Although manufacturers are doing their part to reduce corrosion of lawn and garden equipment, how well you maintain your tools will determine their useful life.

Using a simple, inexpensive vacuum breaker on your hose bibbs can help prevent contaminating your water supply.

Some of the hose quick connectors now available can make the job of using garden hoses much easier.

One of the most important things you can do to maintain your small engines and tractors is to service the oil and fuel filters as needed.

Drip irrigation is an excellent way to water trees and shrubs. It allows you to precisely meter water directly into the root zone without wetting foliage or watering the weeds between plants.

Drip (or trickle) irrigation systems meter a slow drip or spray of water at discrete intervals. The principle of drip irrigation is to slowly put down enough water in the plant root zone to supply the plants adequately without runoff and without wetting the soil between crop rows.

Owners of compact utility tractors can choose among three types of rear tires and at least five types for the front. The different types of tires serve different purposes, says Dr. Dick Parish, an engineer at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

Utility vehicles are popular and handy. They are making inroads on the use of ATVs for hunting and can also be used for many chores around a small acreage (or a large farm). Utility vehicles are somewhat similar to the small vehicles used on golf courses for decades, but use ATV components to provide more power and versatility.They aren’t cheap, but they are useful and fun to use.

ZTR (zero turning radius) riding mowers can do a wonderful job of maintaining turf, but the rapid response and maneuverability that make them so handy can cause problems if you aren’t careful.

Zero-turning-radius (ZTR) mowers are somewhat different from conventional tractors. Their short wheelbases and narrow wheel spacings can contribute to overturns.