said spring is the ideal time to do some regular maintenance on your AC unit.

“One of the things manufacturers recommend is cleaning the condensing coils,” he noted. “They pull in a lot of dust in the coils in the summer months.”

Inks recommends flushing the coils

with water, but spraying from the inside out. He said his company uses a cleaning solution to help loosen the dirt.

Greg DeBacker, owner of DeBacker’s Inc. in Topeka, noted that if you wash the unit on your own, be sure to turn off the power first and use a garden hose and not a high pressure power washer, which can damage the machine.

When cleaning the machine a technician will also check the refrigerant or Freon level, Inks said, adding the only way you would lose any refrigerant is if there is a leak, which they will also check for.

DeBacker said if the refrigerant runs low, the unit will run longer and it will be harder on the compressor.

Another advantage to having the work done professionally is that the technician will check the electrical connections and charge, something a lot of people might not be comfortable doing, Inks noted.

While you may not want to service all of the items on your Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit on your own, there is some regular maintenance that is easy and necessary for homeowners to do themselves, including changing

the air filter frequently.

“I’d say once every two months minimum,” Inks said. “People do tend to overlook that quite frequently. We get a number of calls related to filter issues.”

In the summer months, DeBacker said you might want to check the filter every 30 days, as the more it runs the more dust it will collect. He also discourages people from trying to vacuum the filters and reusing them, as it won’t be effective.

“The best thing to do is to throw them away and replace them,” he said.

If you have a window unit, you can take some steps to keep it clean and functioning, but first you will need to be sure to unplug the machine and take it down from window. You can then remove the front grille cover and either replace the filter, or if it’s reusable, clean it with a hose.

You may also want to carefully vacuum the evaporator and condenser coils and ensure that nothing is clogging the drain.

Lastly, before you put everything back together take time to check for anything that’s loose or cracked.

While Topeka Heating & Cooling doesn’t service window units, Inks did

Stock photo/metro creative connection

suggest taking them outside to do the cleaning and then letting the unit dry out for a few days before taking it back inside.

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The value of home warranties

By Todd Epp Special to The Topeka Capital-Journal

For just double or triple the cost of an extended warranty on your new computer from Best Buy, you could get a oneyear warranty on your home’s—or next home’s—appliances, heating and cooling system and more.

Home warranties work much the same way as your extended warranty on your computer from the Big Box store. If something goes wrong, it’s replaced or repaired.

Air conditioning goes out on the hottest day in July in Topeka? It’s covered if you have that item listed in your warranty— which you probably will, as it is a “big ticket” and important item.

However, you will have to pay a $75 to $100 service fee when the repair person comes to your home. That’s according to Lisa Rice, vice president for sales/real estate with American Home Shield (ahs. com), one of the largest home warranty providers in the country.

Rice says a home warranty is like a se-

curity blanket around a home.

“The value to the homeowner is that it protects their budget against failures that could occur with their systems and appliances,” Rice said. “It’s the buyer having that comfort in the first year in their home.”

American Home Shield checks out the vendors they send out on calls, according to Rice. She says that can give people new to an area peace of mind that the person coming to their home is bonded and licensed.

Rice says that home warranties are often used to help “sweeten” an existing home sale. She also says some sellers get them to protect the home while it is in the all-important listing stage on the market.

“It can help the listing sell faster,” Rice added. Typically, the seller has no upfront cash and the warranty payment comes out at closing, she said.

Rice also noted that existing homeowners could purchase a policy as well.

AHS’s plans, according to Rice, are typically for one or two years but can be renewed.

Some consumer organizations and websites caution against purchasing home warranties. They say the consumer is better off putting money aside each month for appliance and system repair and replacement. They also suggest purchasing topquality items that will last.

Consumer expert Clark Howard says at clarkhoward.com that “home warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

He says the “peace of mind” argument is “a mirage.”

Consumer Reports also advises against buying a home warranty. They note that the legal doctrine of implied warranty of merchantability may require an appliance manufacturer to deal with a defect even if the device is out of warranty.

However, Rice says these arguments miss the point of a home warranty.

“You’re throwing the dice,” Rice said.

“Our contractors will have buying power for parts, appliances, etc. You’ll pay retail.

You’ll gain buying power.”

Rice says a home warranty through her company costs roughly $500 to $700 a year, depending upon the coverage

sought, what is covered (swimming pools may warrant a higher premium) and what state the home, duplex or condo is located.

There are also different payment options available, Rice said.

The home warranty does not replace homeowner’s insurance, which is loss to the house itself and other liability issues.

“We’re a layer above your homeowner’s insurance,” Rice said.

Besides AHS, there are a number of other companies that provide home warranties. The website comparehomewarrantyquotes.com is one starting point to check out prices and coverage for your residence. Another, top10omewarrantyreviews.com, rates home warranties on a 1-10 scale, with 10 the highest.

Also, some consumer websites also have reviews from actual purchasers about their experience with home warranties and the vendors that their warranty companies send to perform repairs.

Like any major purchase, do your due diligence to determine if a home warranty is right for you.

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The Topeka CapitalJournal Pin of the Week Follow all of The Capital-Journal Pinterest boards – www.pinterest.com/tcjmedia/

Hide-Away Power Outlet For The Kitchen Makes Organization Even Easier

Photo Source: decorativesoul.com

To get more information on this project and others, visit The Topeka Capital-Journal’s At Home Living – Home Sweet Home Pinterest board

6 | Saturday, May 9, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

Christmas in Action in Topeka

Photo Submitted

Members of the Topeka Area Association of REALTORS joined other Topeka area community organizations for the Christmas in Action home improvement project event April 18. This is the second year TAAR has participated in the event that provides repairs and other upgrades to low income or disabled homeowners in various different areas of the capital city. Front row, left to right: Tonya Bell, TAAR staff; Linda Briden, TAAR staff; Janelle Moses, Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair; Denise Humphrey, TAAR staff; and Lou Ann Thoms, Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair; Back Row: Luke Thompson, Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair; Laine Hash, Berkshire Hathaway First, REALTORS®; TJ Lorson, Heartland Title Services; Scott Jenkins, RE/MAX Associates of Topeka; Scott Humphrey, 190th KsANG CES retiree, and Matt Greene, 190th KsANG CES.

By Angela Deines Special to The Capital-Journal

Making much-needed upgrades on houses for homeowners who don’t have the skills or the financial means is just one reason the Topeka Area Association of REALTORS® expects to remain a partner in the Christmas in Action community service project for years to come.

“This falls right into our wheelhouse,” said Luke Thompson, a TAAR member who also serves on the Kansas Associa-

tion of REALTORS® board of directors.

“If you improve one house or a neighborhood, it’s good for Topeka.”

Despite thunderstorms that brought a good soaking of rain in the early morning hours of April 25, more than 100 TAAR members fanned out across the capital city to make repairs to more than a dozen homes that were selected through the Christmas in Action application process.

In order to qualify for the program, homeowners must live in the house where the repairs are needed, be on a fixed in-

come, be 60 years of age or older or have a physical disability. There is a small budget but most materials and all of the labor are donated for making the Christmas in Action repairs.

“It’s nice to help people who may not have the skill set to feel secure in their own home,” said Scott Humphrey, a retired member of the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas National Guard and a current board member of the Topeka chapter of Christmas in Action. “They almost come to tears with the generosity of

what people have come to help them with.

They’re very appreciative of what we do.”

While this is the second year TAAR members have participated in Christmas in Action, members of the 190th Air Refueling Wing have been fixing homes as part of the community-based program for more than 10 years.

A member of the 190th for the past seven years, Staff Sgt. Matt Greene has been helping to fix homes as part of Christmas in Action since 2010.

“I do carpentry and then just a little bit

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Photo Submitted

Christmas in Action helpers, Denise Humphrey, TAAR staff; and Lou Ann Thoms, Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair of everything,” he said. “It’s challenging, it’s rewarding, they’re (homeowners) always so happy and thankful.”

Arlene Gautier, who was chosen to get Christmas in Action repairs done to her central Topeka home, said she was overwhelmed and grateful for those who came to fix a living room window, install front and back storm doors, clean gutters, place dirt around her home’s foundation and install a handrail going down to her basement.

“When I got the letter that they had approved me, I just wept,” said Gautier, 66, who has lived in her 950 square-foot bungalow-style home since November 2012.

“This really couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I cannot tell you the immense blessing this has been on my life. I won’t ever forget this for as long as I live. They (volunteers) were like little angels who descended upon my house.”

Gautier said she feels so strongly in the concept of “paying it forward” and hopes to make a donation of some kind to Christ-

mas in Action in the future.

“Even if you don’t have a lot of money, you can always do something,” she said.

“Everyone has something they can give back.”

Janelle Moses, a Topeka REALTOR® for 32 years, said it’s helping people like Gautier realize the “American dream” of owning and then staying in their homes that makes the Christmas in Action a perfect project for TAAR. “It makes an impact on the (real estate) market and it’s that sense of family,” Moses said. “It’s also just a good thing to do. I suppose you could find an excuse not to do it but I can’t think of any.”

“As REALTORS®, homeownership is very important. They love putting and keeping people in homes, especially firsttime home buyers and elderly homeowners,” said Linda Briden, TAAR’s chief executive officer. “It (Christmas in Action program) makes the homeowners happy.

That’s the best part, seeing how appreciative they are.”

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Service Directory

Service Directory

Boost your brand, product or service with an ad in the service directory! At Home Living is read by home owners, buyers and sellers across the Topeka and surrounding area. To place your ad contact your MultiMedia Sales Consultant or 785.295.1125.

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Hancock: Water and sun are essential ingredients in gardening Continued from 2A at least once per week. Follow the label instructions. Once a month use clear water to leach accumulated salts from the soil.

Leaching is done by adding enough water to the soil to make it drip out through the drainage hole freely and thoroughly wetting the soil in the container. It is a good idea to occasionally water with a solution containing minor elements such as iron, zinc, boron and manganese. These are sometimes called “Trace Minerals”.

Follow the label directions carefully. Too much fertilizer will appear as burned leaf margins and injured roots.

Watering

Proper watering is key to gardening success. There are no hard fast rules for watering. You will need to watch and get to know your containers and the plants in them. A good way to tell if your plant needs water is to stick your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle. If the soil is dry water it thoroughly. No little drinks!

Little drinks encourage shallow roots and death if you don’t water in time. Quality and overall health of the plant are greatly affected by allowing the plant to wilt severely. Watering can be accomplished with watering cans, hoses, or drip systems.

Soilless potting mixes have a tendency to shrink away from the pot edges if they are allowed to dry out excessively. Water-

ing becomes difficult because the water escapes down the insides of the pot and does not wet the soil. Immerse the container in a bucket or sink filled with water and leave it there allowing water to be absorbed through the holes in the bottom of the container until the soil is fully wetted.

Light Nearly all vegetables grow best in full sun. However, leafy crops such as lettuce, greens, spinach and parsley can tolerate some shade. Try to find locations that receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.

Challenge Dad or Granddad to a race to see whose tomato plant will reach 3’ tall first or whose will produce the first tomato. Be creative and create your own family

challenges.

Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

Note: Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale a major success! We are so pleased to serve the public with educational programs and gardens and the proceeds from this sale help us to do just that.

Note: “Creative Container Gardening” is the presentation that will be given by an Extension Master Gardener at the Topeka/Shawnee County Library Thursday, May 14 at 7:00pm.

Note: “The First Time Gardener” is the presentation that will be given by an Extension Master Gardener at the Topeka/Shawnee County Library Thursday, May 28 at 7:00pm.

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