Wouldn’t they be surprised to learn the homeowners made the place look like the Ritz all by themselves? So what’s their secret? Using the right tools for the job.

You can finish the job in a fraction of the time, and with much better results, with the help of the trusty tools attached to your Arctic Cat ATV

“Whether you need to turn over the soil for a vegetable garden, create tidy rows for planting, carve out trails or clear away debris in the yard, don’t try to do it all by hand. It will take too long. You can finish the job in a fraction of the time, and with much better results, with the help of the trusty tools attached to your Arctic Cat ATV,” says Jeff Lane, the company’s ATV accessories coordinator. “Our patented SPEEDPoint System makes anything possible.”

First introduced in 2006, SPEEDPoint is a system that utilizes an easy-access three point attachment on the ATV, so you can change tools in less than a minute. There are now more than a dozen tools for the die-hard gardener available, including a 2-row planter that was just introduced this year. The device features built-in markers for controlling row spacing, gauge wheels for precise seed depth and a ground-driven metering system that maintains accurate seeding rates even when ground speed varies. There’s also a front coulter disc which allows the planter to be used in no-till practices.

The 2-row planter isn’t the only useful attachment for backyard gardeners.

* The SPEEDPoint Landscape Rake is the perfect tool for cleaning the yard or trails of sticks, rocks and other debris. Its sweep is 60 inches wide and it comes with 30 removable spring steel tines and 5 adjustable angle positions for straight pulling or windrowing options.

* The SPEEDPoint Rear Blade is the perfect tool for creating and maintaining roads. It has 5 angle positions which offer the user multiple grading options. It also comes with skid shoes that can be used for controlling depth.

Other SPEEDPoint accessories available that make gardening a breeze include a cultivator and the tandem and single compact discs designed for weed control. A separate fertilizer spreader and mower attachment are also available.

For more information about the Arctic Cat SpeedPoint System and accessories, visit your local Arctic Cat dealer or log on to www.arcticcat.com and click on “Accessories.” At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a link to a video that shows the system in action.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Surprisingly, the easy grass seed that they market in stores, really isn’t that easy and it takes a lot of work to get your lawn looking amazing.  A lot of times, that beautiful lawn can take even more work than your beautiful gardens but the end result is definitely worth the effort.

To have a beautiful lawn, there are a few tips that you should follow.

1. Scarifying:  Okay, this actually sounds like you are going to damage your lawn but in actuality scarifying is a way to reduce the debris that is growing on your lawn.  You know the stuff, the hard dead grass, the horrible moss, and those awful worm casts.  You may not even notice them but they are there and they are not doing your lawn any good.  The frequency that you scarify your lawn really depends on the overall appearance that you are looking for and the quality of the soil.  A well aerated soil won’t need to be scarified as often as one that isn’t.  When you are scarifying your lawn you should use a plastic lawn rake or a spring-tine rake.  Take the rake and carefully rake your lawn in only one direction such as from right to left.  Gather up the moss and other debris as you work so you are not unintentionally spreading it.  Once you have raked the area, rake it again only this time work at a right angle.  Again gather up the debris as you go along.  Repeat this once or twice a month during the summer and before you fertilize your lawn in the fall.
2. Fertilizing:  Since I already mentioned fertilizers, I will just cover it briefly.  You should fertilize your lawn several times per year.  The important fertilizing times are late spring and in the fall.  There are special fertilizers for autumn and it is important that you use those.  In the spring and summer, you can use your regular fertilizer and it is important that you follow the directions on your fertilizer of choice so you have the desired outcome.
3. Watering:  Every garden and lawn needs to be watered so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I mentioned it here.  The amount of watering that you do is completely a personal choice and don’t feel that you need to water your lawn on a daily basis.  In fact, to conserve water, I would only recommend watering your lawn if you absolutely must water it.  Generally, most lawns will bounce back after a rain fall so there is no reason to worry.  If you do water your lawn, try to use a gentle sprinkler since it is soaked up by the ground much easier than water that is sprayed harshly onto it.
4. Weeding:  I hate this most of all, especially when dandelions take over a yard but it is a necessary task to keeping your lawn as beautiful as possible.  If you prefer an organic approach (something that I prefer), I would suggest purchasing a dandelion grubber to remove any of those stubborn weeds. If you use weed killers, make sure you follow directions and warnings.  Also be aware of your city’s bylaws concerning weed killers.  Many cities are banning the use of pesticides and herbicides so it is important to know if your city allows the use of these products before you use them.
5. Aerating:  This is the last tip that I offer for having that perfect lawn.  You will need to aerate your lawn, usually in the fall, and the easiest way to do this is to use a garden fork.  Simply push the tines into the earth and pull back slightly to allow a raise in the turf.  The depth of the holes should be about 3 inches and you should repeat this every 6 inches apart over your entire lawn.  If you prefer, you can purchase tools for aerating your lawn but the fork works perfectly and is fairly inexpensive.

So, hopefully, these tips will lead to a very green lawn.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit 

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Different homeowners have different needs for their landscapes. Not everyone is looking for a landscape service that does everything. Some people simply want someone who will mow the lawn and fertilize it on occasion. Others want perfect yards with topiary shrubs and weed-free flowerbeds. If all you are looking for is basic lawn mowing and maybe some leaf raking and debris clean up, then the neighborhood kid who mows lawns is probably landscape service enough for you. And that is just fine. It helps a young kid learn the value of working for her or his money, and you have an easier time of caring for your lawn. If you like to have a nice yard, but do not want to do anything with it yourself, then a more full-service operation is probably what you need in the way of landscape maintenance.

When choosing who will take care of your landscape maintenance needs, the first thing you should do is seek out a reputable company. A reputable company is one that has reliable references, and one that has a satisfied customer base. If you notice a certain company taking care of the landscape surrounding a house in your neighborhood, go ask your neighbor about the company. That will allow you to find out from someone you are acquainted with whether or not the service is a good one.

Another thing to look for in a landscape maintenance service is the equipment. Does it look to be in good shape? You want a company that takes good care of its equipment; that shows that they are more likely to take good care of your yard. Additionally, you want to make sure they are using the right equipment. Find out what they plan to use to perform various tasks in your yard. Even if you are not doing the yard work yourself, you should have at least a basic understanding of what your yard needs. That way you will be able to tell if you are being hoodwinked.

Do not necessarily go with the cheapest service. You can find out if various services offer to care for your yard for a week at a time to see how each service does. The cheapest may not always be the best deal. If you are habitually dissatisfied with the cheaper work, that may affect you in ways that make it worth it to pay an extra $20 per month for landscape maintenance that is of higher quality. Shop around and compare the work done by various companies. Then hire the best company that you can afford for your budget. You may not be able to afford the absolute best town, but you should hire the best that fits into your landscape budget. Get price quotes in writing so that when you decide to go with one company, and they hike your cost, you have a written quote to back you up.

Find a company that cares about customer service. Make sure you find out what their policy is on redoing work that does not meet your satisfaction. You want to be sure that your specifications are met. Make sure that your landscaping maintenance service is willing to fix mistakes and that they are willing to do a little extra pruning if they missed a few branches. Companies that do not care about customer service will probably not do a good job on your yard. You should look for a service that takes pride in its work. If the company says it specializes in lawn care (creating a greener, lusher, healthier lawn) and offers fertilization services, make sure that you choose a company that offers a guarantee. You do not want one of their employees to over-fertilize the lawn and then leave you paying the bill for a dead lawn that needs to be replaced.

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