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Should you go with granular or liquid — or maybe fertilizer spikes? Slow release or quick release? Organic or synthetic? Do you even need to fertilize and if so, when should you apply it? Fertilizing your garden shouldn’t have to be so complicated! But with a huge variety of fertilizers on the market and different solutions for different plant types, it’s difficult to know where to start. We reached out to Diane Blazek, executive director at the National Garden Bureau (NGB), who consulted the experts on the NGB team....

Family Handyman Done with the caulking job but the tube’s only one-third empty? Dip the caulk tube nozzle into a can of Plasti Dip rubber coating. You’ll create an airtight seal that’s easy to peel off when the next job calls. Thanks to Kevin Lind for this tight tip. Check out these Tips For Caulking. Use these tips for perfect results every time! Every product is independently selected by our editors....

Tired of dealing with dried out and cracked hands? There are some simple solutions that make a world of difference. 5 Tips for Taking Care of Hardworking Hands Slather on a high-quality hand cream A top-rated moisturizer formulated for dry hands is essential if you’re battling dry and cracked skin. (Check out our five hand-care product recommendations below.) It’s best to apply lotion regularly throughout the day. At night, slip on a pair of cotton moisturizing gloves after applying lotion to lock in moisture while you sleep....

For several years now, I’ve been in charge of designing and building our annual shed. The photo here gives you a look at the shed that appeared in our July/Aug. ’12 issue. One of the details that always demands my attention is the number and type of doors to include. Several of the sheds I’ve designed have two doors—a regular entry door and a large door for riding lawn mowers and other big stuff....

A glimpse at kitchens on Instagram reveals a huge recent trend: Open shelving instead of cabinets. But is this style right for you? Experts weigh in on the reasons why open shelving kitchens can be a great choice. Open Shelving Fits in Awkward Spaces If you don’t have room for standard-size cabinets, or you’ve got an angled wall or corner, open shelving in the kitchen offers a simple solution to a complex problem....

A lazy Susan is a round tray that rotates and is meant to sit on a countertop or table and allow multiple diners to access food, condiments and relishes without having to pass them around. So Why is the Lazy Susan Lazy? It’s unclear where the name lazy Susan came from. If you’ve dined at a Chinese restaurant, you’ve likely used one there. The Smithsonian notes a revolving table, which later evolved into what we know as the lazy Susan, was first used in 13th century China....

I’m a forgetful person. My mind is always off in la-la-land, daydreaming about some new furniture design, mountain bike trail or a book I’m working my way through. My wife can attest to me scrambling around our bungalow, mumbling “wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses” to myself each time I leave the house. Otherwise, I’m bound to leave something behind. Recently I noticed SOG (Studies and Observations Group), the specialty knife and tool brand, teamed with the phone grip company PopSockets to release the PopGrip SOG Multi-Tool, which mounts to the back of smartphones or device cases....

As a busy small business owner or independent contractor, you know that you need insurance. Having insurance protects your business if anything should go wrong, and in many states you can’t even get a business license if you don’t have basic business insurance. The trouble is, that taking out an insurance policy can be confusing and stressful. Perhaps you feel like you never have enough time to apply for insurance, or you’re worried that you could end up paying too much or get an insurance policy that doesn’t cover your needs...

Worldwide there are about 45,000 species of spiders (a.k.a. arachnids). Although there are several types known to deliver venomous bites, including black widow, brown recluse and hobo, the majority of spiders you’re likely to encounter in North America are a nuisance rather than a danger. The truth is, spiders do more good than harm. They provide a useful service by catching and eating unwanted household pests including flies, cockroaches, fleas, moths and mosquitoes....

Family Handyman The International Residential Code (IRC) has specific instructions on the way stairs can be built. Here’s a clear summary of what the IRC code says about stair rise, run, and nosing. (Note: not every municipality adopts every part of every code, and some cities and states add in their own additional rules. Bottom line, check with your local building official before cutting those stringers or forming that stoop.)...

A few days ago, I unearthed a printed spreadsheet showing all the plants in my garden in 2003. Going through the list, I solved a couple of mysteries about some plants whose variety names I’d forgotten. I’m so happy to have found this list. and will be adding it to my garden journal, the ongoing record of my garden. Why Keep a Garden Journal A garden journal is a great way to organize information about your garden and plants....

TikTok may be known for its catchy dance challenges, but there’s genuinely useful content to be found on the social platform as well. Case in point: One TikTok user shared an amazing three-ingredient oven-cleaning hack, which saves you from having to scrub for hours to get rid of baked-on food and grime. Products You’ll Need One of the reasons this hack is so popular is because it doesn’t require harsh chemicals, like the ones you’d find in commercial oven cleaners....

You’ve laid down drop cloths, taped off your trim, popped the top on your can of paint and are off to a great start with your DIY paint job. Before long, however, you notice paint drips ruining your flawless finish — a sure sign that you’ve overloaded your brush or roller with paint. No need to panic, says Five Star Painting president Matt Kunz. “It’s easy to fix any drips while the paint is still wet, but don’t wait too long,” he says....

In this age of climate change, many homeowners are looking for creative ways to beautify their yards beyond the traditional grass lawn. After all, sprinklers, hoses and irrigation systems use thousands of gallons of the finite resource each month—not to mention costing you hundreds in water bills. To help combat excessive water usage, homeowners are turning to eco-friendly lawn alternatives, from turf to native grasses to wildflowers. In California, homeowners have gone the extra mile to reduce water usage in their drought-ridden state by planting their yards with succulents and cacti....

Holes come in all shapes, sizes and depths. And, holes happen in different materials, such as wood, plaster, drywall, plastic and metal. Is there a magic, one-size-fits-all product for fixing all of these holes? Of course not! For professional painters and DIYers alike, paint preparation, including filling holes in walls and trim, seems to take as much time as the painting itself. If you have holes to fill, begin by answering these questions so you understand the requirements of the each hole....

Is It Better to Air-Dry Your Clothes? It’s pretty clear that air-drying your clothes is better for your clothes and for the Earth. A dryer slowly destroys clothes by loosening the fabric. You see the toll drying takes on clothes every time you empty the lint trap. On This Page You can save money with air-drying and help the environment. Your dryer typically ranks in the top four appliances that use the most energy....

kurhan/Shutterstock You want your lawn to look good, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time mowing. When it comes to lawn care, there is a right and wrong way to mow the grass. Here our some of our expert tips for the most efficient way to mow your grass: Conquer Edges First First, take care of your yard’s edges. To do this, Cardinal Lawns, a full-service lawn and landscape company in Ohio, recommends taking two passes around the outside edges (three if your yard is surrounded by a fence)....

Overview of creating this DIY circular saw guide system With these two saw guides, you can use your circular saw to make cuts that rival a table saw’s for speed and accuracy. Building the guides is a quick and easy project. You can complete both in two or three hours from one sheet of MDF or plywood. On This Page We’ll show you how to build the guides and make sure they produce accurate cuts....

I’ve known about cover crops since childhood. Every fall, after my dad pulled the last of his tomato plants, our vegetable garden was nothing but bare ground. Then, seemingly overnight, new green growth filled the space. What had my dad done? He planted a cover crop! What Is a Cover Crop? A cover crop is anything grown to improve the soil, not necessarily to produce something to eat. According to the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, the practice of growing cover crops goes back thousands of years....

Milos Krivokapic/AP/Shutterstock Last week, when a horrendous fire ravaged the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, 180,000 lives were saved in what some are calling a miracle. Among the things saved from the fire are at least one of the rose windows, many of the statues (which had been removed in the days before the fire because of ongoing renovation projects), a number of historical and religious artifacts … and three beehives....