Product review: Wakefield Compost Hero Biochar Blend

The Wakefield compost blend comes in a very small bag. The weight of the bag is 4 pounds, but the volume of the bag is not shown on the product listing. I measured it and it contains 19 cups. This was a lot less then I expected for the price.

I have a container garden that consists of 20 pots of 12-14". To spread the small amount of compost between 20 pots I had to use 1 cup for the 19 pots and left one pot without compost. I don't know if such a small amount per pot will make any difference. This was a very expensive way to get compost.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer 2-3-1

I have a friend whose tomato plants are so tall that he has to use a ladder to harvest them. When I asked him what is he doing to get these magnificent plants he told me "Neptune's Harvest".

Now I have been using Neptune Harvest for several years. Early in the summer, I use it every week, later in the summer every other week.

I just (June 28)  harvested my first cucumber, not too shabby for New England where I can only start my plants in mid-May.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Hoffman 20505 Dehydrated Super Manure 4-2-3, 5 Pounds

Hoffman's super chicken manure comes in a compact 5-pound plastic bag.  I have container gardening set up of twenty 12" pots. Per instructions on the bag 6" pot takes 1 teaspoon, so I used 1 tablespoon for each of my 12" pots. Note that applying too much of a good thing can burn the plants.

The content is small granules, they do not smell bad.  There is a faint odor if I get really close to the bag, but I did not find it offensive.

The fact that each pot takes only 1 tablespoon left plenty of the product for future applications. Unfortunately, the bag has no snap closure, and I keep it closed with alligator clips inside a plastic tub so it does not spill out if the bag falls.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Tikduck Portable Neck Fan

Tikduck neck fan weights 6.3 oz and fits similar to Bluetooth headphones that have a piece that rests on your shoulders.  6.3 oz is not a lot and when they are distributed on my shoulders I barely feel the fan.  I like running it on the low setting.  It is very quiet on low seeing yet provides pretty good airflow.

It is good to have on hot days. Unfortunately, this fan is not ideal to wear with face masks during COVID-19 because it blows your germs towards other people, and people get upset at that.  However, it is great at home or outside when there are no people nearby,

The fan also has LED lights that change color.  The lights are optional and they can be turned off.  It is a cool looking feature, but just for fun, they have no useful function.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: PrawnHz 10-inch Ring Light with Stand & Phone Holder

This ring light exceeded my expectations. It has a well-made tripod stand with quick release leg.  The stand is solidly made and operates smoothly.  It can be expanded to 66" tall.  With this flexible height, I can use it both on the table and on the floor.  The ring light mounts on the stand using on regular 1/4 thread which means the stand can also double as a tripod for a small/medium size camera.  I like things that can do more than one job!

The ring light is 10-inches in diameter and provides bright light. I can change the color of the light from warm to cold via remote control.  The light is powered by USB power. It can run from an electric outlet or from an external battery pack for portability.

The ring light includes a phone holder that I can use to mount the phone and trigger the photo app with the included remote control.  The remote control paired easily with my Nexus phone, the remote control was visible as "AB Shutter3". Pressing the remote control once put it into the Bluetooth mode  (it blinks quickly with a blue light when it is ready to pair).


In the attached video, you can see both the operation of the light and the photos I took using the remote control.  I am pretty pleased with the results.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review: Best investment books for smart non-speculator investors

Avoid shark attacks in investment waters! Learn from the best advisors in this list of my favorite investment books:

John Bogle, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

John Bogle, The Clash of the Cultures: Investment vs. Speculation
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

William N. Thorndike, The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

L.J. Rittenhouse, Investing Between the Lines: How to Make Smarter Decisions By Decoding CEO Communications
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Skelang Plant Pallet Caddy Plant Stand Plant with Lock Wheels Rolling Tray Coaster, Moving Plant Pot Saucer

 I purchased this set of dollies from Amazon warehouse, which means it was an item someone returned. I can see why someone returned them one of the dollies has wheel locks and the other one does not. Item description states these dollies have wheel locks. Fortunately, the wheel locks are not a deal-breaker for me, so I was very happy to get these two dollies for around 12 dollars.

I am using these dollies on the deck so the pots do not rest on wood and cause damage, and they work fine for that purpose. They roll well. The outside measurement of the base is 11.8", the inside measurement is 10.6". The caddy is made out of black plastic. There is no drainage hole in the middle (I have a similar set with a drainage hole). So far I have not felt like I needed the drainage, but since it is plastic it is easy to drill a hole if it ever becomes necessary.

Overall, despite the wheel lock issue, I am very pleased with these caddies.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★