Gardening gloves will protect your hands from minor slivers, while a face mask will help prevent inhalation of dust and particles from the materials you’re working with. Having all your tools and supplies on hand will speed up the process of making your own potting mix. You’ll need:   Large receptacle for mixing: This can be a large bucket, garbage can, wheelbarrow or other container.  Container for measuring: Some of the materials will be added in smaller amounts to the potting mix. It is helpful to have a container to measure accurately. A 5-gallon bucket is a useful size, as are 1-cup measuring cups.  Water: Have a watering can and hose available.  Trowel: A trowel will be useful for mixing your materials together.  Shovel: Have a shovel ready for shoveling larger amounts of soil, peat and compost into your mix.  Hardware cloth: Hardware cloth is a wire mesh screen that will be used to push your materials through to sift out the large pieces and debris. One-quarter inch hardware cloth is ideal. It can be helpful to have a table for preparing the potting mix, especially if you’re making smaller batches in buckets. At the very least, you should have a level, open, work space that is outdoors. Put a tarp underneath your work space to catch extra dirt and other material. Use a mixing barrel or large garbage can for mixing your potting mix. There are a number of different recipes for potting mix, each of which is appropriate for different types of plants. For a general, all-purpose potting mix, use the following recipe: Measure 1 part peat moss; 2 parts compost; 1 part vermiculite; 1 part sterilized garden soil; and 1 part perlite or sand. To start, use a 5-gallon bucket as each “part.” To remove large chunks and debris, run each of your ingredients through a screen or ¼ inch hardware cloth. Hardware cloth is wire mesh available in rolls from hardware and home supply stores for $5-$10 per roll. Dump all the peat moss that you’re using into a mixing bin. It may help to start with a small batch of soil, instead of using all of your available materials in the first batch. These will add nutrients to your potting mixture. A good fertilizing mixture is: For everyone 5 gallons of other ingredients, add 1 cup greensand; 1 cup blood meal; ½ cup bonemeal; ½ cup lime; and ½ cup rock phosphate. Add each of these ingredients one by one and mix thoroughly. Turn over the soil to make sure you are mixing them all in throughout the potting mix.
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One-sentence summary -- Wear protective gear. Gather your supplies. Prepare your work space. Measure out your ingredients. Pour all ingredients separately through wire mesh hardware cloth. Put in the peat moss first into your mixing bin. Add fertilizers and mix thoroughly. Add compost, vermiculite and perlite.


There are two things that will help you get a good score, and the most important of these is keeping your cool. (The other is being prepared). Reading, understanding, and answering the questions is more difficult if you feel panic or anxiety. Keep a cool head. Slow down a bit. You will finish as long as you don't spend too much time on any particular question! The SAT is a standardized test, meaning every test taker takes the same test under the same conditions allowing their scores to be compared fairly. If you can identify these types of questions you are one step closer to the score you want (or need). When you're dealing with the SAT, there's nothing like the real thing when it comes to practice tests. The first time you take a SAT will be the hardest, as it is the only time you will not know what to expect. Try to take practice tests in an environment that closely resembles where you will take the real test (a library is a good bet) This will get you ready for the other side of the test—concentrating for 3+ hours in an uncomfortable setting while other people cough, sneeze and tap pencils around you.
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One-sentence summary --
Avoid panicking. Get to know the test. Practice with the real thing.