Hot Home & Garden How-Tos
How To: Clean an in-ground DE fIlter
This how to video, made by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, demonstrates how to clean in-ground pool DE filters. Cleaning the DE filter on your in-ground pool helps your pool run more efficiently during those long summer months. Watch and learn how easy it is to clean the filter with water and cleaning solution.
How To: Change the DE powder for in-ground pool filters
If the flow of your pool is to slow, it may be a sign that it is time to change the DE powder. This how to video, made by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, demonstrates how to change DE powder in an in-ground pool filter. Keep your pool running properly by changing the DE powder in the filter in a timely manner.
How To: Bump an in ground pool DE filter
Help your in-ground pool pump run more efficiently by bumping it a few times a week. This how to video made by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas shows you the proper way to bump your DE filter. Bumping the filter is easy to do and should be done once a week.
How To: Vacuum an above ground pool manually
Maintaining your above ground pool means properly vacuuming it from time to time. This how-to video, made by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, demonstrate how to manually vacuum an above ground pool. Watch and learn how easy it is to keep your pool running smooth all summer long with proper vacuuming.
How To: Clean an above ground DE filter
This how to video, made by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, demonstrates how to clean above ground pool DE filters. Cleaning the DE filter on your above ground pool helps your pool run more efficiently during those long summer months. Watch and learn how easy it is to clean the filter with water and cleaning solution.
How To: Winterize an in-ground pool
Getting your pool ready for summer is very important as the water will not be circulating for a few months. This instructional how-to video shows you how to close down your in-ground pool for winter. Start by removing debris and properly cleaning the liner. Don't forget to remove any exterior accessories and equipment properly before winterizing the in ground pool.
How To: Open an above ground pool
This how-to video shows you how to open your above ground pool after it has sat there all winter. Make sure to remove water on top of the cover, any debris, and tubing securing the cover. Open your above ground pool and get it ready for summer. Check the skimmer, filter, and pump before allowing anyone in. Don't forget to install the diving board properly.
How To: Open an in-ground pool after winter
This how-to video shows you how to open your in-ground pool after it has sat there all winter. Make sure to remove water on top of the cover, any debris, and tubing securing the cover. Open your in ground pool and get it ready for summer. Check the skimmer, filter, and pump before allowing anyone in. Don't forget to install the diving board properly.
How To: Prune dead wood from Robinia trees
Robinia frisia limbs are prone to dying, that is why it is important to prune them properly. If you wait until the winter to prune the dead wood you wont be able to tell the difference between the dead wood and the dormant tree limb. In this how to video Martin Fish from Garden News explains how and when to prune dead wood from Robinia 'Frisia'.
How To: Install snap-together tile in a garage
Make an old drab garage floor look new with snap-together tile. In this how to video Matt Weber installs cool snap-together tile for garage flooring. You don't have to bother with the messiness of mixing cement, grout, or cutting dangerous tiles. Watch and learn how easy it is to snap tile into place.
How To: Replace worn-out wood with composite decking
In this how to video Extreme How-To Editor-in-Chief, Matt Weber, replaces old wood with new composite materials. Composite decking is a great way to repair worn out and weathered parts of any deck. Learn to do it yourself and you can lot of money repairing your home.
How To: Seal mylar bags with a clothes iron
Be prepared in case of a disaster by properly storing items in mylar bags. This how to video demonstrates how to seal mylar bags with a clothing iron. This is a quick and efficient way of storing items for long term storage. Place your sealed bag in a bucket and store it away for later.
How To: Setting tile in two adjoining rooms
Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom can be expensive. It doesn't have to be if you can install the tiles yourself. In this home and garden how-to video we will show you how to set tiles in adjoining rooms. Join tiles in two adjoining rooms for a smooth floor transitions.
How To: Setting tile in the first grid over vinyl
Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom can be expensive. If you learn how to tile you can save a bundle on the project. In this home and garden how to video you will learn to set tile with your grid layout setup and mortar spread over vinyl.
How To: Mix and apply thin set mortar for tiling
Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom can be expensive. Learn to tile the floor yourself and save a bundle. In this home and garden how to video you will learn to properly mix and apply thin set mortar for tiling.
How To: Layout tile using the grid layout method
Remodeling your bathroom or kitchen can be expensive. Why not learn how to install your own tile? In this home and garden how-to video you will learn how to layout tile properly using the grid layout method. A grid consists of a group of lines forming perfect squares to line up the tie. Watch this video and begin laying tile.
How To: Reuse crown molding
Why throw away all that perfectly good molding when you can reuse in another project? Learn how to remove molding neatly so you can reuse it later with this home remodeling tutorial. With the tips from this how to video you can recycle your molding.
How To: Paint Around Glass
It's always difficult to paint neatly but it is especially difficult to keep the paint off of glass. Removing paint from glass windows and cabinetry can be a real pain. With this tutorial you will learn how to paint around glass. Keep your paint job nice and neat with this how to video.
How To: Make a thyme seat
By combining plants and a garden seat together you can create a lovely living seat that will look good all year round and if you use herbs to make the seat it will also smell good. In this how to video we are making a seat using thyme, but you could also use chamomile, pennyroyal or any low growing, fairly tough plants. This type of seat is mainly decorative because for much of the time the plants or compost will be damp, but if you use a cushion when sitting on the herbs you will get a wonde...
How To: Make a living willow arbor
Willow can be woven into many shapes or to form a living boundary fence. The reason they are called living is because some of the stems used to create the structure root in the soil and grow to form new shoots. This does mean that annual trimming is needed to maintain the shape, but at the same time it adds interest to the garden. Creating a living structure is very simple to do and all you need is a few pruning tools and a bundle of willow sticks in various thicknesses. With this tutorial yo...
How To: Lift and store Dahlia tubers
Traditionally the time to lift Dahlia tubers is after the foliage has been frosted, but before it gets too cold that the tuber itself is affected. In this tutorial, Martin Fish from Garden News shows you how to lift and store your Dahlia tubers for the winter.
How To: Repot lucky bamboo
Lucky bamboo is a beautiful plant to keep in your home. In this tutorial, garden News correspondant Martin Fish shows viewers how to save lucky Bamboo from flower arrangements and regrow it into a houseplant. With the tips from this how to video you can repot lucky bamboo in your home.
How To: Repair bare patches on lawns
Every lawn has at least a couple brown or bare spots. In this how to video, Garden News correspondent Martin Fish demonstrates the best way to repair bare patches on lawns. With the tips from this tutorial you can get a green and healthy lawn.
How To: Repair cracked plant pots
You don't have to throw away those broken pots and re-pot the plants inside. In this gardening tutorial, Martin Fish from Garden News shows viewers how to repair cracked pots. With this the tips from this how to video you can save money on plant pots.
How To: Make leaf mold
Leaf molds are great way to make mulch for your garden. In this how to video, Martin Fish from Garden News explains how to make a leaf mold. Follow the steps to make a leaf mold and by this time next year you will have lovely mulch for your garden.
How To: Tie in climbing plants
It is ideal to tie your climbing plants against a wall in order to train it to grow up. In this how to video, Martin Fish from Garden News demonstrates how to use a new product called Soft-Tie to tie his climbing plants.
How To: Prick out Foxglove seedlings
In this gardening tutorial, Martin Fish from Garden News demonstrates how to prick out Foxglove seedlings. "Pricking out" is when seedlings are transplanted into larger pots or trays to give them more room to grow on. The ideal time to do this is when the seedlings are at the two-leaf stage and before the true leaves have developed, or as soon as they are large enough to handle.
How To: Get rid of pests in apple trees
The worst thing is when you go to bite into an apple and you find a grub or a worm. This tutorial teaches you how to get rid of pests in your apple trees. One of the main pests on apple trees is Codling moth, or the caterpillars of the moth which tunnel into the fruits as they grow. The damage caused by the burrowing is normally discovered in the summer or when the fruits are picked in autumn, but now is the time to prevent damage this summer.
How To: Create a bog garden in a container
Learn how to create a bog garden in containers with this gardening tutorial. There are some lovely plants for growing in damp, boggy conditions, but if your soil is well drained and dries out quickly these bog plants will struggle to grow. A simple way of growing bog plants is in a large container such as a half barrel that has no drainage holes in the base. The barrel when wet will seal and hold water very well keeping the compost moist at all times. What you may need to do if the barrel is ...
How To: Make hanging plant baskets
One of the best ways to add summer colour to your garden or patio is with hanging baskets. Now is the perfect time to plant up baskets in order to give the plants a few weeks to establish before they are hung outside after the danger of frost has passed. Learn how to make a beautiful hanging baskets with this tutorial.
How To: Plant and care for sweet peas
Learn how you can plant and care for sweet peas with this gardening tutorial. Sweet peas are one of the best annual climbing plants for the garden and they can be grown in several different ways to get a superb display of flowers through the summer months. Traditionally sweet peas were sown in the autumn and planted out in early April, but spring sown plants can be planted out into May and will still flower well, albeit slightly later. If you haven't sown any seeds but would like to grow some...
How To: Plant and care for Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons must have lime-free soil and that can make them tricky for some of us that garden on neutral or limey soils. Planting in the garden is a waste of time and money. If you want, you can make a raised bed and fill that with acid soil but digging a hole in your garden and filling it with acid (ericaceous) compost only works for a while. The water from the surrounding soil will drain in and spread the lime and although you can acidify soil with sulphur chips you really are making life...
How To: Sprout seeds
If you can't get out into the garden, or you want to get the kids involved on a wet day, why not sprout some seeds?
How To: Repot plants
Potted plants of all kinds, whether in the house, greenhouse or outside, need repotting eventually. There are several reasons, the most obvious being that they simply get larger and top-heavy. Most houseplants don't need repotting that often because, if we give them plenty of liquid fertilizer in the growing season, they won't be short of nutrients and should therefore be healthy.
How To: Prune a Butterfly bush
In this how to video, Martin Fish from Garden News explains how to prune the Butterfly Bush or Buddleia. The Buddleia is also known as the Butterfly bush because of its colorful flowers that attract butterflies. Pruning this plant is important because it encourages more flowers in the next blooming season. With the tips from this tutorial you will learn how to prune the Buddleia.
How To: Know when to harvest pumpkins and squashes
In this tutorial, Martin Fish from Garden News explains how to harvest pumpkins and squashes. Learn how to tell when your pumpkins and squashes are ripe and ready to be picked as well as the proper method for harvesting them with this how to video.
How To: Plant Sempervivum in a pot
Sempervivum or Houseleeks are extremely hearty breed of succulent plants that can grow in very arid areas. Sempervivum are a great plant to have because they require very little care. In this garden tutorial, Martin Fish from Garden News demonstrates how to create a simple & effective Sempervivum pot that will look good throughout the Winter.
How To: Prick out bedding
If you grow your own bedding plants one of the main jobs over the next few weeks is 'pricking out'. This is when seedlings are transplanted into larger pots or trays to give them more room to grow on. The ideal time to do this is when the seedlings are at the two-leaf stage and before the true leaves have developed, or as soon as they are large enough to handle. When done at this stage of growth there is less shock and root disturbance to the seedlings and they will establish and grow on much...
How To: Prune climbing roses
We prune roses for several reasons. Regular pruning helps to keep their size under control, though we must remember that all roses have a predetermined 'ideal' size. We also prune to shape the plant. We take out dead stems to prevent the dead area spreading back into healthy stems. But the main reason we prune is to make the rose more vigorous. This tutorial teaches you how to prune climbing roses for the best results.
How To: Divide and pot Canna lilies
If you want some large, bold foliage in a border during the summer, canna lilies take some beating. They are really easy to grow either in the border or large pots and produce large paddle shaped leaves and tall flower spikes. Canna lilies aren't hardy plants so unless you live in a very sheltered area it is wise to dig them up in autumn and store the fleshy roots in a frost free place. Increasing your stock of canna plants is very easy with the tips from this how to video.