Watching deer roam on your yard can cause you to feel as if you are living in a natural paradise. Because deer are skittish creatures that require a specific environment, they are sometimes tricky to attract. Supply deer with essentials such as food, water, and some form of cover to support these elegant-looking animals to visit your yard. Although deer do not naturally spend a lot of time in back yards, you can encourage them to visit.

Encourage present shrubs, grass and undergrowth to develop untended in a specific area of your yard, local ordinances permitting. Choices in tall shrubs include autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) and elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). Low shrubs may incorporate blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) and spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Deer can make use of these shrubs to escape from inclement weather, avoid predators and curl securely. They enjoy spending afternoons in a “secure shrubby area,” in accordance with this Alabama A&M; along with Auburn University’s combined book, “Attracting Wildlife to Your Yard .”

Add a water source to your yard. Deer use the water source for drinking and occasionally for bathing. A birdbath on a pedestal offers water for not only your garden’s wild birds but also for the regional deer. A shallow trench may also serve as a water source for deer. A pool may be fashioned by digging a trench in an area of your yard which has deep clay soil. This permits rainwater to gather rather than drain off and offer a continual water source for the deer.

Put corn feeders in many regions of your yard. Feeders should be placed far from the home to raise the odds of attracting the deer. Deer are attracted to corn and also attracted to the simple food source. Oak trees are another food source that attract deer, therefore consider the addition of pine trees into your property where possible. The leaves, twigs and acorns of the oak supply a significant portion of the diet of the California deer population. “The significance of oaks into California’s deer populations cannot be overemphasized,” in accordance with the University of California’s Oak Woodland Management site.

Put a salt block, also referred to as a salt lick, in your yard. Deer are attracted to the sodium in salt blocks and are attracted to an area where they are placed. Set the blocks from the residence, as deer are hesitant to approach them when they see signs of movement nearby.

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Greenhouses make it possible to garden year-round, irrespective of the seasons. Those identical greenhouse walls that erect a barrier to keep cold weather outside additionally create an environment that keeps pests inside. Properly identifying these pests is an important step in managing them and protecting your own plants. Incorrect identification may worsen the problem by inserting unnecessary costs and unnecessary work if you choose the incorrect treatment.

Pest Detection

Greenhouse pest problems that go undetected are difficult to control. A regular monitoring program to enroll for undesirable insects is critical to successful pest management. Mount yellow sticky cards through your waterfront capture flying pests, like whiteflies and fungus gnats. The University of Connecticut recommends putting one to four sticky cards for every 1,000 feet of greenhouse space. For plants that tend toward thrips infestation, like herbs, blue sticky cards bring more pests. Press potato slices into plant growing networking to pull fungus gnat larvae. Check the traps weekly to determine whether pest populations require treatment.

Pest Identification

Greenhouse pests change their appearance as they progress through a series of life stages. Some immature stages, like larvae, nymphs and instars, don’t resemble their more-recognizable adult types. Ladybug larvae, which resemble tiny alligators, look to the untrained eye like plant whales when, in fact, they mature into valuable adults that feed harmful aphids. Different pesticides are only successful on specific life stages so that it’s important to identify not only which pest you have, but also which stage. Otherwise, you’ll spend some time and money needlessly and control pests inadequately.

Winged Pests

Adult phases of several pests move through a greenhouse by flying. Whiteflies, specifically the greenhouse and silverleaf types, are persistent and insidious visitors in enclosed greenhouses. Whiteflies feed plant cell sap and reproduce rapidly, with populations escalating rapidly to infestations. Fungus gnats also fly, but they do not hurt plants as their root-eating larvae do. Gnats are attracted to moist, humid conditions that are typical in greenhouses. Against yellow sticky cards, both of these pests appear in stark contrast to each other, with whiteflies, as their name suggests, coloured white, and fungus gnats seeming brown.

Crawling Pests

Many greenhouse pests are hard to find because they’re tiny crawlers. Aphids and mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that pierce plant tissue and siphon sap. Aphids often focuses on stems and leaf axils, which is where leaves meet stems. Mealybugs are distinguished by their white, cottony bodies that leap to nearby plants if disturbed. Spider mites are arachnids that look like dots moving across plant surfaces. They spin webs as defense against predators and not as snares to catch prey. Like aphids and mealybugs, spider mites feed on plant tissue and leave pinpoints of yellow stippling at each puncture wound. You’ll often detect their webbing before you see them.

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You can find some of the most quaint, interesting and artsy decor in your own backyard; use any type of twigs, from driftwood into willow into fruit-tree divisions, as pastoral and completely free window treatments or even decorative curtain hardware. Choose a window-decorating job that appeals to you personally. Make it a family affair; round up a collection of curvy, straight or twisty twigs in lengths that fit your window to your planned project. Using branches in the window may not provide you with the light or privacy control of drapes, but it will give you a custom made touch and countrified space.

Drill a hole through the thick end or inventory of enough twigs to spread vertically across your window. The divisions should be almost as long as the window’s height. Insert a 6-inch-long ribbon through each hole. Tie the ribbons to a pole-style curtain pole mounted over the window on which to hang the branches upside down. Use red-velvet ribbon for a festive, Christmas touch or ribbon that is a complementary colour to your room’s decor for everyday usage. Instead of decoration, utilize torn strips of cotton, such as that from an old pillowcase or sheet for a more rustic vibe.

Buy or make a planter box that is approximately 1 inch shorter and 1 inch narrower than the length of the window ledge. Cut dense foam — such as that used to fill planters and add silk stems, and available from craft shops — to fill out the planter almost to the top. Insert the branches to the foam to create a faux forest as a grille-style window therapy. Tuck craft moss between the twigs to conceal the foam. Set the planter on the window ledge.

Attach a branch to each side of the window to use as tie-backs for standard curtain stuff, using wood screws which are long enough to experience the twigs and 1.5 inches to the wall. Search for two short yet stocky twigs with a division which turns back as a hook on which to capture the drapes. Snap off excess branches to make the twig-tie-backs lie flat against the wall, if needed.

Expand a decorative L-bracket plant hanger or Y-shaped branch 1 foot out from every side over the window as a holder or curtain-rod hardware. Lay a sturdy branch across the holder as a curtain pole. Tie strips of fabric, strings of beads, twigs or any other lightweight fabric to the branch to complete the country-charm curtain.

Twist parts of cable around branches to link them together and form a curtain topper. Maintain the branch stocks toward middle and mix enough twigs for appealing fullness. Intertwine the branches with dried flowers, broad ribbon or Christmas lights for added appeal. Attach the topper to the wall over a window, then using eye hooks and wire.

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Central air ducts are often routed through unconditioned zones in the house, like the attic or crawl space. Serious temperatures in these regions contribute to thermal reduction in metal ductwork. A metallic duct conveying cool, conditioned air through a broiling attic in summer or warm air through a cold crawl area in winter may lose a substantial sum of temperature. These losses can be reduced by insulating metal ductwork with wrap-around insulation.

Purchase duct wrap insulation which complies with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) criteria that define an R-value of 8 for attic ducts and 6 for ducts found anywhere else.

Inspect the period of ductwork to be insulated. Search for signs of air escapes at joints or seams, like streams of dust radiating in a leak. Seal escapes with mastic duct sealant. Verify that duct sections are permanently fastened together at joints. If they aren’t, use sheet metal screws to automatically fasten them, then tape the joints using metal-backed duct sealing tape.

Assess the duct to be insulated. Consult manufacturer’s recommendations for the right size of insulation to adequately enclose the duct perimeter without compressing the insulation and degrading its heat-resisting properties.

Cut insulation to size using a razor blade knife. Trim 2 inches of insulation from the backing on all sides, leaving a flap of financing that will overlap for taping.

Wrap the insulation around the duct using the vapor barrier backing facing out.

Clip the overlapping financing together with duct insulation speed clips in 18-inch periods.

Seal the overlap seam using commercially available pressure sensitive duct insulation tape.

Butt each adjacent section of insulating material up against the previous section, overlapping the backing. Tape the connection between sections to seal them and form a smooth, continuous section of insulation enclosing the whole period of ductwork.

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In partnership with all and Pantone – view the digital Honeysuckle ideabook to acquire merchandise and vendor details whether you’re attending Las Vegas Market or participating from home.

Larry Hanna

Harness the tags for information:

-Mary McDonald Pythagoras pendent from Robert Abbey

-Classic Portfolio pedestal dining table, ladderback armchair and dining chairs, and sideboard from Stanley Furniture

-Pillows from Villa Home Collection

Larry Hanna

Larry Hanna

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The large leaves on most forms of banana plants are a deep emerald green when healthy, but ecological conditions and diseases might turn leaves yellow. Although problems brought on by dirt and weather are often easily remedied, infections are much more difficult to deal with. With appropriate maintenance, banana leaves may remain healthy, and banana plants may thrive up to 25 years in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11.

Growing Requirements

Banana plants can tolerate many different soil types, such as poor soils, however soils that have too much saline or too little potassium may cause yellowed leaf margins or orange-yellow-colored leaves. Both flooding and drought can also create yellowing leaves, as can prolonged periods of temperatures below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Soil alterations like gypsum or farmyard manure, also known as FYM, can help treat saline and potassium problems. At flood-prone areas, plant bananas on a raised bed at least 3 feet higher than the surface to limit possible damage.

Cordana Leaf Spot

Cordana leaf spot (Cordana musae) is quite common on banana plants in humid conditions or at wounded and weakened tissue. Symptoms on leaves incorporate large, oval lesions that are brown in the center, with yellow halos round the borders. Even though the disease could be controlled with fungicides, it rarely causes severe damage to plants.

Panama Disease

Also known as banana wilt, Panama disease is caused by a fungus in the Fusarium oxysporum familymembers. The first visible signs of Panama disease are a yellowing or splitting on the oldest leaves, followed by leaf wilt and ripped. Since plants found in soils having a low pH makes may be more vulnerable to Panama disease, correcting dirt to make it less acidic and more alkaline may help prevent the problem. Chemical treatment of affected plants is often ineffective, although methyl bromide, carbendazim, potassium phosphonate and heat-treating soil might help.

Bunchy Top

Bunchy top, or BBTV, is a viral disease transmitted by aphid insects and also is among the most lethal diseases of the banana plant. New leaves on infected plants are wavy, narrower than standard and have yellow margins. There is no cure for the illness when it takes hold, conserve removing and destroying infected banana plants and killing bugs using insecticidal soaps to prevent aphids from infecting plants. Eliminate the entire infected banana plant, such as digging the primary corm and roots, and dispose of this plant through burning, or allow it to rot in a black plastic bag.

Yellow Sigatoka

Yellow sigatoka, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella musicola, is often present when warm temperatures, higher humidity and regular rainfall are found. Symptoms start as little yellowish-green spots that develop to yellow streaks which might have brown or rusty red centres. Even though the disease doesn’t kill the plant, it also may affect the size and quality of fruit. Treatment involves an proper fungicide and removal of diseased leaves.

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Produce a crazy quilt table runner by using foundation piecing techniques and your sewing machine. This technique covers a base fabric, or foundation fabric, with smaller pieces of fabric to produce the layout. Join your crazy blocks into the length you will need for your own runner; then insert a border. This job is a fantastic way to utilize the decorative embroidery stitches on your machine as well as a chance to use up fabric scraps and bits of ribbon and trim. Use cotton cloths and cotton if hot dishes may be set on the runner; synthetics can melt down.

Foundation Blocks

Measure and mark the muslin foundation fabric and then cut it to evenly sized squares, with one square each crazy block. Add a 1/4-inch seam allowance on all sides for connecting the blocks. A 12 1/2-inch square ends into your 12-inch block. Figure the size of the blocks in line with the width of the finished table runner, allowing to get a border strip of fabric on all sides. A border is optional, but it will help stabilize the mad blocks and makes a smooth edge on the speaker.

Pin the first scrap of fabric right-side-up anywhere on the foundation fabric.

Pin the following scrap of fabric wrong-side up over the first scrap with one edge of each scrap aligned so that you can sew a straight seam over both edges. Sew 1/4 inch from the aligned edges through both fabric scrap bits and the foundation fabric square utilizing standard thread and a universal machine needle, about size 12.

Trim only the seam allowances to your smooth 1/4-inch edge. Flip the top bit of fabric and smooth it open, flattening the flux line with your fingers. Press the flux line apartment.

Put another scrap of fabric wrong-side-up within an edge produced by the first 2 bits. Stitch a seam through all layers, trim; then press and flip. Continue in the sew-flip-press way until the entire item of foundation fabric is covered with crazy-pieced cloths. Make as many blocks as you want to accomplish the length you would like for the runner.

Assemble Runner

Trim any excess fabric overhang from the edges of the foundation squares. Each foundation square measurement ought to be the block size you planned.

Pin together the advantages of 2 crazy blocks, with the right-sides facing. Machine stitch a 1/4-inch seam to join the blocks. Pin another block to the finish, right-sides facing, and sew it in place. Continue until all the blocks are joined in a row.

Press the seams open or to one side in line with the depth and “lumpiness” of their crazy-pieced blocks.

Measure and trim cotton batting and the backing fabric the size of this row of blocks, allowing additional for the border areas. Cut the batting and backing fabric oversize and trim them later to the exact size.

Spread the insulation material face-down on the job table ; then layer the batting over it. Center the row of mad blocks over the batting layer using the right-side of the blocks facing upwards. Pin together all the layers along seams and edges. Alternatively, you may hand-baste the layers together.

Embellish and Complete

Select a decorative machine stitch. Insert the correct needle to the thread kind and stitch choice, and thread your sewing machine using decorative thread. Beginning in the middle of a middle crazy block, sew decorative stitches along each seam line in the crazy block, working from the center toward the edges. Vary the ornamental stitches and the thread color randomly, or utilize a single stitch like a feather stitch all seam lines. Embroider through all thicknesses. The embroidery stitches fasten the layers together and create a layout on the back of the speaker.

Measure and cut fabric strips to the border: 2 strips to fit the ends of the row, and 2 long strips the length of the row in addition to the finish borders. Pin an end border strip over the block at each end using the block edge and border edge even, right-sides facing.

Sew the border ends in position through all thicknesses using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. The extra batting and backing should go past the border seam. Flip the strip to ensure that the right-side faces upward, and press the seam flat. Apply the very long border strips in exactly the same way; flip open the strip seams, and then press.

Trim excess batting and backing fabric and square up the corners, if needed. To enclose the raw edges, pin double-fold quilt binding around the edges of the runner and sew it in place.

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With fantastic conversation pieces and tasty food, mealtimes together with family and friends in the dining room must be a memorable experience. Insert an unexpected design spin, and every meal is that a lot more unique. Read on to see how you can freshen up your dining room with intriguing seating, a statement piece, a new ceiling, a bit of black, novels and more.

1. Double up. Stimulate your vision by installing two pendants over your dining room table. Go a step farther and place coordinating — but maybe not matching — host and hostess chairs.

Willman Interiors / Gina Willman

2. Record piece. Permit your room to be the background for an oversize, gorgeous chandelier. Nothing says “wow” such as crystal.

Atmosphere Interior Design Inc..

3. Black beauty. Lay dark, modern furniture and draperies facing a dark wall covering on your dining room for unspoken elegance. Do not be scared of the dark.

A. Rejeanne Interiors

4. All eyes up. Transform your dining room ceiling into a work of painted and textured artwork. It is a masterful approach to bring attention all the way to the very best.

Willman Interiors / Gina Willman

5. The wall of wine. Stack all your favorite wines directly up the wall of your dining room instead of using paint or a wall covering. They create for a certain star attraction.

Michael Abrams Limited

6. Mirror magic. Put an oversize freestanding or wall-mounted mirror onto the focal wall of your dining room for maximum effect. This is especially great for a little dining space, as the space will instantly double in size.

Faiella Design

7. Get all chalked up. Entertain guests with menus or daily inspirational quotes for your family — directly about the walls. Cleanup is simple, and it’s a fun way to have a different look daily. Now that’s cool.

Michael Fullen Design Group

8. Dining with the authors. This little dining room combined with wall-to-wall shelving for books is both a library and a dining room. What a novel idea for people who love to be surrounded by books.

FORMA Design

9. On the seat. Forgo the traditional fitting dining room chairs and opt for a seat on one side of this dining table. It is a terrific way to create your own statement and even cozier for fun.

Habachy Designs

10. Give the red carpet treatment. This oversize rug in ruby red makes quite a statement. Design your entire dining space in a monochromatic colour and create the focal point that the area rug.

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San Marzanos (Solanum esculentum) are somewhat favorite canning tomato variety due to their great-tasting fruit, easy-to-remove skin, few seeds, along with higher proportion of honey. San Marzano tomato crops have traditionally been developed by Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy, but this really flavorful tomato is now available to home gardeners in the United States. Learning about its growing requirements, plant care and disease management is the initial step in creating delicious, vitamin-rich fruit.

Description

Paste tomatoes like the San Marzano variety have a dry meaty flesh with small seed cavities. San Marzano tomato crops create deep red, crack-resistant fruit, typically about 3 ounces and 3 to 4 inches long. Initial Italian San Marzano tomatoes are box-shaped with a pointy end, whereas some hybrid varieties produce fruit that is more cylindrical. San Marzano plant height generally ranges between 2 and 4 feet, with green medium-sized leaves and yellow or white flowers.

Growing Requirements

Healthy San Marzano tomatoes require full sun, a minimum of 6 hours of direct constant sunlight a day. San Marzano plants are tolerant of most soil conditions but grow best in moist soil with a pH range between 5.5 and 7. Most tomato varieties grow best in dry hotter climates, however, San Marzano tomato plants also grow well in cool and foggy locations. This tomato cultivar is a indeterminate, or vining tomato variety that may continue to flower and produce fruit during the growing season. The time from planting to harvest these tomatoes is about 78 days. San Marzano plants are open-pollinated, so seeds will create exactly the exact same plant and fruit quality year after year.

Plant Care

Given their vining temperament, San Marzano tomato crops may require some kind of staking or cages, providing support for fruit-laden branches. Moreover, for healthy fruit growth and growth, fertilizer boosts may be required during the growing season. Water-soluble fertilizers provide quick-releasing nutrients and are generally applied biweekly, although individual product directions may vary. Temperature-controlled fertilizers release nutrients more slowly and are generally added to dirt only once throughout the growing season. If utilizing an organic product, such as a fish emulsion fertilizers, implement as instructed on product labels.

Diseases

San Marzano tomato crops have historically been sensitive to infection, and in the 1970s that they have been nearly wiped out by the cucumber mosaic virus at the Naples area. Today hybrid varieties provide some level of immunity to common diseases like verticillium and fusarium wilt. These fungal wilt diseases are observed in plant debris or dirt and are exacerbated by cool moist weather. Applying too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer can further worsen the issue. Leaf spot is another disease that plagues San Marzano tomato crops. Caused by a fungal or bacterial disease, leaf spot causes brownish or black spots on leaves. Blight could be a devastating disease to San Marzano plants, resulting in rapid deterioration, spotting and wilting of foliage. The San Marzano variety, however, has shown some tolerance to late blight.

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Mold is not only unsightly, it is dangerous, and some people are allergic to virtually all varieties. And a few species of black mold are toxic for everyone. Remediation is simpler when the mold is growing on a non-porous surface, such as tile, when it is growing on a porous one, such as drywall. In both cases, though, you need to kill the mold, and bleaching it is not always the best means to do this.

Bleach Does Not Kill Mold

Health authorities recommend bleach for killing mold, but it doesn’t do this, says D. Douglas Hoffman of the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors. The main ingredient in bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is an oxidizer. It removes discoloration, giving you the belief that the mold is gone, but it doesn’t destroy the spores, meaning that the mold can grow back. Bleach does sanitize by killing a host of damaging germs, and it temporarily rids your walls of mold, but utilizing it means breathing toxic fumes, which is not required when effective alternatives are available.

Vinegar and Borax Are Safer

Two typical household items can do exactly the same task as bleach with less potential for adverse health effects are borax and vinegar. Borax is a mineral generally considered secure unless ingested, and vinegar is completely safe. Vinegar does have an unpleasant odor, however, the odor spreads fast. You can make use of these cleaners separately; mix a cup of borax using a gallon of water and spray it on the mold, followed by a spray program of full-strength vinegar. You can also produce a one-step spray solution by mixing 2 tablespoons of borax in a 1/4 cup of vinegar and adding 2 cups of warm water.

Dealing With Mold-Infested Drywall

Removing mold from tile as well as other non-porous surfaces is a simple procedure, but it can be trickier to eliminate it from porous materials, such as drywall. Mold tends to harden drywall, and once that happens, the only way to make sure that you’re rid of it would be to replace the affected drywall. When you eliminate the old drywall, spray the vinegar/borax solution on the framing; the combination sanitizes, and as soon as the vinegar evaporates, a thin film of borax remains that guards against further mold growth. A bleach/water solution also sanitizes, but since bleach evaporates, you must paint the framing to prevent further growth.

Preventing Mold Growth

Mold needs water to live, so that the best way to keep it from growing is to remove all sources of moisture. When it’s growing because of a leak, stop the leak and allow the wall dry out before treating the mold. Similarly, if the condensation and humidity are to blame, address these problems first. In the restroom and other places where humidity control is impossible or impractical, spraying the walls frequently with vinegar is one way to prevent mold from growing. Let the vinegar on the wall; then rinse and wipe with clear water.

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