Best planted in early spring or late fall, kiwifruit will grow quickly in size, often adding between 6 to 12 feet a year. That being said, only mature female vines will produce fruit, and many won’t do so until they’re at least three years old. The best fruit production often occurs when the vine is eight years or older, and it can continue to produce for forty years or more....

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation, it’s likely you’ve looked at new faucets. If it’s a professional-style kitchen you’re after, the Kohler Sous Pull-Down Kitchen Sink Faucet is worth a peek. While the Kohler has a stellar design and is made from high-end materials, you shouldn’t make your decision on style alone. Before you splurge on a stainless steel faucet, it’s important to do your homework and consider a fixture’s durability, price, and added features....

Indoor string lights are a beautiful, cozy addition to your home, whether for the holidays or year-round décor! We tested the low-voltage 200-LED KooPower Indoor Fairy Lights set for ten days, keeping an eye on its performance, design, safety, and more. Read on to see if we were charmed. Setup Process: Put them anywhere If you’re used to choosing holiday lights from a drugstore shelf full of half-crushed boxes, joyless light bulb illustrations, and crinkled cellophane windows, you’ll probably be as surprised as we were when the KooPower lights arrive....

Save Money by Reducing Lawn Size Many homeowners obsess over controlling lawn weeds. Their obsession drives them to spend money unnecessarily on weed killers such as crabgrass killers. If they are successful in these witch-hunts against weeds, the result may look good but produces an unhealthy monoculture. The experts suggest accepting the presence of a certain number of weeds in the lawn. Their argument is that lawns with some diversity remain healthier than lawns reduced to a monoculture....

One of the not so fun realities of adulthood is never-ending laundry. It’s a chore you really can’t avoid, even if you try. In my house, we do at least one load of wash per day. With two young kids, we’re continually battling all kinds of stains and odors, as well as figuring out how to wash things we didn’t even know could get dirty, like car seats, sofa cushions, and teddy bears....

Metallic Wall Paints vs. Metallic Coverings Metallic wall finishes fall into either of two categories: metallic wall paints and solid metallic wall coverings. Metallic paints are often water-based for easier application and clean up. They apply the same as other paints: rolling, brushing, or spraying. Unlike usual interior paint, though, metallic wall paint has actual non-tarnishing metal or metallic-look flakes as part of its solids content. Since metallic paint is such a specialty product, it often costs twice as much as even premium interior latex paints....

New technologies have emerged that enable manufacturers of quartz to create more natural-looking colors with veins and waves. Caesarstone has some amazing designers who help formulate colors and patterns and have several colors that mimic the natural beauty of stone. Caesarstone’s color palette is sophisticated, natural and oh so luxurious. The introduction of Misty Carrera was so exciting because it was the first of its kind. A quartz color that did not look like pebbles or dots, it resembled marble....

While gardeners up north are mainly performing maintenance tasks come October, their counterparts in warmer areas are still able to grow lots of fresh goodies. No matter where you live, there are plenty of garden tasks to keep you busy all throughout the month. Here are a few to-dos to add to your list. All Regions Send a sample of your soil into your local cooperative extension to be tested, and add any amendments they recommend....

In other words, choosing permeable paving (that is, paving that allows water to flow through it rather than race toward the nearest sewer) can be a sound environmental move. And when you can be both environmentally responsible and save some money in the process, what’s not to love? Saving the world one driveway at a time may not seem like much, but with some areas building new roads, sidewalks, and parking lots with permeable paving materials, the larger benefits start becoming apparent....

Know how to care for the orchid plant and when and how to repot it to keep your orchid happy and healthy. Optimal Growing Conditions for Orchid Plants These plants thrive in strong light, but not direct late-afternoon sunlight (although dendrobiums can handle more sun). They also need high humidity and airflow around the roots. They need regular periods of drying alternated with heavy watering. Orchids do best in temperatures above 50 degrees but below 85 degrees....

What Is Preening? Preening is a bird’s way of grooming its feathers to keep them in the best condition. While preening, birds remove dust, dirt, and parasites from their feathers and align each feather in the optimum position relative to adjacent feathers and body shape. Most birds will preen several times a day to keep themselves healthy. The uropygial gland, or preen gland, is an essential part of preening. This gland is found near the base of the tail and produces an oily, waxy substance that helps waterproof feathers and keep them flexible....

How far does the do-it-yourself approach extend to large-scale jobs like acting as your own general contractor? Though it’s more about managing people than it is about wielding a hammer or saw, it can be one of the most complex and grueling home remodeling tasks of all. Using an architect can be helpful. They generally have experience working with building departments. They may have favorite subcontractor relationships and suppliers they work with....

Most homes will feature more than one style of window. But most designers advise against mixing too many different styles in a single home, as it creates a disjointed look. It’s very likely that when you replace a single window you will stick with the same style, but large-scale replacement of all windows at the same time gives you the option of changing the style of all of them for a more radical makeover....

Cutting Wet Grass Can Hurt Your Lawn For an ideal cut, grass blades should be standing up off the ground. Wet blades of grass are heavier than dry ones. For this reason, such blades hug the ground. As your turf starts to dry after a rain, some of the blades will, indeed, resume their upright position and be chopped off when you mow, but the rest will not be standing at attention and your mower will pass right over them rather than cutting them....

Poor Soil You will hear this time and time again; it is all about the soil. Create soil that favors turf growing conditions and the rest will fall into place. Test your soil for nutrient content, pH and cation exchange capacity. Soil tests will indicate whether it is necessary to add lime to the lawn. Soil tests should be taken every 3 to 5 years to track improvements and alter the program as needed....

Fast Facts Scientific Name: Sphyrapicus ruberCommon Name: Red-Breasted Sapsucker, Red-Breasted WoodpeckerLifespan: 2-3 yearsSize: 8-9 inchesWeight: 1.4-2.4 ouncesWingspan: 14-16 inchesConservation Status: Least concern Red-Breasted Sapsucker Identification This bird’s upright posture, stiff tail, stout black bill, and overall jizz easily identify it as a woodpecker. Birders have to look more closely at specialized field marks, however, to be sure they’re seeing a Red-Breasted Sapsucker. Genders are similar with a bright red hood that extends to the throat and upper breast....

So, to help you decide if you should hire an unpacking service, we thought we’d review what to expect and when you might want to consider getting someone to ​help you unpack. When to Hire an Unpacking Service If you’re on a budget, then you need to carefully weigh whether it’s worth spending money on this type of service. So you may want to hire a professional service: When you cannot get extra time off of work to unpack, or you have a limited amount of time between jobs....