The Dbottino Weblog

Whether a expert or a beginner gardener, you already know that pests can can cause a heap load of inconvenience if you don’t take care of them. While you might be at a bit of a loss when it comes to making sure that your garden stays sound while not using chemical products, you’ll find that with a little bit of research, nothing could be easier! Check out a few of the great ways to protect your garden from pests while still keeping organic.

1.Garlic
Garlic is great for a number of different pests, and it’s easy to use, as well. To start, mix 3 ounces of finely chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons of mineral oil. Let the mixture soak for 24 hours, and then add it to a pint of water and a quarter ounce of dish soap. Test the mixture on some smaller leaves to make sure that you have not made it strong, but this can be a great way to fight really persistent pests.

2.Weed Regularly
We already know that weeds can choke out the preferable plants, but keep in mind that they can also play host to a number of undesirable pests as well! Insects tend to make their home in weeds and other debris in your garden, so keep it clear . When you have finished the weeding, make sure that you put the refuse at some distance away from your garden, to make sure that the pests that you have cleared out don’t return.

3.Milk
Milk is good for you, and wonderful for your garden. Mix together one part milk to nine parts water and use use it to spray whenever you see black spots on your vegetables or your flowers.

4.Composite Flowers
Not only will these flowers be a fantastic and colorful improver to your garden, you’ll find that they’ll attract the useful insects as well. Lady Beetles and lacewings are both attracted to these flowers and you’ll find that they can help reduce pests a lot. For some great composite flowers to add, look at yarrow, chicory, chrysanthemums ad dahlias.

5.Newspapers and Cardboard
Keep light and water away from the weeds, and they will choke out. Using something as simple as a newspaper or cardboard to lay on top of the weeds will serve this purpose. By laying them down in the fall, you will have a wonderful weed-free start to your garden in the spring.

See 247survival for other great tips about organic gardening, living off the grid, and all around survival.

There is nothing quite as welcome as those beautiful spring flowers that seem to emerge from nowhere to welcome the arrival of spring. Bulb type flowers are really unique plants, because they spend most of their days resting quietly beneath the surface of the soil. Then right on schedule, up they come, full of bloom and vigor, and then almost as fast as they came, they go. Except for the green leafy part of the plant that tends to linger longer than we would like them to.

Despite their short bloom time and unattractive foliage after the blooms are gone, they are still a wonderful addition to any landscape. But how should you care for them? First let’s talk about how to use them in your landscape. Flowers of all kinds are best when planted in groupings. Many people buy 25 or 50 bulbs and just go around the yard planting helter skelter. That’s fine if that’s what you want, but when planted that way they tend to blend in with the landscape and really don’t show up well at all. When you plant them in large groups they are a breathtaking showpiece.

In the early spring start thinking about where you would like to create a bed for flower bulbs. Prepare the bed by raising it with good rich topsoil, and if at all possible add some well composted cow manure. Do this in the spring while you are in the gardening mood; you may not be in the fall. Over the summer fill the bed with annual flowers to keep the weeds down, and to pretty up your yard for the summer. Come fall all you have to do is pull out the annuals and plant your bulbs to the depth recommended on the package.

If you think you could have a problem with squirrels digging up the bulbs and eating them, you can also wrap the bulbs in steel wool, leaving just the tip of the bulb exposed so it can grow out of the little wire cage you’ve created. Or you can just plant the bulbs and then cover the bed with chicken wire or plastic fencing until the bulbs start to grow in the spring.

When the bulbs come up in the spring and start blooming, you should clip off the blooms as they start to wither. This keeps the bulb from producing seeds, which requires a lot of energy, and you want the bulb to use all of its available energy to store food in preparation for the bulb’s resting period. Once the bulbs are completely done blooming you don’t want to cut off the tops until they are withered and die back. The million dollar question is how to treat the tops until that happens.

Many people bend them over and slip a rubber band over them, or in the case of bulbs like Daffodils tie them with one of the long leaves. This seems to work because it is a very common practice among many experienced gardeners. However, Mike is about to rain on the parade.

I strongly disagree with this theory because back about 6th grade we learned about photosynthesis in science class. To recap what we learned, and without going into the boring details, photosynthesis is the process of the plant using the sun’s rays to make food for itself. The rays from the sun are absorbed by the foliage and the food making process begins. In the case of a flower bulb this food is transported to the bulb beneath the ground and stored for later use.

So basically the leaves of the plant are like little solar panels. Their job is to absorb the rays from the sun to begin the process known as photosynthesis. If we fold them over and handcuff them with their hands behind their back, they are not going to be able to do their job. It’s like throwing a tarpaulin over 80% of a solar panel.

In order for the leaves to absorb the rays from the sun, the surface of the foliage has to be exposed to the sun. On top of that, when you bend the foliage over, you are restricting the flow of nutrients to the bulb. The veins in the leaves and the stem are a lot like our blood vessels. If you restrict them the flow stops.

You decide. I’ve presented my case. Bending them over seems to work, but I’ve spent a lot of money on my bulbs. I want them running at full speed. What I do is clip the blooms off once they are spent, and just leave the tops alone until they are yellow and wilted. If they are still not wilted when it’s time to plant my annual flowers, I just plant the annuals in between the bulbs. As the bulbs die back the annuals tend to grow and conceal them. If one shows through I clip it off. It seems to work well for me.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.

Michael J. McGroarty has more than 30 years experience in the landscape gardening/nursery industry. He’s spent the better part of his life on his hands and knees in the dirt working with plants and his hands-on experience allows Mike to write in a manner than many gardeners find to be helpful and beneficial.

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

When spring is on its way and the ground is soft, it is the perfect time for planting roses. Roses have been a very popular bloom over the years, not only do they look good, but they smell wonderful too.

However, planting roses cannot be done just anywhere or in just any climate. They need special care and treatment. Here are some tips that you need to consider in order to successfully grow roses:

1. Roses require about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight everyday. It would be best to plant your roses in a clear area where there are not too many trees or other types of plants. The reason behind this is that the rose may lack sunlight exposure and the roots are also likely to become intertwined with the rose and throttle its growth. If you wish to replace an old rose bush, you should remove about 1 cubic feet of the old soil and replace it with new soil so that the newly planted rose will have fresh soil to start with.

2. When thinking about the position of your roses you must consider the type of rose you are planting. Place ramblers and climbers along trellises, fences and next to pergolas or arches. This is important to consider because they need space to grow freely and these positions are perfect for bigger blooming roses.

3. Roses will look good in island beds which can be mixed with perennials. Smaller roses make great edging plants, which are perfect for combining in front of taller species. Dig a hole large enough for the size of the root ball, but remember to loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. You can also add bone meal which acts as a slow acting resource of phosphorus. This will help establish a healthy root growth for your roses.

4. You should be careful when considering the planting depth as this depends on your climate. If you live in a cooler climate, plant roses deeper, but if you wish to plant in a pot, you must dig about 1 inch deeper than the usual potted level.

5. Make sure that you place roses in the hole carefully. The hole should be refilled with soil so that the roots are covered completely. Before you make the final covering, water the rose. Then mound the soil about 8 inches high around the base of the plant. The earth will keep the stems from drying out until the plant is completely rooted. As the leaves open, you can remove the excess soil that surrounds the plant.

These some important tips you need to consider when planting roses. It will be worth the effort, as your roses will bloom beautifully.

Jo Williams has an interest in Home and Garden Topics. To find out how you can get more information on cultivating your roses please visit this Growing a Rose Garden site.

Ahh, spring! It has sprung! Gardeners (and budding gardeners –
no pun intended) have begun the quest for a weedless lawn, or a
bountiful garden. But if you’re looking for gifts for someone with
a green thumb (or someone with green thumb envy), consider the
situation first.

Some people think of gardening as a chore. Others see it as
relaxing. Some will see it as exercise, and still others consider
it art. Some people have the magic touch in the garden, while
others couldn’t grow mold if they tried! This is important when
considering gardening gifts. You need to know if you should give
something to make gardening easier, more fulfilling, more
challenging, or more fun.

For those people who see it as a chore, gardening just adds more
items onto the never-ending to-do list. In this case, you need to
consider gardening gifts that will make these outdoor chores easier,
faster, and less of a hassle.

Power tools and storage & organization aids usually fall into this
category, along with the ever popular lawn tractor. A leaf
blower/vacuum can make clean-up a breeze (again – no pun intended).
The same can be said for a pressure washer. Heavy jobs are made
easier with a wheelbarrow or yard cart. And organizing a collection
of garden tools is simple with a storage bench or shed. Other ideas
include a convenient watering timer.

If your gift recipient enjoys gardening as a hobby, you’ll want to
take a look at gardening gifts that can bring more fulfillment or
enjoyment to the outdoors. They would benefit from a magazine
subscription like “Garden Design”, or a gardening book (“Front Yard
Gardens: Growing More Than Grass”) to help cultivate their ideas.
Garden enthusiasts like to sit back and enjoy their hard work,
so patio furniture and accessories would also be a great gift.

And let’s not forget the gardener wanna-be: those whom we love that
just can’t seem to keep that plant alive – whose thumb isn’t really
green at all! Start off with a how-to book like “Lawn Care For
Dummies” or “Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Garden Plants”, and complement
that with some basic gardening tools or accessories. These types of
gifts would also be great for first-time home buyers.

For the gardener who already “has it all”, you might want to consider
something a little more unique, like an indoor grow light, solar
stepping stones, or a cascading fountain. And if you’re just not
sure what to get, there’s always a gift certificate or gift card.

A Heath is a gift researcher for http://www.the-gift-wizard.com

Gardening is a wonderful and relaxing hobby enjoyed by many all over the world. People who enjoy gardening often feel a deep-rooted sense of calm and tranquility, and they also forge a stronger connection with nature.

There are many types and forms of gardening. Organic gardening is a unique method of gardening and allows the gardener to really bond with Mother Nature. Organic gardening really gets down to the basics of growing fruits and vegetables, using only what Mother Nature provides. Container gardening is another way of gardening and allows many people who do not have their own garden to still enjoy gardening using pots and containers.

Container gardening is a great way to decorate and accentuate your house and your outdoor area. Plant containers such as clay urns, metal pans, terra cotta pots, wine tubs, wood boxes, bath tubs, glass bowls, wire baskets, sisal rope planters, cement hollows etc. all work well. You want to be sure to have an assortment of beautiful flowers and plants of varying heights as well as shapes and textures when planning your garden.

Organic gardening requires much more attention and involvement in the whole process. When you grow the plants organically, you do not add any artificial or chemical substances to the soil to avoid their negative health consequences. In organic gardening natural compost is needed to fertilize the soil. Natural compost is derived from plant, fruit or kitchen waste and contains no harmful chemical pesticides in it.

Whether you go for container gardening or organic gardening, the preparation and gardening methods are pretty similar. After you decide on what type of gardening you want to do, prepare your spot and soil for planting. You must remove all weeds, grass, stones, etc using various gardening supplies or herbicides. When this is completed, you can plow the planting area and add nutrients such as manure, compost, peat or sand to the soil. If your soil is too sandy, you will need to add compost to give it the necessary nutrients it needs.

Gardening supplies are essential for good gardening. They make gardening easy, and there are certain gardening supplies that gardeners find indispensable, including gloves, spade, scissors, pruners, levelers etc. Make sure to buy good quality gardening supplies for ease of use, such as gardening gloves made of high quality leather, and gardening spades or pruners made of stainless steel.

To learn more about Gardening, visit Susan’s sites at love-gardening.info, gardening-club.info and gardening-fun.info.

Decorative Birdhouses are active garden ornamentation –the presence and movement of birds creates a fluid focal point for your garden. As such, placement is critical for you to earn maximum benefit from your birdhouses. Cavity nesting birds will not be attracted to your garden without the appropriate environment. Each bird has a particular way they want to live and specific needs.

You’ll have a better chance of getting the feathered tenant of your choice if you do your research. For example, if you want to host Eastern Bluebirds, you’ll need to place the birdhouse at approximately 5 feet high and provide an entrance of 1 inch in diameter. On the other hand, The Northern Flicker is drawn by heights of up to 30 feet and needs a southeast facing home. Wrens like their nests to be located in shrubs, while Swallows desire close proximity to bodies of water. Building a pond or enhancing an existing one will make your garden more attractive to these particular birds. You will also enjoy the added aesthetic.

In addition to bird knowledge, you can attract most birds with a birdbath, carefully selected foliage, and plants that bear fruit. However, keep these a distance from the birdhouse so that the birds occupying it will not have to compete to keep it. If you don’t want to mount a pole in your garden area, you can attach your birdhouse to a tree limb, tree trunk, or fence post.

Additional tips are as follows:

Situate the birdhouse entrance in such a way as to avoid overheating it.

Place the birdhouse out of the way of predators like cats and coyotes.

Allow for a clear flight pattern to the entrance hole.

Place the appropriate nesting material near your birdhouse to make it easy for birds to settle in.

Keep bird food fresh.

Birdhouses provide shelter for birds and also entertaining decor for you and your guests. The birds’ presence provides dramatic beauty as the scenery changes each time you glance into your garden.

About The Author

Johann Erickson is the owner of Online Discount Mart (http://www.onlinediscountmart.com). Please email the author and include an active link to this website if you’d like to use this article.

marketing@4intrepid.com

In your fight against weeds you’ve probably come across any number of different types. And chances are equally likely that you went straight for the herbicide, or started pulling them up as soon as you saw them. But believe it or not, some things that look like weeds can actually help be helpful to keeping your lawn green and healthy. And conversely, things that look like flowers and add color to your lawn could be hurting it.

The good

Clover is a plant that most lawn owners immediately think of as a weed that needs to be killed. But before you start digging up or spraying your clover patches, consider the fact that it may be helping your lawn. Contrary to most other weeds, clovers can actually add nutrients to your lawn, and even help to keep other weeds at bay. By taking up space on your lawn that could otherwise be occupied by malicious weeds, clover can promote a healthy yard. It even has the added bonus of looking nice. So next time you see clover on your lawn, before you immediately start pulling it up, think about its benefits to your lawn first.

The bad

Dandelions are to most people, a nice looking plant. They add a bit of color to the lawn, and can even be eaten. But they are actually a weed, and a bad one at that. The presence of dandelions in your lawn means that it has a problem, either with the soil or the grass itself. You should remove dandelions as soon as you see them, because they are deep rooted and take up a lot of space that should be used by your grasses roots. They take up more than a fair share of nutrients and water as well, making it harder for nearby grass to grow the way it should. After pulling or killing the dandelions, be sure to check the soil and maybe add some fertilizer to it to ensure your neighboring grasses grow in strong.

The ugly

While not technically a weed, when different species of grass start growing on the same lawn the effect can unattractive. Just imagine a whole lawn of perfect Bermuda grass, with spots of wild growing meadow grass. It throws off the whole look of your yard. It is risky to kill the intruding grass with herbicides, because it can kill your existing lawn as well. You need to make sure you get the whole root pulled up, or the grass can easily grow back. After you get the other grass out, make sure your soil has the appropriate nutrients and plant the type of grass that is in the rest of your lawn. Be sure to keep an eye out for intruding grass, because you may not consider it as a weed.

Not all weeds are created equal, as we can see. Some are malicious, such as the dandelion, while others can actually help your lawn stay healthy like clover. And still others aren’t even weeds, but can make your lawn look unattractive. Whatever the case, be sure to be constantly checking and maintaining your lawn and weeds won’t sneak up on you.

Adrian Titus is a software engineer and webmaster of Lawn Care How To, a site dedicated to lawn care and maintenance.

Planting White Pine Trees In the Harrisburg Pa. Area White pines. Whenever I think of white pines, I remember hunting when I was a kid and standing near trees that were giants. Now every pine tree I plant, I can invision those days in the deep woods and those grand trees and hope someone else will have that same enjoyment. These trees will help you too in establish a desired vision to your landscape.

Beyond their size, white pines also fill important ecological niches. They grow across broad ranges of forest and urban conditions, finding much of North America to their liking.

White Pine trees need protection from deer, disease, insects, and competing weeds and shrubs. The better your weed control the better your trees will grow. When seedlings are planted, it best to plant them with large spacings to allow more light to the plant. If these trees are planted in shade, they tend to be more open. White pines are used around new construction because they perform in a wide range of soil conditions. If you have compacted soil from new construction, we suggest smaller trees of 3-5′ height.

All people handling seedlings and small trees need to help with the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of water and need care which is often overlooked between the time the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as physical damage. Seedlings are living and should be handled carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that the soil conditions will not be right for an extended lenght of time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees. Keep the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees need water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn’t damp, water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool, damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold. Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either restricting water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather. Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good planting conditions.

HOW TO PLANT

Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind. If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed. Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or packed in ice or snow. Don’t freeze the trees. Competition from weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot before planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crown of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush. Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of your planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed, the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeable openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to help reduce water loss. If the roots apear dry they are probably dead. Now I know you are thinking,”I will place them in a buckect of water and store them there until planting”. This will not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen. Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots. Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don’t crush the roots by jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not generally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get more production from a limited area by over planting and then thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting …. digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:

Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds

CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be sure that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments. Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor before using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or other problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look for foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action if the problem is detected early.

Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You probably won’t need to water more frequently than every 7-10 days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be a major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage. In many states you may have to call your game commission and get their recomendations on legal methods to protect your crop. In our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we have lost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost more seedlings and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and rabbitts combined. You can see other articles written by Bill Hirst about trees, plants, and shrubs at http://www.zone5trees.com

http://seedlingsrus.com/Arborvitae.html

http://seedlingsrus.com/FreeFencing.html

http://seedlingsrus.com/Winter

http://zone5trees.com/Hedges

http://zone5trees.com/PlantingInstructions.html

http://zone5trees.com/ProfitsGrowingTrees.html

NATURAL LIGHT: Adequate light is the most important factor in promoting flowering. Place plants near any window that has bright, but filtered, light. An east window is best because it gets morning sun. A thin curtain will be necessary if placing plants in a south or west window. In order to develop a nice symmetrical form, plants must be turned 1/4 turn every week.

FLUORESCENT LIGHT: If adequate natural light is not available, plants can be grown under fluorescent lights. Use double tube fixtures with one cool white bulb and one broad spectrum bulb. Lights should be 8 to 10 inches above the top of the plants and turned on for 12 to 14 hours a day. If plants have tight centers or seem to be bleaching out, reduce the number of hours to 8-10 a day.

WHEN TO WATER: More violets die from over-watering than from any other single cause. Violet soil should be kept evenly moist and never allowed to become soggy. Water only when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. Always use tepid water.

HOW TO WATER: You can water from the top, bottom, use wicks or use self watering planters. However, about once a month, plants should be watered from the top to flush out accumulated fertilizer salts. Never allow plants to stand in water (unless wicked or Oyama Planters are used). If water gets on the leaves, dry with a paper towel to prevent leaf spotting.

SOIL: A potting medium suitable for African Violets should be sterilized, and light and airy to allow root penetration. Soil-less mixes are ideal – they contain sphagnum peat, vermiculite and perlite.

FEEDING: Lack of regular feeding is one of the reasons an African violet will not bloom. The best way to feed is to use a dilute fertilizer solution every time you water. Use 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. fertilizer to one gallon of water. A balanced fertilizer should be used such as 20-20-20 or 12-36-14. Find a fertilizer with a low nitrogen urea content as urea burns the roots. Some brands are Peters, Optimara, Miracle Grow, Schultz.

ATMOSPHERE: Temperature and humidity are important factors. Most violets can tolerate temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees. Ideal temperatures are 72-75 degrees day-time and 65 degrees night-time. The preferred humidity range is 40% to 60%. A humidifier or bowls of water placed near plants can be used to increase you home’s humidity during heating season.

Click here for Oyama Planters and other African violet growing supplies

www.avplanters.com

Imagine that you want to stay warm in your backyard on a cool, starry night. One of the ways you can do so is to invest in a clay or cast iron chiminea. A chiminea is nothing more than the modern version of a traditional Mexican outdoor fireplace. This type of outdoor fireplace was used for hundreds of years as a source of warmth and a place to cook. Nowadays you see them in many backyards as sources of warmth and as accent pieces adding charm to a patio or garden.

You can find chimineas made of clay, aluminum and cast iron. Which one you choose depends on what style fits your patio or backyard and how much money you are willing to invest. (Note: There are several accepted spellings for a Mexican fireplace. The common spellings are: chiminea, chimenea, chiminia, chimenia.)

Choosing a Clay Chiminea

When choosing a clay chiminea, you should look to see if the fireplace was air-dried or kiln-dried. In general, an air-dried fireplace is usually “untreated.” This means you would need to paint it and seal it before use. Kiln-dried versions are typically prepainted and sealed.

Clay chimineas are constructed in two pieces. The bottom piece, called the “bowl” is the largest piece, and looks like a potbelly stove. The smokestack, or “neck” is attached separately on top of the bowl. The joint where the two pieces come together is usually rather weak, so you should never lift a clay chiminea from the neck.

In general, clay chimineas are not designed to handle large fires for extended periods of time. They are also more likely to crack and break than a cast iron or aluminum model.

Finally, remember that a clay chiminea is nothing but a combination of water and dirt. If you let it sit in water long enough, it will turn back into mud. Therefore, cover it during rainstorms and never let your clay fireplace sit in a pool of water!

Cast Iron and Aluminum Chimineas

In general, a cast iron or aluminum chiminea is more durable and sturdy than a clay version. Although they tend to be heavier than clay models, they won’t crack or break as easily. However, they will need occasional maintenance.

For example, if you leave a cast iron chiminea outside long enough, it will rust. Rust is a normal occurrence, so if you sand out the rust spots and paint them as they appear, your fireplace should give you many years of enjoyment.

Cast aluminum models are relatively low maintenance, lighter in weight than cast iron, and also rust-resistant. Therefore, painting and sanding is not necessary.

What to Look for in All Chimineas

As you shop for a Mexican fireplace, pay close attention to the size of the fire bowl area. This is where you will be placing the wood to burn, so be sure it is large enough to accommodate adequately large pieces of wood. The size of the fire bowl is more important than the height of the neck.

You might also consider purchasing a spark arrestor for your chiminea. A spark arrestor is a mesh screen that you place over the chimney hole to prevent sparks from escaping. You might also consider a spark arrestor for the front of the fire bowl, too.

A modern Mexican chiminea is a great addition to any backyard, both as a source of heat and as a decorating accent piece. Make your choice between clay, cast iron, and cast aluminum models. With a little yearly care, you will have a wonderful conversation piece for your patio or backyard. Plus, you will have a romantic and charming way to stay warm as you gaze into the sky on a cool and starry night.

David Caban is a successful author and publisher of outdoor fireplace and patio furniture advice. His website, http://www.best-in-patio-furniture.com is a one-stop source of free information on patio furniture and outdoor décor for patios, decks and porches.