| How to Grow a Plum Tree Posted: 29 Mar 2019 01:00 AM PDT Growing your own plum tree in your backyard is a gratifying experience. After planting, watering, pruning, and maintaining your tree, it will bear delicious plums to reward you for your work. With regular care, your plum tree will continue to bloom and produce plums for years to come. EditChoosing Your Plum Tree and Planting Site - Choose a type of plum that will thrive where you live. European plum trees will grow in most climates. Japanese plum trees need warmer climates. American hybrid plums are the hardiest and can survive even in cold, harsh conditions.
- Pick a European type if you have space for just one tree. Japanese plum trees and American hybrids need to cross-pollinate, which means you'd need a second tree to produce fruit. If you have space for only one tree, go with a European plum tree. It will also grow well in most climates.[1]
- In general, Japanese plums are sweet and juicy, with red skin. European plums are very sweet and purple. American hybrids vary in appearance and taste, but many are similar to Japanese plums.[2]
- Start with a grafted plum tree for the best plums. A grafted plum tree is a young tree that has been attached to a root to improve its growth. Grafted plum trees produce delicious fruit. You can grow a plum tree from a plum seed, but the fruit may not taste the same.
- A local nursery will have plum trees that grow well in your climate.[3]
- Choose a planting site with well-drained soil so your tree will grow. Plum trees grow best in rich soil that isn't constantly wet. If the soil retains water, it might cause your tree's roots to rot. Check the drainage by digging a hole deep and filling it with water. If the water drains within 1 hour, the site has good drainage.
- If your planting site doesn't have good drainage, choose a different spot in your yard. You can also install gutters and drains or regrade your soil to redirect water.
- Make sure your planting site gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. Your plum tree will need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day to grow. Avoid spots where frost might settle and spots that experience high winds.[4]
- Give your tree at least of space all around to grow. If you're planting multiple plum trees, space them at least apart.[5]
EditPlanting the Tree - Plant during spring for the easiest experience. If you live in a region with cold winters and hot summers, wait until the spring to plant your plum tree. It will be easiest to dig the hole for your tree, and your young tree's roots will adapt to the soil well.[6]
- By planting in the spring you'll also avoid frost, which can damage your tree.[7]
- Dig a hole slightly deeper and wider than the tallest, longest roots. Try not to bend the roots so they can spread and grow. Your trees roots will grow outward. Make sure its longest roots have room to grow and form a stable base for your tree.[8]
- Loosen the soil in the sides of the hole so the roots can spread easily. If the soil in the hole is too compact, your roots will have trouble breaking through and growing outwards. You can loosen the soil with the tip of your shovel or a handheld tool like a trowel.[9]
- Check that your tree's graft line is not submerged in the hole. The graft line is a clear line or "scar" near the base, where the root and tree join. The graft line should remain at least above the soil when your tree is in the hole so it can grow properly.[10]
- If your hole is too deep, fill it little by little with soil you removed until the graft line is at the right position.[11]
- Refill the hole by packing soil around the tree's roots. Refill the hole slowly, making sure to cover each root with soil. Adjust the angle of your tree when needed so that it stays completely upright.[12]
- Fertilizer isn't needed when you plant a young grafted tree. Fertilizer can damage or kill the tree's roots.[13]
- Water your new tree weekly with of water for the first year. Newly planted trees need plenty of water the first few weeks after planting. Letting a tree get too dry can affect its growth and production of fruit. On the other hand, overwatering can damage the roots.[14]
EditCaring for Your Tree - Soak the soil for 15 minutes per week once the tree is 1 year old. After your tree has been planted for a year, it doesn't need as much water. If you live in a dry climate without much rain, soak the soil around the base of your tree with a hose for 15 to 20 minutes. If it rains once every 7 to 10 days, don't water your tree.[15]
- Give your tree more water if its leaves are curling up and turning brown. Try watering it every 5 or 6 days at first, or soak it for 25 to 30 minutes when watering it.[16]
- Give your tree less water if its leaves are turning yellow and falling from the branches. Wait to water it every 10 or 13 days, or soak the soil for 10 minutes instead.[17]
- If you live in a humid or wet climate, your tree is probably getting plenty of moisture. Let the weather water your tree naturally when it rains.[18]
- Trim the branches above buds with a lopper to encourage growth. Pruning your young tree for the first time in late winter will set its shape and encourage growth the following spring. Cut branches above outward-facing buds so that the branch will grow up and out.
- Use a pruning tool that will make clean cuts, like a lopper, to discourage pests and disease.
- Cut any shoots that form on the bottom of the trunk, as they take away energy from the rest of the tree.
- Keep your tree healthy by clearing damaged or fallen branches. Prune branches that have broken from high winds or storms. Cut these damaged sections where they naturally meet undamaged parts of the branch to avoid leaving stubs. Rake and remove fallen debris in the fall. [19]
- Fertilize your tree in early spring after its first crop of fruit. Fruit trees younger than 3 or 4 years old don't require fertilizer unless they are not growing about per year. Using gloves, spread a mild, slow-release fertilizer about away from your tree's trunk.
- A 10-10-10 ratio fertilizer is recommended for plum trees, which has equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.[20]
- Use mulch around the trunk to hydrate and control weeds in the spring. Cypress mulch can cut down the evaporation of water near the soil's surface, helping your tree conserve water. Mulch made from cedar will block weeds from sunlight so they don't grow and affect your plum tree.[21]
- Apply mulch around the base of your tree so that it's thick.
- When organic mulch like cypress and cedar decomposes, it also provides nutrients to your tree, so it can be used as an alternative to fertilizer.[22]
- You can make your own mulch from tree branches, bark, and leaves.
- Treat diseases like brown rot by pruning damaged sections. Brown rot is a common disease that affects plum trees. Withered brown twigs and flowers covered in sticky brown drops are signs of brown rot. Prune and destroy any affected fruits, twigs, leaves, and flowers.[23]
- You can also apply a fungicide like myclobutanil to treat brown rot.[24]
- Harvest ripe plums when they feel soft and detach from the tree easily. If you pick plums early, put them in a clean paper bag with the top folded over and let them sit at room temperature for a day or two. Your plum is ripe when your fingertip makes a small dent, but doesn't puncture the skin. [25]
- European plums can be picked when they're fully ripened. You can pick Japanese and American Hybrid plums slightly early and ripen them.
- Use your plums to make dishes like grilled plums or plum jam.
- When using materials like fertilizer or fungicide, follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.
- If you purchase a grafted tree from a local nursery, you can speak to the nursery employees for advice on growing your tree. They'll have tips for growing in your local climate.
EditThings You'll Need - Grafted plum tree
- Shovel
- Trowel
- Hose
- Pruning tool
- Fertilizer
- Mulch
- Fungicide
EditReferences
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| How to Carry a Hedgehog Posted: 28 Mar 2019 05:00 PM PDT Hedgehogs are cute and friendly critters if they are bred and raised correctly. They are the perfect pets for dedicated and patient owners—they aren't smelly, they make almost no noise, and most importantly, they're cute! In spite of all of this, some people are still afraid to handle a hedgehog. Luckily, carrying your hedgehog is a great way to bond with it and when you learn to understand and respond to its subtle methods of communicating, you'll have no problem at all! EditPicking up Your Hedgehog - Clean your hands with a non-fruity smelling anti-bacterial soap. It's important to clean your hands before you handle your hedgehog to get rid of any food smells, which can make it bite you. It's also important to keep them scent-free so they can get used to your natural smell.[1]
- Always use warm water when washing your hands and be sure to clean them after you handle your hedgehog as well!
- Let your hedgehog sniff your hand before picking it up. This is especially important if your hedgehog isn't familiar with you yet. In some cases, it might want to taste you as well—let it, it's not painful!
- Don't be nervous! Hedgehogs are great at sensing fear, and if you're scared and nervous, it will be scared and nervous too.
- Scoop your hedgehog up from underneath with both hands. Avoid its quills and make sure all you feel is its fur. Try to keep your hedgehog's weight evenly distributed over your hands to minimize the pressure of its spines. Think of yourself as a performer walking on nails—instead of walking on one nail at a time, you need to distribute your weight across as many nails as you can.[2]
- Either use your fingers and slip them under your hedgehog's belly or scoop them up with the sides of your hands.
- If you're having trouble picking your hedgehog up, use the side of its cage to roll it into your hands.
- Don't let your fingers meet in the middle of your hedgehog's belly or you'll get pricked if it rolls into a ball.
- Lift up your hedgehog with both hands in a single, quick motion. Think of it like pulling off a Band-Aid or imagine yourself as a nurse giving a needle shot. Be sure to keep your motion steady and confident and remember that it's going to prick a little.[3]
- Grab the hedgehog firmly enough to hold it but light enough to minimize the pain.
- Always use gentle, slow, and non-threatening motions. Don't move jerky and fast or your hedgehog might think you're attacking it.
- Have confidence—the better you are at picking up your hedgehog, the more secure it will be and the less likely it is to prick you.
- Keep calm and give your hedgehog time to relax. After picking up your hedgehog, remain still and let it do what it wants. If it rolls into a ball, don't worry—be patient and wait for it to calm down. After a few minutes, it should unroll and start to sniff you and might even try to explore you![4]
- If your hedgehog continues to be agitated, put it back in its cage and wait a bit.
- Some hedgehogs have been well socialized and bred or have better temperaments—they should unroll pretty quickly. However, some are not so great and require more time.
- Keep your hands flat and let them wake up and get used to everything. Once their quills are down and they're looking around and sniffing, they're comfortable.
- Carry your hedgehog using the palms of your hands. Start walking with your hedgehog and keep your palms underneath it to support them. If your hedgehog is a bit jumpy, hold it in the palm of one hand and place the other palm behind it—facing its head—just in case it tries to get away.[5]
- Be sure to carry your hedgehog by the fur and not its quills!
- Press your hedgehog against your chest with one hand as you carry it. If you want to get a bit cuddlier, hold your hedgehog with its back to your belly with one hand. Just be sure to cover this area of your chest with something soft, such as a small cloth, to avoid getting pricked by its quills![6]
- If it's comfortable enough with you, scratch your hedgehog between its quills with your free hand.
EditSocializing Your Hedgehog - Carry your hedgehog at least 30 minutes daily. The best way to do this is by carrying them 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. If you just received your hedgehog, take note of its behavior when you carry it—if it's stressed, wait 2 days until you start carrying it. Otherwise, you can start carrying it right away and bonding with it![7]
- Signs of stress including hissing and huffing, twitching and shaking its head, and frantically running away.
- Never provoke your hedgehog within its cage. Only pick your hedgehog up from its cage when it's comfortable. If you cause your hedgehog to hiss or huff when you reach into its cage, you're training it to react this way any time a human hand approaches it. Avoid touching its spines and never pet your hedgehog by reaching into its cage.[8]
- If you want to pet your hedgehog, wait until it's in your hands.
- Some people can pet their hedgehog in its cage when it's completely comfortable with them, but it's not recommended.
- Don't pet or pat your hedgehog's quills until they're comfortable with you. In general, hedgehogs don't like to get their quills pet. When you're carrying them, let them move around your hand and sniff you and talk to them as much as possible to get them used to the sound of your voice.[9]
- After your hedgehog gets to know you, it might start to enjoy getting scratched between its quills. However, don't ever rush this process—wait until it's very comfortable with you!
- Keep the same smell as much as possible. Hedgehogs don't have good eyesight, so they use their sense of smell to recognize you. Avoid changing perfumes, shampoos, and soaps, as this can confuse your hedgehog and make it feel like it has to get to know you again.[10]
- Avoid using gloves when handling your hedgehog as it will mask your smell.
- If you're having a hard time not getting pricked, try using some bedding as cushioning. Go for the fluffiest kind you can for the best results!
- Hedgehogs respond to positive reinforcement and punishment should never be implemented for any reason. Hedgehogs are timid creatures by nature and need loving support to learn good behaviors. Be patient—some hedgehogs are easier to train than others!
- Hissing is a normal reaction to being picked up for the first time. However, clicking and popping are aggressive acts that mean "get away from me." If your hedgehog does this when first being picked up, it means it has been poorly socialized and bred and it will need intensive socialization to come around. If it does this when you try to pet them while handling them, it means it is either not awake and calm enough yet or it simply doesn't like being pet.
- Never punish your hedgehog.
- Do not associate feeding with handling—this can lead to biting problems with some hedgehogs. It is best to feed your hedgehog with treats by hand when they are fully awake and not in your hands, on you, or with tweezers.
- If your hedgehog bites you, remain calm. They do this out of fear, because you smell like food, or you have associated food with handling—they will eventually let go. Do not pull your finger/hand away and do not strike the hedgehog.
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| How to Determine the Best Time to Exercise Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:00 AM PDT Any time of the day you can commit to exercising is a good time for getting active. The best time for exercise is different for each person. Consider your lifestyle and exercise goals to help find the right time for you. EditConsidering Lifestyle Factors - Determine when you have the most energy. Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up energized and ready to go? Are you a night owl and never get to bed before midnight?[1] Once you establish what your sleep tendencies are, you will have a better idea of when your body is most inclined to exercise.
- If you are not a morning person, do not schedule an early morning workout. You are more likely to hit the snooze button instead of getting a workout in.
- Sacrificing sleep to get a workout in can result in poorer performance and make it difficult to develop a consistent routine.
- Consider your daily schedule. When are you the busiest? When do you tend to schedule your most important tasks? Try to fit in your exercise before or at least around these events if possible. Some people would prefer to get it out of the way first thing, while others prefer to put it off until the end of the day when they are all caught up.
- If you tend to have a lot of activities after work, you may want to exercise in the morning.
- If your mornings are hectic and you have trouble making it out of the door on time, an evening workout may be best.
- An afternoon workout may be good if you have time on your lunch break and do not want to sacrifice your evening or morning time.
- Determine your exercise goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to improve your performance? Are trying to develop a consistent exercise routine? [2]
- If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning. People who exercise in the morning are more consistent. You may not feel like exercising after a long day of work, errands, or being out on the town.[3]
- If you are trying to improve your performance, afternoon or evening exercise may be best. You may experience less fatigue, quicker reaction times, and more strength and flexibility in the evening.[4][5]
- If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise in the morning before you have eaten. When you exercise in a fasted state, your body is more likely to use fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.[6]
- Factor in the location of your exercise routine. Your house provides the most flexible time options if you own fitness equipment, but if you have a gym down the street or along the route home from work, that will make it more convenient to squeeze in a workout.
- If you have an onsite gym at your job or school, afternoon and evening workouts may be most convenient for you.
- Fitness DVDs and videos are other convenient at-home options.
- Experiment with both morning and evening workouts. Start by working out at different times of the day to see how you feel and find the time that works best with your schedule. Keep an exercise log to help you evaluate each time. Ask yourself some questions such as:.
- How did I feel?
- Did I have trouble falling asleep?
- Am I tired throughout the day?
- Do I perform better in the morning or at night?
- Do I feel more energized? Am I sluggish?
EditExercising in the Morning - Weigh the pros and cons. Morning workouts are associated with lower blood pressure, better quality sleep,[7] higher energy levels throughout the day, and increased mental alertness; however, you will have to wake up earlier than usual and may have low energy if you do not eat before you work out.[8]
- If you plan to exercise at a gym, there will be fewer people in the gym if you go in the morning.[9]
- People who exercise in the morning also tend to follow the workout with a healthy breakfast and plenty of water. This could set you up for a great start to the day.[10]
- Sleep in your exercise clothes. Workout clothes are usually comfortable. Sleeping in them can motivate you to exercise as soon as you wake up. If you do not want to sleep in your clothes, have your outfit laid out so you can roll out of bed and get dressed.
- If you are exercising at a gym and plan to get dressed there, pack your gym bag the night before so you can just grab your bag and head out the door.
- Adjust your sleep schedule. Try waking up 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual to fit in a workout. You may need to go to sleep a little earlier to accommodate your new wake up time. If you are exercising at a gym, consider your travel time to your gym as well.
- Allow an extra five or 10 minutes for your warm up.[11] Your body temperature is lower in the morning. If you do not warm up your body, you are more likely to get injured.[12]
- If you typically do not eat in the morning, add in some extra time for breakfast. Your body needs food to recover from exercise.
EditExercising in the Evening - Understand the pros and cons. If you are focusing on increasing muscle strength and muscle size, an evening workout may be best.[13][14] You have eaten throughout the day so your body has plenty of fuel and your muscles are warm.[15] On the other hand, evening workouts can be easy to brush off. If you have a lot of evening commitments or are usually fatigued at the end of the day, it will be hard to find time the time or energy to exercise.[16]
- You are less likely to get injured during evening exercise because your muscles and joints have been working all day.[17]
- If you plan to exercise at a gym or outside, know what time your gym closes and how much daylight you will have in the evening.
- Pay attention to how well you sleep. Evening exercise helps some people fall asleep while it gives others an energy boost. Evening strength training in particular may help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.[18] On the other hand, high-intensity training may cause you to be more alert and have trouble falling asleep.
- If you find that you have trouble going to sleep at night, yoga or stretching exercises can help you relax.[19]
- You may save your evening workouts for low-intensity exercises (i.e. walking, yoga, stretching) and do more high-intensity workouts (i.e. running, cycling, interval training) in the morning.
- Adjust your meal time. It takes your body two to three hours to digest a meal and absorb nutrients. Eat a snack before your workout and have dinner when you are finished. If you want to eat dinner first, eat earlier than you typically would.[20]
- Foods such as white rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes encourage sleep. Eat them at least one hour before you plan to go to bed. If you plan to go to bed at 11:00 pm, you need to eat before 10:00 pm. [21]
- Eating turkey and/or pumpkin seeds can also help you sleep.
- Do not sacrifice sleep. Try to finish your workout about two hours before it is time for you to go to bed. This will give your body time for you to wind down. For example, if you plan to go to bed at 11:00 pm, be finished working out by 9:00 pm.
- Your melatonin (i.e. hormone that makes you sleepy) levels peak around 10:00 pm. Your workout performance and form may suffer if you are tired and exercising this late.[22][23]
- Sleep is just as important as exercise and helps your body recover after exercise.[24]
- Do not attempt to make any major changes to your fitness routine without first consulting your doctor.
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