Article: Once your avocado tree grows to be about 6 - 7 inches (15 - 17.7 centimeters), cut it back about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters). Cutting the top of the stem will promote more horizontal growth on your plant. Trim the tree when using both the toothpick and potting method. Regular pruning after the first year of growth should be limited but is useful for maintaining a healthy avocado tree in some cases.You can prune smaller branches as your tree matures to limit its growth or to balance the tree. The best times to prune your tree is in the late winter or early spring. If you don't cut your avocado plant, the stem may grow too long. Do not cut the roots on the bottom. Watering your tree too much can hurt the plant. A good indication of overwatering is if the plant's leaves become a light green or translucent color. Check the soil every couple of days to make sure that it isn't dried out. You can do this by pressing a finger into the soil about an inch (2.5 centimeters) deep. A fully matured avocado tree will need about 20 gallons (75.7 liters) of water per day during the irrigation period. If you live a place where the temperature doesn't dip below 24 degrees Celsius, (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit) then you can keep your tree outdoors all year round. However, if you live in a place where it gets cold, you'll need to bring it indoors, or it will die. For your avocado to grow fruit, it must be pollinated by insects. If you have had your plant for a long time and it hasn't grown fruit, consider moving it to an outside garden or keeping a window open so that bees and other insects can pollinate it. You will have to maintain your tree for many years before it starts to produce fruit, and in the end, it may never produce fruit.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Trim the tree to promote growth. Water your tree every two to three days. Bring your avocado tree in for the winter. Make sure your tree can be pollinated.
Article: After at least 18 days, check if the sow is pregnant. You can do this yourself - see How to Tell if Your Guinea Pig Is Pregnant - but only a vet will be able to say for sure. A pregnant female may exhibits several symptoms of pregnancy including distended abdomen and increased food and water consumption. A sow may eat 2-3 times her normal amount when pregnant. A vet may also determine an estimated delivery date. It may take several heat cycles for the sow to become pregnant. Be patient so that you do not stress your guinea pigs. Once you're sow becomes pregnant, the gestation period will 63-70 days. During this time it is important to prevent stress as much as possible. Do not make any changes to the sow's cage and reduce exposure to anything that may cause stress, such as loud noises. Handle the sow minimally during the pregnancy and not at all during the last two weeks. You can coax her on to a towel or box for the delivery. You can leave the boar in the cage with the sow to comfort her. It's advisable to remove other guinea pigs from the sow's space and allow her to litter alone. The amount of food and water a sow consumes will increase during pregnancy. Give her more food to help ensure she gets much needed nutrients to support the developing pups. Increase the amount of fresh vegetables on offer to 1 to 2 cups per day. Pregnancy is very risk for sows because pups are large. Check the sow thoroughly daily by looking for any signs of illness and weighing the sow. The signs of illness may include crusty eyes, nose, or ears; and a thinning or patchy coat. The sow should gradually put on weight, though how much depends on the individual and size of the litter. Check she is eating. An early warning sign of pregnancy toxaemia is lack of appetite. Any pregnant sow that doesn't eat for more than 12 hours should see a veterinarian. If you notice any problems with your guinea pig, including lack of movement of her unborn pups, consult a vet. You should be prepared for your sow to give birth at around nine weeks. Making sure you're prepared for the birth with medical supplies can help you handle any complications that may arise. Guinea pigs don't show any outward signs of impending birth and don't make any specific preparations for labor so it may be hard to tell exactly when the sow will give birth. You may notice a slight widening of the pelvic bones in the sow right before she gives birth. Stock up on a syringe, which you may need to clean out a newborn pups mouth. It is a good idea to alert a vet when the sow reaches nine weeks so they are aware that they may need to intervene and can be on hand to attend to the sow immediately if a complication does arise. It takes guinea pigs 10-30 minutes to give birth if a sow has no complications. If the labor takes longer than an hour, call your vet or take the sow for medical treatment. Do not crowd the female while she is laboring. Have only one person with her to oversee the birth and do not touch her. A sow should give birth every 5-10 minutes. A sow will usually have between 1-5 pups. The sow will give birth by sitting up and hunching over or by squatting. Get your guinea pig to a doctor if the labor becomes complicated. For example, if it takes longer than one hour, there more than 15 minutes between pups, if she exhibits excessive bleeding, or making extreme stress calls.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Check if the sow is pregnant. Care for the sow during the gestation period. Increase the sow's diet. Check for health issues during pregnancy. Get ready for the birth of the pups. Expect short labor if there are no complications.
Article: It's not always possible to dispose of food immediately, such as if garbage collection is weekly. Leaving it in the garbage until then can generate smells, attract animals, and breed flies. Ideally it should be made of glass, such as a pickle or spaghetti sauce jar, with a tight-fitting lid. Plastic jars can also be used, but may leak some odor. Sealable metal cans, such as coffee cans, can be used, but may create a rust ring if left in sink. Cardboard containers, like the cylinders oatmeal comes in, should be avoided. They may leak when they get wet from decomposing food. Ideally the jar should be small enough for a single use. Don't reopen it later, as this will let odor and potentially flies or fruit flies out, unless it has been kept frozen. (It's also possible to dump the contents in the garbage and then rinse and reuse the slop jar, but this is messy, and should be done outside.) This will halt the decomposition process and kill any insects or larva. This method can either be used in conjunction with a slop jar, or else large items, like a watermelon rind, can be placed in the freezer whole. However, it's easy to forget these items on garbage day, so a Post-it note on the trash can is a good reminder.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Be careful about putting out waste for disposal too early. Use a "slop jar". Chop the food up into small enough pieces to fit into the jar. On garbage day, throw the entire slop jar out. Alternatively, freeze items for later disposal.