What do we want on these cold wintery days, we want to turn on our central heat and air unit and have it deliver perfect temperature, exactly when we want it. The hard part for most of us is to determine when the unit is not running efficiently. It may be on and it may be putting out warm air but is it working too hard? Good maintenance is the essential factor to assure your system will be working when you want it and continues to work at it’s optimum efficiently.

Your HVAC unit is no different from your car. In order to keep it running and running at the maximum efficiency, you have to keep up with several key maintenance processes like oil, spark plugs, battery. Your HVAC unit also needs regular attention to run efficiently and effectively.

No matter what type of heating and cooling system you have, there are several things you can do to keep the system in top condition.

Actions to Do Yourself

• Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.
• Keep the area around and near your unit clean and free of debris.
• Check for leaks and cracks.
• Make sure vents are no blocked with furniture, curtains and plants.

A service professional can help you with the more in depth system checks listed below.

10-Point Check for Heating Systems

• Clean & Inspect Heat Exchanger & HydroScan Test
• Clean Blower Compartment
• Check and Inspect Flue Pipe & Collector
• Check and Adjust Manifold Gas Pressure
• Inspect Evaporator Coil & Duct Work for Cleanliness & Air Leaks
• Test Over Temperature Safeties
• Test Flame Roll-Out Safeties
• Test Heat Exchanger for Carbon-Monoxide Leaks
• Check Calibration of Thermostat

• Clean & Wax Exposed Metal Surface

Efficient operation is a function of good regular maintenance. A portion of the maintenance should be your responsibility to handle yourself but good scheduled maintenance from a service professional is a vital part of keeping your system in good efficient shape.

It is time to start planning for the spring gardens. Really? With cold winds, a little ice and maybe even some snow in our yards and gardens still? January and February are actually important times for your upcoming seasons, time to get started on getting started.

Start with cleaning and weeding the flower beds and garden areas and start tilling in several inches of compost. If you use raised beds it is also time to adjust, anchor and just generally fix up the area. And the same for your general garden areas, get them cleaned up and adjusted so all that process is done before you are actually ready to start putting plants in the ground.

If you plan to seed some plants and flowers indoors you can start the process late in January (tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, periwinkles). Those that are safe for planting in late January are Pansies, Violas, snapdragons, petunias, alyssum, ornamental cabbages and kale. Also bulbs like tulips and daffodils are ready in January.

Your onions, potatoes, garlic and asparagus, English peas and spinach will be ready for outside planting late in January and early February. And if you are interested in trying grapevines or blackberries, this is a good time to plant those.

Nice days and sunshine in February will make you tempted to grab some tomato plants for early outside planting. Your chances for success are slim and you will probably be back purchasing more plants to replace them in mid to late March.

February is North Texas garden ready time and the following vegetables will be in stock and ready for planting in the mid month: beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes and radishes.

Climbing roses should be trained but not pruned at this time. Remove dead or weak canes, and weave long canes through openings in trellises or arbors. Securing canes now will prevent possible damage from winter/spring winds.. Hold off on pruning bush roses until late February. Use good shears that will make clean cuts. Remove approximately one-half of the top growth and height of the plant. Now is an excellent time to plant container-grown roses to fill in bare spots in your rose garden by spring.

Remember, having the beds ready ahead of time will make your actual planting time much easier and will give your garden a head start. With a year of lots more rain and a lot less heat, we will be bountiful gardeners, so let’s plan on all three.

Bring your delicate plants such as tropicals and container plants inside for wintering. You can replant them in pots if necessary and place them in a garage, barn or indoor room. Be sure to take cuttings of annuals and begin propagating new plants for next season, it is a hassle to do right now but you will be thankful you did in the spring.  Also, move your decorative, ceramic and terra-cotta containers to the garden shed or garage to protect them. Clean up the clay pots to remove excess salts or algae and other buildup, and it is a good time to repair any that are damaged.

In the perennial border, touch up mulch around the plants for added winter bulk. About two to four inch deep mulch is ideal for winter protection. It is also fine to leave foliage that has died because it helps provide additional protection at the crown of plants. You should leave ornamental grasses intact without cutting them back.  This will discourage new growth during warm spells and it will also help to encourage birds and wildlife visits.

It is best to avoid heavy pruning of trees and shrubs going into the winter months, but do prune away broken or dead branches. Touch up mulch at the base of trees and large shrub plants once temperatures are consistently cool.

Remove spent plants from the vegetable garden and add them to the compost pile, if you haven’t started one it is great time start prep for that. Be careful not to add disease plants to the compost, drop those in the trash.  It is a good time to till the soil or turn it over with a garden fork.  This will help to expose those underground pests to the cold temperatures.

Winterize the compost bin.   Covering it with a tarp is a good way to keep the composting process going through the cold season. Occasionally soak the compost pile with water to keep it moist. Add an insulation of leaves or straw on the top and sides of the pile.

All snuggled up for the cold season your lawn and gardens are ready for their long winter’s nap.

Gardening for the most part has been anything but good this year.  Too hot, too dry!  Fall gardening is far behind schedule, few of us have tomatoes and peppers in the ground and the ones that do, have plants that are suffering.  Cucumbers and squash still have time to make it; beans and peas will work too.

It is near time for broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, spinach and turnips – these are near ready for planting in mid September to November.

If and when we ever get any significant moisture, there will be many fall plantings of pasture and grasses, small grain and legumes. Keep in mind that small grains, wheat, oats, rye and triticale are going to be more expensive and some varieties are not going to be readily available.

I presume there will be a great amount of damage to our summer grasses as well as to our trees due to the extreme heat and dry weather this year.  Fertilizers are going to be expensive, so be prepared.

If the weather isn’t a big enough problem for the farmers and ranchers in Denton County, and all over Texas and Oklahoma, the feed and hay situation isn’t any better;  there is no hay around and the prices to get it are escalating double and triple the normal prices.  Livestock feeds are in the same shape, with the price of all types of feeds going up between fifty cents to over one dollar per fifty pound bag.

On top of this, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering requiring anyone operating farm equipment to have a commercial drivers license. The Environmental Protection Agency is checking for compliance for dust pollution when farmers are plowing and working their fields.  DOT will consider having all farmers and ranchers have their trucks and trailers inspected by the DOT and have a commercial drivers license before they can haul livestock or equipment, if weight exceeds 26,000 pounds. These are some of the things farmers and ranchers need to be aware of and think about.

Decorating isn’t a science; it’s a form of self expression. The rooms you live in should reflect your taste and style. And whether you’re redecorating or just moving in, with your vision, you can achieve any look. Start with ideas to spark your creativity to put together your own ideal room. Set your imagination free. Be playful. Be bold. Be a little daring. Your space is whatever you want it to be.

Inspiration is everywhere. All you need to know is what you like. Look through magazines and select styles that you are drawn to or choose a piece of artwork you already have. You can build a room around just about anything. Find your focal point in the room-one dominant feature that attracts your eye as soon as you walk in. Begin with the largest piece of furniture facing the focal point, and then build from there.

Use your inspiration in selecting your paint colors. Choose one that fits the mood you want to create. Once you have chosen some potential colors, make sure you look at them in the room where you’ll use them under both artificial and natural light before you make your final selections.

Flooring is a dominant feature for your room and choosing a unique floor is a great way to make an individual statement. Find a floor that best suits your needs. If its carpet you’re looking for be sure to look at stain resistance, clean-ability and durability. If it is ceramic you’re looking for, it’s durable, easy to clean and hygienic. Tile is also affordable, versatile and heat resistant, which makes it a perfect choice for kitchen floors, countertops, bath floors and showers. Tile offers a wide assortment of styles–sure to suit any personality and complement the decor of any room.

Wood floors bring incomparable style and elegance to a home. The unique natural richness of wood can transform a living space from simple to sophisticated. Color is important for any room. Lighter colors make a room feel more spacious, while darker colors tend to make large rooms feel more intimate. Texture creates a customized look. Light textures provide a soft, simple elegance, while heavier textures lend more rustic, time-worn appeal. Graining in the woods can range from extremely subtle to very heavy. Select heavier graining for a more rustic look or lighter graining for a more formal style. The width of the wood can define a room’s tone. An area’s size will seem to expand with a narrower plank while the wider ones will make a room seem more secluded.

Put it all together and you will have a space that is an expression of you, comfy and one that you can enjoy for many years to come.

The definition of air conditioning is taking heat out of where you don’t want it and putting it where it is acceptable. The typical air conditioning system in the Denton County area consist of a blower, heating source, evaporator coil, and condensing unit.  Your air conditioning system is an amazing piece of technology.  In the summer, your house gains heat up to the temperature your thermostat is set to. The thermostat then sends an electronic signal that activates the indoor blower and the outdoor unit. The blower then pulls the heat and humidity out of your home. Once the heat hits the evaporator coil the refrigerant captures the heat, transfers it outside via the copper lines and the condensing unit expels the heat back outside.

Every air conditioning system has an energy efficiency ratio (EER) somewhat similar to the miles per gallon rating (MPG) of a car. In the mid 80’s the EER was seasonally adjusted (SEER). The seasonal adjustment is based on an 80 degree indoor temperature at a 95 degree outdoor temperature. (Personally, my thermostat is never set at 80 degrees). In 1992, the minimum SEER rating was 10 and in 2006, the minimum went to 13. Today the SEER goes as high as 23. Over a 10 year period your air conditioner can lose up to 30% of its efficiency due to age. In 2010, the refrigerant that air conditioners used changed from a chlorine based (R22) to a hydrogen based (R410A). The lubricant that circulates within the system with the different refrigerants is not compatible. Most basic air conditioning systems are built with ten year obsolescence and have an average life of ten to fifteen years. If you have to replace your air conditioner, I recommend researching to replace both the indoor evaporator coil and the outdoor condensing unit that are matched and certified by the AHRI.

2-3 inches high quality compost
2-3 inches expanded shale
Organic fertilizer
Rock powders/lava sand, greensand, assorted minerals
Dried Molasses
2-3 inches native, hardwood, or cedar mulch

Instructions:
Till the soil 6-8 inches deep. Add compost and shale to specified quantities. Add organic fertilizer at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. feet. Apply lava sand, greensand, and assorted minerals as a light dusting over the entire area. Dried molasses should be added at 10 lbs. per 1000 sq. feet. Roto-till entire area until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Do not remove any existing soil unless the bed area needs to be lowered in order to add these high quality ingredients. The final bed should be no higher than your existing foundation line (bricks meet the concrete). Away from the house, there are no limitations to the height of the beds. I do not recommend the use of peat moss or pine bark mulch as a compost additive. A high quality compost, that may cost a little more, will pay off in the long run. Rake entire area smooth and add a light layer of organic fertilizer prior to planting. Once you have planted always top dress with shredded mulch. Top dress of choice would be native, hard wood or cedar mulch, to a depth of 2-3 inches.

Note:
Due to the beneficial fungi in the soil, I no longer recommend adding horticultural cornmeal to basic bed prep. If beds are prepped properly, fungal issues should not be a problem. If they occur later, you can add the cornmeal at that time.

Could save money and grief in the future

Oh, oh, there’s a mud tube climbing up the foundation of your house! It’s time for action: you may have termites.  If this is your house, you could be in for a big expense. You have to get rid of the wood-chomping pests and then repair the damage they did.  It could be much worse if they have been at work for some time.

As with any problem that causes deterioration of a building, early detection prevents extensive damage. Get a termite inspection. There is no charge for the inspection (unless a wood destroying inspection report is necessary). It may include inspection of the foundation, woodwork and the attic. The inspector will also check for ants, bugs and fungus.

The peace of mind a “no termites” verdict brings is worth the price but if infestation is found, damage can be brought to a halt and the problem eliminated within days.

Termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood in the United States.  They cause more than $2 billion in damage each year, that is more property damage than that caused by windstorms and fire combined.  Their presence is not readily noticed because they hide their activity behind wallboards, siding or wood trim and a typical colony may exceed 1 million insects.

Prevention methods that will make your house a less likely target for termites is one of the simplest things you can do.   Keeping wood debris away from your home/building and using control techniques like sand barriers are good examples of termite prevention.   Wood mulch should not touch the foundation or be too close to it. The same is true for stacked firewood.  Old tree stumps near the building should be removed, along with roots. Correcting these conditions can reduce the likelihood of a termite problem.

Other common conditions that encourage termite infestation include earth-to-wood contact at support posts, cellulose debris and boards left in a crawlspace, improper drainage away from the structure, and inadequate ventilation in the crawlspace.

As you enter the gate at Aunt Sue’s Barn, the blackberry rows stretch across the field, enticing you with their promise of stained fingers and sun-warmed fruit.  This small farm, 10 acres in total with just under 4 under cultivation, is located on the Denton/Wise County line 15 minutes from I-35 in Denton.   Sue Newhouse, the owner, is a firm believer in letting nature lead the way.  “I’ve spent several years trying different varieties and types of fruit and produce”, she says.  “Some have worked better than others.  Some we just chalk up to experience and put them in the compost pile!”

While Sue’s farm has wonderful fruit and seasonal vegetables, the best part is how you get it; this farm is a pick your own CSA.  Community Supported Agriculture is a concept whose time has come, and integrates the community’s need for fresh, local food with the farmer’s need for a steady income.  At Aunt Sue’s Barn, an annual fee, or share, allows farm access from April through October, and members may harvest whatever is ready to pick during their visit.  During a workday at the farm last June, a TWU student from Houston mentioned she’d never before seen fruit on a tree, and often you’ll see a family with several children traversing the rows as they search for the plump, black berries that ripen in June and July.

I’ve been told several times, including by a local retail produce buyer, that you can’t get local raspberries in north Texas – they don’t grow well here, and I just have to disagree.  Aunt Sue’s has both red and yellow raspberries, the yellow being a fall berry that is amazingly sweet and rarely available in stores, as well as wyeberries – a blackberry / raspberry cross – and they are flourishing.

Sustainability is an important component to Sue’s philosophy.  The farm is irrigated completely through drip irrigation, which reduces moisture loss, and rainwater harvesting is on the “to-do” list this year to further reduce the water footprint.  Organic practices are used for soil management as well as pest control.  “We are concerned about everything we use because we eat what we grow!”, says Sue, and how can you stop a 5 year old from popping a warm, freshly-picked berry in their mouth?

Aunt Sue’s Barn currently maintains over 1000 blackberry bushes, several hundred red and yellow raspberries, asparagus (another 750 plants will be added this year) and some peaches and nectarines.    Sue is experimenting with different varieties of squash and asparagus, some heirloom, in order to see what works best for her.  Growing what you grow best – that’s her motto – and leads to fruit and vegetables that are truly a joy to eat.

This farm is “just beginning”, according to Sue, and it will be interesting to see where it goes next!  For more information go to the website at www.auntsuesbarn.com.

Onions and potatoes are available and the time to plant is near.  Many plant these early and have already planted onions.  Personally, I like to wait until Valentine’s Day to plant my potatoes and onions.  If you haven’t put those in the ground, get it done now, they are ready and now is the time.

Tomatoes and peppers can usually be planted safely the last of March or first of April – after the last killing frost – but always be prepared to cover them up if warnings are posted.  Keep some frost blankets on hand; the investment will pay off should the temperatures dip low enough to bring frost.

There are always a few die-hards who will plant the last of February or early March; we usually sell them plants 2-3 times; but they are going to try anyway.  My advice is to just hold off.

All greens, beets, broccoli, brussel  sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, cali broccoli, lettuce, mustard , radish, spinach and turnips should be planted the first of February to early March; so if you haven’t, now is the time.

Beans, corn, cucumber, eggplants, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and watermelons can be planted mid-March to mid-April.

Most of our warm season grasses such as Bermuda should be planted when the soil temperatures reach 68°-70°.  This is usually around the last of April or early May. But now is the time to prepare the soil for those who are going to plant spring pastures or lawn grasses.

It is great to see the temperatures rising and spring getting near, all that brings work if you are interested in reaping a nice garden of veggies.  Hope you enjoy all the work and its reward.