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. The central and northerly regions have less fluctuations in the temperature thus have limitations in these areas.

One of the drawbacks of planting zones is that they tend to overlook the fact that the snow cover actually acts as insulator to the roots of the plant that are hibernating. many plants may survive in a locality but will not flower if the day length is insufficient or if they require a particular duration of low temperature. With annuals, the time of planting can often be adjusted to allow growth beyond their normal geographical range.

Different plants grow under a different planting zone. If you are planning for home gardening and have gone to buy plants to grow them into your garden, then you might have come across plants tagged with holly or plain numerical, what do they mean exactly? The tags define the hardiness zone of the plant. For instance, if you cultivate Zone 3-7 (plants that dwell in the colder regions, Alaska for instance) plant in a zone 9 or zone 10 territory (much warmer regions, Florida for instance) the plant might as well wither away as it cannot withstand warmer temperatures and vice versa. Almost all the plants have been assigned Hardiness zones. Some plants might have a tag of two zones (4-5 / 6-7 for instance), this means the plant is from the hardiness zone that has a particular range of temperature for particular number of days.

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. They also had double cutaways and strikingly thinner bodies. This structure created ‘hollow’ wings on the side that created harmonic, warm and soothing music. These were majorly created so that they could compete with the blaring horns in noisy places. These guitars majorly suit jazz guitarists and country music singers. These guitars are generally lighter than most of their electric counterparts.

Solid body guitar
Solid body guitars are made without sound boxes and rely totally on electric pickup systems that receive vibrations directly. These electric guitars are the most versatile and are instrumental in creating new genres of music like heavy metal, country music, blues and rock. These guitars have their bodies made of woods like ash, alder maple, mahogany, rosewood and the like. The most common type of solid body guitar is made up of ash and alder.

All these guitars have their characteristics features and nuances that make sense to individual players based on their sensibility, style and genres. However, to a novice these differences may be insignificant. If tweaks and nuances fancy you, go ahead and try your hand at learning any one of the guitars and experience the difference for yourself!

If you happen to fancy the multi-layered dynamics of the flora and fauna, then opting for a biology degree is the most feasible choice for you. The subject of biology is equally interesting and complex. If you’re wondering what kind of professional options one has with a biology degree, here are some career routes that you can possibly take.

Environmental Biologist
If you are drawn towards nurturing the nature, you can take up a major of environmental biology during your undergraduate studies. As an environmental biologist, you can explore your options in marine biology, wildlife conservation, botany, climate change, restoration of natural habitats, zoology and agriculture. You can further elevate your portfolio by studying a post graduate program, which can aid you in finding research opportunities.

Lecturer
You can blend you love for biology and education by being a lecturer for a university program. As a professor, you can constantly reinvent the learning experience of students. You can do this by conducting thought-provoking seminars and field work projects. Working as a professor will also give you an opportunity to develop and publish your research paper. If you want to prepare to be an educator make sure that you explore additional post graduate options after your bachelor’s degree.

Microbiologist
The study of microbiology is without any doubt one of the most important branches of science, as their work and discoveries play a huge role in medical inventions. A microbiologist, mainly in a health oriented setting will help find and scrutinize organism behavior, as well as benefit in the alleviation of dangerous viruses and bacteria. If you choose to be a microbiologist you’ll get an opportunity to work in research facilities, hospitals, and medical schools.

Forensic Scientist
If you are curious person with an alert mind and degree in biology, then a job of a forensic scientist is enough to keep you engaged. A forensic scientist studies samples, especially coming from a crime scene to gather substantial evidence. Your job will involve analyzing biological specimens and genetics. After your bachelor’s degree in biology, you can further study a master’s degree in forensic sciences.

Nurse or Physician Assistant
Your biology degree can be an asset if you are considering being a nurse. Since you studied most of the courses during your degree it will be an easy transition for the training process in a nursing school.
Physician assistant on the other hand is working with a licensed doctor or a surgeon in a medical team. As a physician assistant, you will perform various diagnostic and treatment tasks under the supervision of a senior medical professional. To get into PA program you will need certain prior experience in the healthcare sector.

You can find more information on these possible career options online, which can help you pave your professional trajectory.

There are metal detectors that are specifically designed to sweep search for gold. Gold metal detectors work on the principle of cancelling out mineralization, so whenever you find a metal detector specifically for gold, look for the ground balance. The ground balance feature in the metal detector cancels out detecting minerals in the soil and focuses on finding the metallic objects beneath that are unnatural to the soil.

As far as gold metal detectors go (although they might not be exclusive) they work on two principles; VLF and PI. VLF or Very Low Frequency metal detectors work in low frequencies unlike conventional metal detectors have a wider range of frequency to an extent that these VLF detectors can find a comparatively small nugget of a gold as compared to the other metal detectors. If you are searching for gold metal detector. There are two coil types; Concentric and wide scan. Concentric coils are preferred for differentiating between metals and minerals while widescan coils cannot do that.

do check for the size of the searching coil, as smaller search coils are less sensitive to small pieces of gold as compared to the metal detectors that have large searching coils. Pulse induction metal detector are newer technology that work by sending short pulses of one type of polarity. When the search coil is encountered with a metal object (of an opposite polarity) the pulse indication detector sets off sensing the opposite polarity, sends the signal to the receiver circuit.

Gold metal detectors can detect gold as small as the size of the grain and as big as an average nugget. The principle is that the gold as small as the size of grain is easier to find in the shallow depth (of 1 or 2 inches maybe) whereas, gold portions of the size of nugget can be search scanned at the depths of 1 to 2 feet.

Some metal detectors have the ability to find common trash items such as iron and stainless steel. Pulse detectors cannot filter out trash items.

Some of the popular choices for gold metal detectors include; Garrett GI 2500 metal detector, Marko Geotech, DRS electronics proradar X5 system, XP DEUS goldfield program etc. You can also look online for comparisons and reviews of several metal detectors that are projected to be good gold finders.

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. In case you lost your article in water, you may be able to retrieve it with the help of waterproof metal detector that help search submerged objects in shallow waters.

Beach combing
This activity usually involves hunting for coins, jewelry and other articles on sea shores and beaches. The activity requires an individual to comb or search the beach and inter tidal areas for things of value, interest or utility. Modern beach combers follow tide movements on the beach and find natural objects that the sea casts aside. Some passionate beachcombers study storms, ocean currents, seasonal events and geography to determine the possibility and onset of rare objects and valuable finds.

General metal detecting
This is quite like coin shooting with the exception that the seeker is interested in all kinds of historical and cultural artifacts. Most sincere detectors are interested not only in finding artifacts but in also preserving and studying them. Most common finds that relic hunters are interested in include coins, bullets, axe heads, bullets, knives, jewelry, weapons and the like. Generally, the potential of finding historically valuable finds are higher in parts of Europe and Asia than in the rest of the world.

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. To fulfill the aesthetic purpose, you could turn to your choice of artist for inspiration and decide the look (of the guitar) you want to go for. This would help you choose easily from a wide range of guitars and you would be a step closer to getting the desired pick.

A beginner who wants to buy a guitar must make sure that it is properly sized, sounds great and matches perfectly with your taste and desire. Full sized electric guitars vary immensely in size and weight. The right pick would be the one that comfortably fits you. Make sure the neck of the guitar feels comfortable in your hands.

For people with some hands on playing experience, considerations vary slightly. It is important that you do some pick-up, bridge and intonation examinations before buying. With experience comes a desire for quality, therefore, it is only wise to pay more for the guitar that is right for you. Chances are high that you have a choice of guitar already in your mind, if you do, you must just go for it.

The biggest consideration before buying any musical instrument is to identify the utility you want to draw from it. Once that is set, you are free to choose the one that satisfies your aspiration!

If you are looking to go fishing on a Sunday afternoon, there is one thing you must keep an eye on before heading out of home the fishing report. A fishing report is written by people who go fishing, it essentially talks about the type of fish available in a certain area, the weather conditions, tidal waves, and the intensity of the ocean current. A fishing report is ideally used by fishermen to know where they can find a certain type of fish they are looking for. It helps them determine where to cast their lines.

The water temperature can define the activeness of the fish in that area. If the temperature is high, then the fish would not move around a lot as it will be significantly hot. Similarly, if it is cold, then they will not move at all. To sum it up, unless the temperature of the water is pleasant, the fish will not indulge in a significant amount of movement. It is difficult to lure resting fish as they will not bite or chase the lure.

Another important component of a fishing report is the water conditions. Whether the water is still or moving, the pace of the movement (if any), if the water is muddy or full of debris are factors to be kept in mind. If the water is moving too quickly or there is a significant amount of mud in the water, then it will be a bad day to go fishing. The fish will not be able to exercise complete control on their movement and will not be able to see the bait if it is too muddy.

These reports are made according to different regions which help the fishermen decide when and where to go fishing. For example, fishing reports of Texas, Washington state, green bay etc. A fishing report of Texas would broadly include the weather condition, wind speed, when the fish are biting, where they are biting, and the types of bait that are effective.

Fishing report of Texas

Texas is home for Saltwater fish like Black Drum, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, and many others. If you are going out fishing in this season you will come across Snapper (red), Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, Redfish, and Black Drum. The best time to go fishing during spring is late-afternoon and early evenings. The fish bite due to a high metabolism and digestion. The sun overhead helps the fish move around adequately.

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. It is also a fantastic form of physical and mental exercise. Metal detecting keeps you going to new and far off sites and engages you in the most productive of ways.

Financial gains
One of the most common reasons why some people are glued on and motivated to metal detection is for some extra bucks. Some people may delve into sites with the hope of finding valuable jewelry, gold coins or nuggets and sell their finds to earn some serious money! This may not always be the case. For most hobbyists, their finds are more meaningful to them than a few dollars.

Adrenaline rush
Metal detection is quite an addictive and adventurous activity that gives hobbyists all the adrenaline rush a sport like mountain biking or rafting may provide. Hunting for antiques and bygone items in itself is an engaging and exciting pursuit. To top it up, finding and pulling out dirt laden rare and obscure artifacts is all the thrill you would ever want. What’s more, the activity gives you a reason to explore permitted public parks, beaches, woods and even your own private property!