VALLEY HO E IMPROVEMENT VALLEY AUCTIONS VALLEY HEALTH

3 Easy Steps

(StatePoint) Plants add color, life and vibrancy to your home’s indoor and outdoor spaces and can even improve indoor air quality. However, if you are new to plant ownership, you may be wondering how to make your foliage thrive. Here’s are three tips for healthier plants:

1. Make a move: Many plants that do well outdoors in the warmer months can’t tolerate the cold. So don’t wait for subfreezing temperatures to bring planters indoors for the season. Be sure to give your newlytransported plants the right amount of light. This may require using special grow lights. Keep in mind though that different types of plants thrive better with different color spectrums and intensities, so group plants under the right lights accordingly. If your indoor air is dry in winter, you may find that misting the leaves of your warm climate and tropical plants will help provide needed humidity.

2. Prevent pests: Unfortunately, keeping houseplants often attracts insects that can harm them and bug you. But there are steps you can take to prevent a pest problem in your home. One important thing you can do is to be sure you are not overwatering plants. Too much water in effect drowns plants. It can also create standing water that becomes a breeding ground for flying insects. You can also provide round-the-clock protection from fruit flies, gnats and flies by plugging a Zevo Flying Insect Trap into a regular outlet near your plants and wherever flying insects enter your home or views, evidencing it’s time for sustainable options, like adding ‘miniclover’ or replacing lawns with it. Miniclover (trifolium repens), is one-third to half the size of white Dutch clover, only grows 4-6 inches and produces a thick, carpet-like look that blends well with turf. Less expensive than grass seed, it’s a natural solution for self-sustaining, low-maintenance lawns that look beautiful and help eliminate the need for fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and weekly mowing. It’s healthier for people, pets, soil and waterways. You can’t go wrong with it.”

There’s nothing you can do about those 17-minute private jet flights. However, anyone with a lawn can add-in miniclover and redefine what sustainable lawns and responsible lawn care looks like. Sales of miniclover rose dramatically last season, surely an indicator that this lawn renovation trend was well-received and continues to grow.

Benefits:

Nitrogen fixer. Miniclover takes nitrogen from the air and “fixes” it in soil, eliminating the need to apply nitrogen, keeping lawns green and growing while adding natural nitrogen to surrounding soil.

Drought tolerant. Miniclover is drought-tolerant and can stay green all summer with minimal watering.

Deters bugs. Grubs that feed on grass roots will not eat miniclover, and adult beetles and bugs are deterred from laying eggs in it.

Crowds out weeds. Miniclover is evenly dispersed via stolons (stems grow horizontally along the ground), crowding out weeds, preventing new weeds and controlling erosion.

Low-to-no maintenance. You can mow miniclover - the more it’s cut, the smaller the leaf size - or let it grow. Miniclover only blooms once in summer, providing bees with nectar, or mowing will prevent blooming.

Thrives in sun to partial shade. Miniclover does well in partial shade that receives some direct sunshine daily.

Stands up to soil and subsoil compaction.

Immune to “dog patches.” Dog urine discolors lawns, but miniclover stays green and lush.

Feels soft and springy on bare feet and looks like ordered whimsy.

So... what’s not to like?

For other droughttolerant options, visit Outsidepride.com.

#16600

Source: OutsidePride.com

THEME: COLORS

ACROSS

1. Partner of pains

6. “Raiders of the Lost ____”

9. Opposite of flows

13. Flesh of fish

14. Grazing area

15. Soft palate hanger

16. Boatload

17. Wood-shaping tool

18. Old episode

19. *Alice of “Color Purple” fame

21. *Fruit and color

23. Long reef dweller

24. Sound of pain

25. Math class total

28. Excessively abundant

30. *”Royal” color

35. Arrival times, acr.

37. *Color quality

39. Shininess

40. White House “sub”

41. Spritelike

43. Cupid’s counterpart

44. Serengeti grazer

46. *Feeling blue

47. Hokkaido native 48. *Color wheel inventor 50. Walk with a hitch

52. “Malcolm X” (1992) movie director

53. Stare open-mouthed

55. Napoleon of “Animal Farm,” e.g.

57. *Between blue and violet

60. *____phobia, intense fear of colors

63. Opposite of cathode

64. North American country 66. Run ____ of the law

68. Geography class book

69. Local area network

70. It’s firma

71. Has divine power 72. Banned insecticide, acr. 73. German surrealist Max

DOWN

1. “General Hospital” network

2. Crop of a bird

3. Zeus’ sister and wife

4. Two under par on a golf hole

5. Meat-cooking contraption

6. Winglike

7. *Predominant color of Mars

8. Type of membranophone

9. Like never-losing Steven

10. Town

11. *Primary color

12. ___ Juan, Puerto Rico

15. 7th planet from the sun

20. Chosen few

22. Nicki Minaj’s genre

24. Not womenfolk

25. *Number of colors in a rainbow

26. Of service

27. Colorful parrot

29. *The Lumi貥 brothers’ colorful creation

31. “Cheers” actress Perlman

32. Jeopardy

33. Sergio of Spaghetti Westerns fame

34. Follow as a consequence

36. Email folder

38. Cone-shaped quarters

42. Naiad or maenad

45. Motherless calves

49. Old horse

51. Long John Silver, e.g.

54. Modified “will”

56. Bottom-ranking employee

57. Opposite of “out of”

58. Hall of Fame Steelers’ coach

59. June 6, 1944

60. “____ Buy Me Love”

61. Between dawn and noon

62. Yours and mine

63. Expression of pleasure

65. Melancholy

67. Latissimus dorsi, for short insecticides, the traps use multi-spectrum light technology to attract flying bugs into a discreet glue sheet cartridge. When the cartridge is full, replace it and toss the used one without ever having to touch a dead bug. To learn more, visit zevoinsect.com.

3. Know your lifestyle and limitations: There are many plant species that while beautiful, don’t require much care. So, if you’re new to owning plants, consider starting out with lowermaintenance options, such as succulents or snake plants. Because these plants don’t need much water, they are also great options for those who travel frequently or those who are simply forgetful. Have furry friends? Always check whether a given plant is toxic to pets before bringing one home. Having a green thumb can seem like magic. However, with the right tools and knowledge, anyone can become a nurturing plant parent. *****