| How to Straighten a Tree Posted: 05 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT Trees usually grow straight up just fine on their own, but sometimes you'll have that one tree in your yard that's growing crooked because of high winds or storm damage. Luckily, you can straighten out a crooked tree on your own. How difficult it's going to be depends on whether you're dealing with a small or large tree, but either way we've got you covered! This article will walk you through exactly what to do step-by-step. [Edit]Staking a Small Leaning Tree - Pound a stake into the ground in the opposite direction than the tree is leaning. Hammer the stake about away from the tree and into the ground at about a 15-degree angle away from the tree. [1]
- You can use a pickaxe to get the hole started, or wet the ground with a hose first to soften it and make it easier to pound the stake in.
- Avoid damaging the roots when placing the stake.
- You can buy stakes made of treated wood at a garden store or home improvement center.
- The stake should be about 3/4 of the height of the tree, and can be about in diameter.
- This method will work for trees that are of a size you can straighten by pulling on it with your hands. If you cannot move the tree with your hands, then you will need to use another method to straighten it.
- Feed a ratchet strap through a piece of rubber hose. Use an old piece of garden hose or get a piece of rubber hose at a hardware store. Feed the ratchet strap through it until it is in the middle of the strap.[2]
- Make sure the piece of hose is long enough to wrap about 3/4 of the way around the trunk of the tree to protect the bark.
- You can use wire fed through a piece of rubber hose as well, but a strap with a ratchet is easier to tighten.
- Straps with ratchets are available at home improvement stores, or you can find special tree straightening straps at a garden store.
- Don't use wire or tight rope as a tree strap as these will damage the bark and potentially kill the tree.
- Wrap the hose around the back of the tree and pull the strap to the stake. Wrap the strap around the side of the tree that is leaning towards one direction. Place it about high above the ground. Pull the loose ends of the strap towards the stake.[3]
- If the tree is particularly small and flimsy, then place the strap closer to the ground wherever it seems more stable. Pull on the tree with the strap gently to make sure the tree can still stand on its own under pressure.
- Tie the strap around the stake and ratchet it tight. Tie the loose ends in a tight knot around the stake. Ratchet the strap until the tree is standing straight.[4]
- Don't tighten the strap so that the tree cannot move at all. You want it to be able to move a bit in the wind so the roots grow strong.
- Monitor the tree and tighten the strap when it becomes loose. Check on the tree at least once a week and take slack out of the strap. This will keep the tree from leaning again and help it to grow straight.[5]
- You should also check on the tree after any big wind storms to make sure it is still held securely in place.
- Remove the straps and stakes after 1 growing season. Loosen the straps a bit at first to make sure that the tree is standing straight. Take the straps off completely when you see that the tree can stand straight on its own.[6]
- A growing season is the period of the year during which trees and other plants grow the most. Usually, a growing season is about 90 days long but can last for a whole year in tropical climates.
- You can start the staking process at any time of the year, but make sure to let the tree pass through a full growing season before you remove the strap.
[Edit]Correcting a Large Leaning Tree - Measure the circumference of the tree with a flexible tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around the thickest part of the tree trunk. You will use this measurement to calculate how big of a trench you need to dig around the root system.[7]
- If you don't have a flexible tape measure, you could use a piece of string and a regular tape measure. Wrap the string around the trunk, then measure how much string fits around the trunk with a regular tape measure.
- This method of straightening will work for trees that are too big to straighten by pulling on with a strap and stake system.
- Dig a trench around the base of the tree to free the roots. Use a shovel to dig a circular trench around the trunk of the tree that is at least wide for every of the trunk's diameter. Make the hole about deep.[8]
- For example, if the tree's diameter is , then you would need to dig a trench that is at least wide.
- If the tree is particularly large and you don't want to dig it out yourself, you can hire a tree moving company to dig the hole with a tree spade.
- Really large trees will not correct easily. Consider leaving your tree leaning to avoid damaging the roots and killing your mature tree.
- Place a pad on the trunk and wrap a rope around the pad. Put the pad on the side of the tree that is leaning. Wrap the rope around the mat and tie it in a loop to secure it in place.[9]
- You can use a foam pad like a camping mat, or some old blankets, as a pad to protect the tree's bark.
- Pull the tree with the rope to straighten it. Get a lot of helpers to pull the tree straight, or attach the rope to a truck and slowly accelerate to start straightening the tree. Stop pulling if the tree is not moving and dig out the trench more to loosen the root system. Stop pulling and leave the rope attached to the tree and truck when the tree is standing straight.[10]
- Don't pull up the roots without loosening them first, or you risk tearing them and killing the tree.
- Fill in the hole around the tree with the dirt you dug out. Use a shovel to pack the dirt back into the trench and cover the roots. Put as much of the dirt back in as you can to give the roots a good foundation. Remove the rope from the tree and truck after you fill in the hole.[11]
- It can take at least a year for the roots to re-establish themselves once you have loosened them and shifted the tree.
- Wrap tree straightening straps around the tree for at least 1 year. Pound 2-3 wooden stake posts at least into the ground further away from the tree than the trench you dug, so that they don't hit the root system. Wrap tree straightening straps around the middle of the trunk and secure them to the posts to hold the tree in place.
- You can get special tree straps at home improvement centers.
- The straps will keep the tree stable so that the roots can re-establish themselves.
- Not all trees can be successfully straightened. Sometimes the roots have trouble re-establishing themselves. In this case, you may not be able to save the tree from dying.
- Before you remove the straps, try loosening them a bit to make sure the tree stands firmly on its own.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Staking a Small Leaning Tree - Stake
- Ratchet strap
- Sledgehammer or mallet
- Rubber hose
[Edit]Correcting a Large Leaning Tree - Shovel
- Pad
- Ropes
- Tree straps
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Punch Fast Posted: 05 Aug 2021 09:00 AM PDT Boxing takes a lot of physical and mental stamina, and in the ring, every second matters. There's nothing like a quick, streamlined punch to keep you ahead of the game. Combine your strength, speed, and skills, and you too can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! [Edit]Strengthening Your Muscles - Strengthen your lower body by jumping, cycling, or squatting. Grab a jump rope to use, or do jumping jacks. Try cycling with either a stationary bike or a bicycle. Add weights to your squats for an extra challenge. Your lower body is essentially a foundation for power, so develop and strengthen your quads and hamstrings.[1]
- Punch through water or sandbags to increase your strength. While in a pool, make the water your target and punch straight ahead. The water adds resistance against your punch, similar to the way a resistance band works. Punch repetitively, consistently, and gently, to nail the punching motion. This technique will help build "muscle memory" for the punching motion while strengthening your muscles.
- You can use a sandbag as a substitution.
- Enhance your rotational movements by doing core exercises like sit ups and push ups. Strengthen your upper body with core exercises in order to better deliver your punch and improve speed. Also try moving your muscles in this rotational movement by swinging a baseball bat or a golf club like you would a punch.
[Edit]Increasing Your Speed - Stretch to relax your body and maximize punch speed. Any tension in your body will slow down your punch speed. Take deep breaths, loosen your shoulders, and stretch to relieve muscle tension. The more relaxed your muscles are, the greater potential you have to move at maximum speed.
- Only tighten your fist at the moment of impact.
- Keep your biceps and shoulders loose until right before the punch.[2]
- Breathe deeply to clear your mind before you make your punch. Take deep breaths. Fill your lungs fully and release your breath entirely to release any tension in your mind or body. Taking deep breaths eliminates mental distractions. This will help you stay clear and focused on your punch.
- Do this meditative exercise for a few minutes before you fight or work out.
- Don't think about winning or losing, be present in the moment, and think of speed. [3]
- Breathe quickly to increase the speed of your punch. Experiment with your punching speed by slowing down and speeding up your breath. You will quickly find that if you breathe slowly, you can't punch as quickly. This is because quick movements stem from quick breaths. Aim to have quick and repetitive breaths, inhaling before you punch and exhaling after you throw your punch.
- Try punching exercises like "shadowboxing" to build up punching speed. While focusing on your breath, practice punching as much as you can. Your speed will improve the more you practice. Use the "shadowboxing" technique, where you move around yourself throwing punches at the air.
- The fastest punch is delivered with the greatest amount of force within the smallest amount of time.
- Master the punching movement in the shortest amount of time to deliver the fastest punch possible. [4]
[Edit]Exercising with Training Tools - Use weighted gloves with punching exercises to increase your speed. Weighted gloves add weight to the back of your hands, making them ideal for punching exercises. The weight is kept in place for moves like upper-cuts, hooks, and jabs.
- Weighted gloves help keep your hand in a fixed position, good to help practice punching quickly.
- The extra weight helps you get used to making the punching motion with more weight so when you take the gloves off, it is easier to perform the move quickly.[5]
- Try wrist weights to increase your strength. Wrist weights are a type of hand weight attached to the wrist with Velcro straps to give an even distribution of weight. Put the wrist weights on your wrists and do your workout as usual, focusing on punching exercises. After you take them off, it will take much less force for you to punch, making the act of punching feel like less work.
- Improving strength in turn helps increase punching speed.
- Wrist weights are similar to weighted gloves, but the weight in these is distributed on the wrist rather than the back of the hand.[6]
- Hit a speed bag to practice punching quickly. Speed bags help improve hand-eye coordination and proper timing. The goal is to decrease the size of your circles, as smaller circles result in faster punches.
- Keep your hands close to the speed bag, and hit the bag in small circular movements. Your hand should make a small circle in the air.
- Hit the speed bag in a right-right, left-left rhythm--twice with your right hand then twice with your left. Repeat this, increasing speed as you get more comfortable. [7]
- Practice hitting a double-end bag to increase hand-eye coordination. Double-end bags improve your punching technique as well as speed. The goal is to hit the bag fast and accurately, until it becomes second nature. This improves your mental reflexes.
- Start off by hitting the bag with one or two punch combinations until you get a good sense of timing. Once this feels comfortable, throw a jab or other combination of punch.
- Use resistance bands to build your muscle strength. Resistance bands are elastic ropes used to strengthen muscles by working with resistance. You can use resistance bands in many different exercises. Strengthening the arm muscles helps create a more fluid range of motion while punching, which increases speed over time.
- Place one foot on the middle of the elastic part of the band, grasp the hand strap, and curl your arm in an upwards motion, like you would for a bicep curl. This motion will help strengthen your biceps muscles.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References __ [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Increase Your Short Term Memory Posted: 05 Aug 2021 01:00 AM PDT It's always frustrating to forget why you walked into a room, or to forget someone's name right after being introduced. Before worrying that annoyances like these are signs of a memory problem, try out some simple techniques that may naturally enhance your short term memory. And here's some more good news—the list of advice and tips provided below is a great place to start! [Edit]Focus on what you want to remember. - Focusing intently for 15-30 seconds may help the memory stick. Scientifically speaking, short term memory only lasts around 15-30 seconds—after that, the information is either discarded or moved to long term memory. Therefore, focusing closely on a new piece of info for 15-30 seconds can keep it in your short term memory and may help transfer it to your long term memory.[1]
- To remember the server's name at a restaurant, then, give them your full focus when they introduce themselves, then work to keep repeating and thinking about their name for around 15-30 seconds.
[Edit]Engage multiple senses. - Using your senses increases focus and builds memory-helping associations. When you meet someone new, listen carefully and look directly at them as they state their name. Repeat their name immediately afterward. Shake their hand and feel their grip. Even take notice of their perfume or cologne! The more sensory associations you build, the more firmly the memory is encoded.[2]
- Repeating a name, or anything else you want to remember, out loud is always a good way to help strengthen a particular short term memory. Listen to yourself saying the word or phrase, and keep doing so with regularity.
[Edit]Utilize mnemonic devices. - These visual and verbal techniques really help with multiple bits of information. Do you still remember learning "Roy G. Biv" in school to keep track of the order of colors in the rainbow? Mnemonic devices can really stick in your memory! Try constructing colorful, even silly visualizations or verbalizations to help encode a group of things in your short-term memory.[3]
- For instance, picture a pile of trash falling onto your head when the clock strikes six to remind you to take out the trash each evening.
- Or, if you're trying to remember the name of your new co-worker Peggy, imagine her dressed as a pirate with a "peg leg."
- Singing the "ABC Song" to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a familiar childhood mnemonic that uses an auditory cue. Mnemonic devices can use a wide range of number, color, and other cues.
[Edit]Try "chunking" items into groups. - Break up more complex things into manageable, organized pieces. Chunking is related to mnemonics and is the principle behind using hyphens to break up 10-digit phone numbers in the U.S.—remembering individual groups of 3, 3, and 4 numbers is easier than recalling a single string of 10. It works even better when you can create associations within each "chunk" — for instance, maybe the "3015" section of a phone number contains the jersey numbers of two of your favorite athletes.[4]
- Remembering a grocery list might be a challenge, but can be made more manageable by grouping the items by category—dairy, produce, meat, etc. Six smaller shopping lists is easier to recall than one larger one.
[Edit]Lay out structured associations. - Memorize the primary pieces of info and how the secondary pieces relate to them. In other words, prioritize remembering the most vital information, but also focus on memorizing the structure that connects this vital info to the less important material you also want to remember. Essentially you're creating a mental "bubble map"[5]—where the central bubble contains the main info and is connected by lines to surrounding bubbles containing supporting info.[6]
- For instance, say you're at a family reunion and are struggling to keep track of the names of four distant cousins, each of whom also has a spouse and kids. For each family group, commit the name of your cousin to memory first (the "central bubble"), then build associations ("lines") with that name to the names of the other family members (the "surrounding bubbles").
[Edit]Keep your brain active. - Regular mental stimulation may benefit your brain health and memory. Just like your muscles weaken from physical inactivity, brain inactivity may lead to mental decline. It stands to reason that a more active brain is likely to be a more healthy brain, and that having a healthy brain will benefit your short term memory.[7]
- The simple act of having a conversation with another person can benefit your brain health and memory. In addition to talking, consider playing chess, doing puzzles together, or engaging in other activities that challenge your brain to work harder.
- Stimulate your mind when you're alone as well. Instead of passively watching TV, try reading a book or writing a letter to an old friend.
[Edit]Try brain training exercises. - Brain training benefits can be overstated, but they may help with memory. There are countless brain training apps and programs out there, and some of them make memory-boosting claims that go well beyond any solid evidence. That said, it's reasonable for you to try several free or low-cost brain training options based on the possibility that they will benefit your short term memory.[8]
- When evaluating brain training apps and programs, look for ones that are affordable and that don't make outlandish claims.
- Ther memory benefits of DIY brain training options, like flash cards and puzzles, are also scientifically unclear—but they can be fun to do regardless! Consider giving the following a try:
- Memorize a string of cards in a deck of cards. See how far through the deck you can get!
- Have someone set a bunch of everyday items on a table. Look at the table for about 10 seconds, then turn around and see how many of the items you can recall.
[Edit]Eat a brain-healthy diet. - Healthy food choices are good for your brain and may improve your memory. By and large, the healthy, balanced diet you should strive to achieve for overall health is also what is needed for a healthy brain that is better primed to encode memories. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, add in lean proteins and whole grains, and cut back on saturated fats, sodium, and sugars.
- The MIND diet (which is a hybrid of the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet) appears to slow down cognitive decline. It prioritizes leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, occasional fish consumption, and reduced red meat consumption.[9]
- Drink plenty of water as well. Dehydration negatively impacts the brain along with the rest of the body.
[Edit]Exercise regularly. - Exercise increases blood flow to your brain, which benefits it overall. Regular exercise, even as simple as walking, boosts the flow of blood—and with it, oxygen and nutrients—your brain needs to be healthy and strong. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, which gets your heart pumping faster and increases your breathing rate, even seems to increase the size of the part of your brain that's responsible for memory.[10]
- In general, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week for overall health benefits.
[Edit]Get adequate sleep. - Good sleep habits increase your focus and may help encode memories. It's easy to see how being tired and groggy makes it harder to remember things. On the other side of the coin, being alert and focused—thanks to getting adequate, high-quality sleep—improves your short term memory capabilities. In addition, research indicates that high quality sleep helps to encode existing memories so that they "stick" much better.[11]
- Sleep needs vary by person, but, in general, getting 7-9 uninterrupted hours of sleep each night will allow your brain and body to adequately rest and recharge.
[Edit]Address existing health issues. - Both illnesses and treatments for illness can impact your memory abilities. In the same way that a healthy body fosters a healthy mind and therefore healthy memory abilities, unhealthiness and illness can hamper your memory skills. Any circulatory problem that affects blood flow to the brain—high blood pressure, for instance—can have a negative effect on short term memory. But other conditions like diabetes, thyroid problems, cancers, and so on can likewise have an impact.[12]
- Depression can also negatively impact memory abilities, particularly because it can impede your ability to focus.
- Some medications are known to have short term memory problems as part of their side effects. Talk to your doctor if you're concerned that your medication may be a factor in your memory issues.
- While it's true that short term memory loss is one of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease, the significant majority of people with short term memory problems do not have that condition.
[Edit]Reduce your memory demands. - Tricks like taking notes help cut back on your memory workload. Simple techniques like jotting down notes, keeping a voice recorder handy, or tying strings on your fingers can really help you make it through your daily routines. Using them won't directly improve your short term memory, but they can reduce the demands on your memory and therefore reduce your chances of forgetting something.[13]
- Sometimes the best way to remember something is to let a sticky note or your smartphone calendar do the "remembering" for you!
[Edit]Related wikiHows - Your short term memory can be thought of as the "holding tank" your brain uses to temporarily hold information while determining whether to filter it out (and forget it) or move it along into your long-term memory.[14]
- While much remains to be discovered, some experts estimate that your short term memory can hold about 7 items of information at one time, for a period of time of typically 15-30 seconds.[15]
- If you're worried that you have a genuine memory-related issue, see your doctor. In the unlikely event that you are diagnosed with dementia or some other memory-robbing condition, nourish and exercise your brain and body, and work with your medical team to develop the best regimen of medications for your specific case.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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