Planting zones or hardiness zones are a geographically defined area that specifies the category of the plant that will be able to survive in that area. This includes its ability to withstand minimum and maximum temperature. Developed by Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum from Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the year 1960 and revised in 1965, the planting zones help decide what crops and plants can be grown in the specified area, so that they do not wither away because of the unfavorable climatic conditions. A plant in Hardy zone or plant zone 1 is less resilient to the ones in plant zone 2. Most of the warmer zones (8, 9, 10 and 11) are in the southernmost part of United States and the relatively colder zones move towards the northern territory. There are zones where in it is difficult to choose the type of crop or plantation to go with as they experience severe climates throughout the year. The planting zones are 6 degrees apart from each other. For example, zone 1 is in the temperature range of 51 degree Celsius and zone 2 is of the range -45-degree Celsius zone 3 is 6 degrees warmer and so on.

While plant zones and heat zones are extremely helpful, they do not cover everything you need to know about plantation. There are many other weather and climatic effects that can determine how well a plant will grow, this includes humidity, rainfall and wind. The growing zone maps that were compiled were based on average temperatures, hence they don’t account for unusual weather patterns, and sudden climatic changes such as temperatures hitting -10 degrees Celsius on a Halloween night with no previous frosts or wintry climate for that matter. The hardiness zone maps are neither an assurance that the winter temperatures will never be colder than what is stated on the map. Other factors that cannot be included on a large national map are the effects of soil and soil fertility. Also, the health of your plants in general cannot be predicted alone through a growing zone map. Planting Zone maps also don’t tell us about micro-climates. Micro-climates are nothing but small areas with different weather. A good example of a micro-climate is a mountain. The largest micro-climate would be the whole mountain. Micro-climate of a mountain have different weather based on its elevation, but smaller micro-climates are the north and south sides of the mountain.

There are several solar panels available for home installation you can choose from. Following are the types of solar system panels that can be used for powering up several home appliances. Monocrystalline The type that started it all, monocrystalline panels, originated in the 1950s. The cells are cut from silicon in a cylindrical fashion, each cell resembles the shape of wafer. A group of tens of wafers make up a monocrystalline panel. Monocrystalline panels are generally constructed from high-quality silicon, giving them the highest performance rates in the industry, usually up to 21 percent. Monocrystalline panels outperform thin film as they make wise use of space, offering a high-power yield per square foot. Warranties often last for 25 years, as these panels perform better in low-light conditions than their polycrystalline counterparts. Since they are of a superior quality, these panels are also costly. The manufacturing process produces significant waste. Polycrystalline Unlike cutting silicon in the form of wafer shapes, manufacturers pour silicon into a mold to form polycrystalline panels. Polycrystalline types of panels are a good option for many residential solar panel systems. The manufacturing process produces little waste, and the technology allows for a cost-effective panel. Efficiency is lower, than its other counterparts.

We have grown up listening to our favorite rock artists strumming away on their expensive guitars, melodies and tunes of yesteryear’s that we keep shut up in a box of memories. In that very box, in addition to the fond smells, sights and sounds of younger days are some long forgotten, half fulfilled desires. These desires have something to do with the rockstar and his expensive equipment- his electric guitar! As a child, many of you must have harbored the desire of owning a guitar. Some enthusiastic and passionate ones among us may have also taken the leap of faith and bought one. If you weren’t lucky enough to get one when young, go ahead and rekindle your teenage romance with the enigmatic electric guitar and escape into the bygone awesome days of freedom and harmony! If you are a budding musician hoping to make it big, read on to know all about getting the right pick! Almost every guitar player who picks up the hobby, most often than not, does so after seeing her/his favorite artist look awesome with their best buddy (the electric guitar) on stage. Although, you may want to buy the very same guitar, it is important that you consider your long-term intent and utility.

The need for an amplification in musical instruments in the early half of the twentieth century, led to the invention of the magnificent electric guitar. Electric guitars have a wide range. Thanks to the little quirks and variations in pickups, bridges, fret sizes, neck radii, tone woods and tuners, every strum plays and sounds hugely different. To a newbie these nuances may not make sense, but to an experienced hand they make a world of a difference. If you are a newbie who gets puzzled by variety, here’s a basic run down of the types of electric guitars. Hollow body guitars These originated in the 1930 and had an electrified hollow roundish body. Hollow body guitars are broadly a blend of acoustic and electric as they have both a sound box and a couple of electric pickups. This however is not anything like an acoustic-electric guitar (which is mainly an acoustic guitar with additional pickups or other modifiers added by the player or the makers). The tunes that this kind of a guitar produces are mainly clean and warm. Genres like pop, folk and blues suit hollow body guitars the best. Semi-hollow body Introduced by Gibson in 1958, these guitars had a solid block of wood running through the center of the body.

Having plants in your home can gently enhance the mood of your space. It is not just aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but has plenty of benefits for human health. If you’re thinking why you should include plants in your home, don’t think hard! Here are a few reasons why they should be nestled along with your furniture and decorations. Reduces Stress Do you remember being on a nature trek or driving through road canopied by woods on both sides? Memorize how peaceful and refreshing you felt. The point is having a plant in your vicinity can change your vibe and emit positivity. Even when we happen to be in our homes, we are constantly harrowed by responsibilities and work. House plants can make the ambience tranquil and your mind relaxed. Cleans the air Plants assist in purifying the air by absorbing toxins like formaldehyde which can be found in your furniture and fabrics, as well as in cigarettes. Plants improve the bad air standards indoors and lowers carbon dioxide levels. They are known to help sustain a better room temperature by increasing humidity levels at a healthy range. Lowering illness levels Due to their ability to absorb toxic matter and release oxygen, plants lower the risk of illnesses in homes.

Cord blood is the blood in the baby’s umbilical cord. It contains stem cells that can be used to cultivate blood vessels, organs, and tissues. Cord blood banking involves collecting blood left in your newborn’s umbilical cord and placenta and storing it for future medical use. Cord blood contains stem cells that are potentially lifesaving cells. For cord blood storage, you have two main options; You can donate your baby’s cord blood to a public cord blood bank for anyone who needs it, or You can store your baby’s cord blood in a private cord blood bank for future use. Cord blood is collected right after birth. The collection process is painless. It has the following procedure, Clamping and cutting the cord After delivering the baby, whether vaginally or by Cesarean, the cord is clamped and cut in the usual way. You can delay cord clamping only for a brief period (not more than a minute or two). If cord clamping is delayed for too long, the blood will clot in the cord. And once the blood gets clotted, it’s of no benefit to anyone thus it can’t be collected for storage. Collecting the cord blood The medical provider then inserts a needle into the umbilical vein on the part of the cord that is still attached to the placenta.The blood (some 100 to 150 ml) drains into a collection bag.

Want to try your luck finding gold in an unclaimed land? All you need is a metal detector. Metal detectors work on the principle of electromagnetism. Every metal (in solid state) has its own electric and magnetic field. Metal detectors have 2 circuits; one circuit, which is connected to a small battery which powers it up. This circuit is called as transmitter circuit. It sends electricity down the shaft to the coil at the bottom. The coil gets magnetized (changes its magnetic field) when this magnetized coil is swept on the ground and if there is a metal object near its sweep area, the magnetic field of the coil charges the metal object. The magnetic field of the metal detector changes the magnetic and hence the electric field of the metal object. This change in electromagnetism of the metal object is picked up by the receiver circuit of the metal detector. Due to the change in the magnetism of the coil of the metal detector, the electricity flows up the shaft of the detector to the receiver circuit. This change in the electromagnetism registered on receiver circuit confirms a metal detected by the coil. Gold is not something that you can find in your backyard.

Metal detection is a hugely popular hobby that has won the favor of numerous enthusiasts all around the world. You may wonder why metal detection is such an enthralling and exciting hobby that makes people go gaga over it. For a person who is consumed with the love for metal detection, answering what’s so exciting about it may be quite a task. Various people find different kinds of pleasures in it. Check out some of the reasons that make metal detection such a popular hobby. Love of history For some history buffs, the primary reason for embracing metal detection as a hobby may be the thrill of finding antiques and items that haven’t seen the light of the day for centuries. People interested in artifacts and archaeology may especially be inclined towards this activity. Many engage in it for their interest for ancient weapons that have sundry tales to tell. Love for collecting Collecting sundry items is a popular hobby among several people. Some people may be able to satiate their love for coin collecting through metal detectors. Metal detection gives people the liberty to collect age old colonial coins and new age wheat pennies! Keeps you active Believe it or not but metal detection is a great outdoor activity that keeps you alive and kicking.

Metal detecting as a hobby is greatly rewarding. To passionate hobbyists it is exercise, a stress buster and vacation, all packed in a single activity. Metal detection, however, is not just one isolated activity. It has its types. Check out this list of popular metals detecting hobbies that people around the world enjoy! Coin shooting Coin shooting usually happens after an event like a baseball match. After the game is over numerous people assemble looking for slipped or lost coins to make some legitimate, cold hard cash. Many coin shooters also conduct independent explorations and historical research by going on sites with potential historical and collectible coins. Prospecting Prospecting generally is the first stage of a geological analysis before exploration. Metal detectors are of great significance to gold prospectors looking for valuable metals deep within the soil. Prospecting in terms of metal detection is a term for looking for precious metals like gold, silver or copper in their natural state or forms. Hobbyist prospect in the search of gold or silver nuggets or flakes. Lost and found Several people use metal detectors for discarded or valuable gadgets like mobile phones, cameras and other man-made objects that are lost or misplaced.

Also called as weather surveillance radar (WSR) or Doppler weather radar, Weather radar, are the ones that are used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc. weather radars that are manufactured nowadays are mostly pulse-Doppler radars. These weather radars are capable of detecting rain droplets motions. They are also capable of measuring the intensity of the precipitation. These types of data can be used to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause severe weather. Radar operators during World war II noticed that weather parameters were causing echoes in the signals appearing on their screen, which masked potential enemy targets. Techniques were developed to filter these anomalies. This led scientists to study the phenomenon. Soon after, many radars were used to detect precipitation. Weather radars since then have evolved and are now used by national weather services, research departments in universities, and television newscasts. Specialized software can take radar data and make short term forecasts of future positions and intensities of rain, snow, hail, and other weather phenomena. Radar output is even incorporated into numerical weather prediction models to improve analyses and forecasts. Weather radars use microwave radiation as their source of propagation.