Sections of a lawn can get jammed using rainwater due to dirt that doesn’t drain well or because there is a very low spot that fills fast with no escape route to the liquid. If your lawn develops muddy or mushy spots following a rain, or worse, each time you use a sprinkler, fix the issue by adding draining materials and fixing the low spots. Permit the mushy yard area to dry out as much as you can, then scoop…
Ficus trees, ornamental members of the mulberry family which have rubber tree, weeping fig and fiddle-leaf varieties, are often kept small and grown indoors in pots. If not properly cared for, personal ficus trees become rootbound, developing heavily tangled, compacted origins which choke off all brand new origins and cause gradual or stopped upper growth. New trees may also be potted in addition to make them appear slimmer, resulting in nutrient competition and an low level of root density. Root…
When it comes to deciding that mattress will offer the best night’s sleep, there’s not any one answer that will satisfy all sleepers. Mattress preferences are completely subjective, and no one construction characteristic necessarily makes one mattress objectively better than another. Careful comparison shopping, with lots of hands-on rating, is the most dependable way of deciding upon the mattress that will offer the most enjoyable sleeping experience. Innerspring Mattresses Innerspring mattresses offer support via a system of hardened steel liners…
Prized for their sugary sweet flavor and disease immunity, white corn (Zea mays) cultivars like “Silver Queen” and “How Sweet It Is” feature prominently in many warm-season gardens. The plants need small hands-on upkeep aside from regular watering and feeding. However, the seeds must be implanted properly to perform their best. Timing and soil composition would be both most important aspects of putting white corn since both will affect the plants’ growth and vigor. Proper spacing also plays a vital…
Native to Korea and Japan, dappled willow shrubs (Salix integra “Hakuro-nishiki”) are landscape multi-taskers. Whether working to curb sediment near streams or to hide your yard from prying eyes as hedges, they attract the weeping elegance of Asian Zen and rain gardens to your yard at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. As a bonus, they are also resistant to deer depredations and tolerate wet areas. Characteristics Dappled willows are deciduous shrubs that grow 4 to…
Roundworms, also known by their genus name Ascariasis or ascarids and nematodes, live in the intestines of fish, mammals and mammals, like humans and pet cats and dogs. Their eggs are excreted into soil or water by animals. If an animal or individual puts soil, feces or water containing roundworm eggs in his mouth, he becomes contaminated with the parasite. When roundworm eggs are excreted in or near a pond, the river water can also haven the parasites. According to…
A balcony can become an outdoor oasis filled with lush green plants, colorful blossoms or abundant vegetables. Make the most of the small distance by putting in containers and arranging them to take advantage of vertical distance. Almost any vegetable or herb, most annual flowers and many perennial ornamentals can thrive at a container with appropriate care. Plants with the words “dwarf,” “miniature” or “terrace” in their title are especially bred to grow well in tiny spaces. Determine the sunlight…
Should you take a little time to appear at a ceiling fan, you will observe that its entire weight rests to a round object tucked across the fan downrod. Known as a cathedral canopy ball or hanger ball, this really difficult bit of vinyl rides at a cradle formed by the fan mounting bracket or ceiling canopy, allowing the fan to adjust to various angles. Excessive motion as a result of out-of-balance blades or other factors can cause the ball…
Herbs add flavor to your dishes, scent your home or cure what ails you. Most cooks are knowledgeable about basil, thyme and other popular kitchen herbs, but the herb list is far more than you may think. Clay tablets from Samaria at 2200 B.C. recorded above 1,000 medicinal herbs. Modern gardeners plant herbs for their culinary and medicinal properties, but also because herbs are great garden citizens; they require minimal sulfur and water, harbor few pests and repel destructive insects…
The pop-up assembly ties the sink to the P-trap drain pipes. The assembly consists of the flange and stopper (also referred to as the pop-up), which are the parts you see in the sink; the drain tube, that’s the most important body under the sink; along with also the ball-and-rod assembly, which moves the stopper down and up. Wash the hole in the sink prior to installing a new drain assembly, including removing aged, dried contractor’s putty or calcium deposits….