Month: December 2022

December 29, 2022 Tropical Style

How to Propagate Campanula

Like low-maintenance, helpful house-guests having a sense of humor, Campanulas never lose their welcome, that is lucky since this perennial moves straight in and remains for years. Campanula species, commonly called bellflowers, create a low flow of foliage and flowers which can bloom from early spring through autumn. Some, like Campanula poscharskyana “Blue Waterfall”, have starry flowers in lavender-blue. They supply spreading, undemanding ground cover in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, and stay evergreen in the milder climates. Grow these friendly plants from seed, starting in early spring.

Prepare a garden bed for the bellflower seeds in the fall. Work the soil to 8 inches, mixing in many inches of organic compost. Bellflowers grow in normal, clay or sandy soil, in acid, neutral or alkaline soil, in full sun or partial sunlight. Assess your seed package for any special conditions for the species you select.

Fill trays or containers with a frequent soil mix in the springtime. Surface sow the tiny bellflower seeds by scattering them over the soil. Moisten the soil by spraying for the first few weeks to avoid washing away the seeds. Keep the seed trays in a cold frame in a mild climate, indoors in colder areas. Irrigate often to keep the soil moist. Slim following germination to leave at least 1 inch between atom.

Transplant the seedlings to the permanent garden bed after the last frost, ideally in April. Each plant should be at least two inches tall. Use a trowel to dig holes that give the bellflowers’ roots lots of room to expand. Place seedlings a bit high so the crowns are slightly above the soil level to permit for settling. Press the soil gently around the plant roots. Water well after planting and many times a week for the initial month.

Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch in late May. Use an organic mulch like chopped leaves. Water the young plants infrequently but deeply after the root system is established and new growth starts. Fertilize twice a month using a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 throughout the growing season. After the first time, fertilize once a year, four months before flowering, should you wish a low-maintenance garden.

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December 23, 2022 Gardening and Landscaping

The way to Install Paving Stones in Front Yards

Pavers are an attractive approach to create patios, driveways and walkways which match your house, landscaping and private taste. Although the practice is exactly the same no matter where you lay them, then it is especially important that pavers installed at the front yard be level with the departing sidewalks and driveways. This makes the job look more professional and also guarantees your guests won’t trip when moving between driveways and walkways. Besides this extra emphasis on maintaining the pavers degree, there are no difference between putting pavers in the front yard rather than the backyard.

Outline the area to be paved, placing bets along the border of the undertaking and tying string to them. If your front lawn paver project abuts a public sidewalk or street, make sure the string and bets you use are highly visible to avoid creating a tripping hazard or other risk for passersby and keep all tools and materials securely in your own property.

Excavate the region inside the chain and 12 inches past to make a bed for the pavers and paver restraint. Dig an area deep enough to accommodate the height of the paves plus the gravel foundation you will install underneath them; this foundation should be 4 to 6 inches deep on walkways and 7 to 9 inches deep beneath pavers what you want to drive or park.

Compact and degree the exposed dirt with a plate compactor. Use a massive level or straight 2-by-4 to ensure the entire excavated area is level, adding or removing and re-compacting the soil as required. Slant the finished layer of dirt slightly away from your home and toward the area’s natural drainage point, sloping the region at a speed of three-sixteenths of an inch. In front yards, the street is often the natural drainage point, directing water into the local storm drains.

Fill the excavated area with crushed stone or gravel. Compact and amount the stone till you can walk on it without leaving any indentation. Maintain the slope through this process so you’ve got proper drainage when the job is complete. Keep adding and compacting gravel till it is high enough that adding the thickness of your pavers plus one inch of sand will make the excavated area flush with the surrounding ground.

Put the paver restraints along the edge of the excavated area from the 12-inch distance outside the string, securing them together with 12 inch spikes. Front lawn installations often consist of curved walkways as opposed to straight edges, so buy a flexible restraint material or cut stiff material into sections to function as curves and bends.

Distribute a 1 inch layer of coarse bedding sand over the gravel. Run a screed board across the sand to ensure the surface is level and flat. Avoid walking or wetting the smoothed sand.

Lay the pavers on top of the sand in whatever pattern you have selected, starting in a corner and then working your way out. If you picked stone pavers which were left at irregular shapes, then you’ll need to piece them together to fill the space just like a jigsaw puzzle. Pavers which are cut to the same size can just be lined up against one another, leaving about one-eighth of an inch of distance between them.

Spread polymeric sand over the pavers and sweep it into the joints between them. Set the plate compactor to vibrate and run it on the pavers. If needed, add more sand and repeat this process, making certain all of the paver joints are completely full of sand. Blow or sweep away any excess sand.

Spray the pavers and sand with a water mist, starting at the maximum point and working your way down the small drainage slope you created earlier from the project. Be certain all of the polymeric sand is thoroughly wet. Wait 15 minutes and mist the pavers again.

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December 21, 2022 Fireplaces

Fungus Gnats in a Greenhouse

Fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae families) are unwelcome greenhouse visitors. Although gnats look like tiny mosquitoes, they do not bite or snack. Adult gnats are harmless, but their presence indicates the certainty of unseen seams that attack roots and compromise plant health. Although enclosed greenhouse environments pose challenges to controlling fungus gnats, early detection permits you to act swiftly before initial populations cause infestations.

Detection

Adult fungus gnats fly across potting soil that is high in organic matter, like peat moss, which can be a main part in many greenhouse soilless mixtures. You’re able to detect their presence almost immediately by mounting yellow sticky cards through your own greenhouse, which pull and trap gnats. The University of Connecticut proposes using one to four traps per 1,000 feet, put in a grid pattern, with extra cards attached near doors and ports. Potato slices pressed to potting mixtures around plants pull fungus gnat larvae. Checking the pieces weekly is a simple early-detection system.

Damage

Adult fungus gnats are irritation insects to people, but they do not damage plants. Female gnats lay eggs in potting soil that hatch into maggots, which are larval life stages of the insect. Larvae eat fungi, mulch and plant origins. The University of California warns that fungus gnat larvae can lead to serious damage in greenhouses. Since they feed on roots, they destroy a plant’s nutrient transfer system, which causes stunted growth, yellow leaves and, in serious cases, plant death.

Treatment

The most effective control is also the easiest. Fungus gnat larvae cannot reside in the absence of moisture. If you allow plant press to dry before watering again, larvae will perish. Pyrethroid-based insecticides kill adults but have no impact on larvae. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Israelensis (Bti) is a microbial insecticide that is applied to soil media as a drench. It is frequently tough to find in retail shops, but an option is imidacloprid, which is a systemic insecticide that is also applied to soil to control fungus gnat larvae.

Prevention

Preventing fungus gnats from populating your greenhouse is the best line of defense. All nursery pots, plug ins and seed flats ought to hold well-draining potting mixtures. If your irrigation or mist process is on a timer, make certain that it’s set properly so that you don’t over-water plants. Filling containers with pasteurized soil mixes and compost prevents the introduction of infested media to your greenhouse. Properly screened windows and ports disallow fungus gnats from coming inside.

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December 18, 2022 Eclectic Homes

The way to Replace a Sensor at a Yard Light

Using lawn lights which have solar technologies lets you position fixtures in just about any location since you do not have to be worried about electric wiring connections. Each of these lights is automatically illuminated by its inner photocell; this detector detects ambient light and turns the fixture on when nighttime arrives. The light’s electronics, however, fail periodically. Subsequently, the lawn light won’t illuminate at the correct time or may flicker erratically. Replacing the detector typically requires using basic, hand-operated tools to protect against an expensive repair phone from a specialist.

Turn the light head on the mounting bet by hand. Pull the light head from the mounting bet. Place the light head to a work surface. Depending on the light maker’s design, the light head may be threaded to the mounting bet or simply locked on by a grooved connector.

Locate the screws which hold the light head’s top and bottom assemblies with them. The screws are on the mild head’s bottom, which offers protection from rain.

Detach the screws from the light head by using a screwdriver. Consult with the lighting’s owner’s manual for the particular screw types used, if needed, to determine the kind of screwdriver to use; coats differ among light designs.

Pull the light head’s top and bottom housings apart carefully by hand. Lay each casing on the work surface.

Locate the photocell detector on the top casing. Typically it is near the solar panel so it is subjected to ambient light. Remove the screws holding the photocell detector to the casing by using a screwdriver.

Adhere to the sensor’s wiring to its connection point visually. Pull the sensor’s wire connector from the attachment point on the casing by hand. Eliminate the entire detector from the lawn light.

Position a brand new sensor at the upper housing. Reconnect the sensor’s wire connector to the housing’s attachment point. Reattach the screws to the sensor’s mounting holes with a screwdriver.

Press the top and bottom housings back with them. Visually inspect the connection point to verify that no wires are pinched between the housings.

Reattach the housing’s screws with a screwdriver.

Secure the light head back to the mounting bet. Permit the lawn light to remain idle during daylight hours.

Observe the lawn light when dusk arrives. Verify that the light illuminates when nighttime begins. If it doesn’t, repeat the procedure for replacing the detector.

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December 12, 2022 Eclectic Homes

How to Inspect a Refrigerator shipping

Large home appliances such as a refrigerator are often brought to the house by the store’s delivery service. The advantage of the typically optional service is that the store’s trained installers produce the refrigerator and ensure that it is installed correctly and running before you join for the unit. A thorough inspection of the refrigerator is necessary before signing the papers, because the store will not likely cover any discrepancies or problems not noted on the shipping documentation.

Clear a path from the kitchen to the front door to permit the installers to remove the old refrigerator (if needed) and put in the new one. You may want to brush or sweep behind the old refrigerator before the new one is put into position.

Inspect the packing in which the refrigerator was sent before the installers un-crate the unit. Note any damage to the box or packaging, as that damage may signal a delivery issue that might have caused damage to the refrigerator.

Locate the fridge’s serial and model numbers following the installers remove the outer packaging. Use a torch if you can’t see the numbers to read them obviously. Compare the numbers on the refrigerator to the figures on the bill of lading along with your receipt to ensure that you’re receiving the specific model that you ordered.

Examine the refrigerator inside and out, paying special attention to any places corresponding to hurt that you found on the outer packaging. Inspect carefully for any dents or scratches on both the inside and exterior of the refrigerator. Pull out the shelves and scrutinize each shelf, like examining the bracket to ensure that it is protected. Remove and re-insert every drawer and sliding shelf, checking for a smooth performance of the glides. Report any issues discovered to the installers and have them list your concerns on the paperwork. If you find no damage, allow the installers to proceed with the installation.

Open the refrigerator and freezer doors once the unit is set up and then check to see that the compressor is operating, that the doorway lights come on and also that the doors are with the frame of the refrigerator. Inspect the perimeter seals of the refrigerator and freezer to see that the seals shut tightly without any gaps that could allow cold air to escape.

Examine the refrigerator and freezer five minutes following the installation to see that the unit is heat before accepting the delivery.

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December 7, 2022 Fireplaces

Bug Spray for Fig Trees

You can buy pesticide sprays for the two insects that many commonly mist fig trees, the driedfruit beetle and spider mites, and also the damaging earwig. In other cases you are able to control insects by spraying insects with horticultural oil or by introducing predatory insects, which you can purchase from garden supply centres.

Spray for Driedfruit Beetle

The driedfruit beetle (Caarpophilus hemipilus hemipterus), also referred to as the sap beetle, and several related species including the Freeman sap beetle (C. freeman) along with the confounded sap beetle (C. mutilates) commonly infest fig trees. These small brown or black beetles, from 1/10 into 1/5 inch long, sometimes have spots on their wings. They spoil the looks of figs, cause them to sour and make them appealing to other insects. The University of California’s Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program recommends putting bait traps in the region before the figs begin to ripen. After the trap count begins to drop, spray the trees with insecticide containing malathion at a solution of water and sugar in the rates specified by the manufacturer. Do not re-enter the place for 12 hours without protective clothing and do not harvest the figs for three days.

Sprays for Spider Mites

Meanwhile, the Pacific spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus) as well as the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), both of which have yellow-green bodies with dark spots, suck the bottom of fig leaves, causing them to turn brown and drop. Commercially available insect predators including predaceous mites (Metaseilulus spp) and also sixpotted thrips (Scolothrips sexmaculatus) feed heavily on spider mites and might kill them all in a fig orchard. To smother the mites, spray fig trees with horticultural narrow-range oil combined with a pesticide containing the active ingredient bifenazate on trees that are not bearing figs. If you spray the trees with bifenazate you should not consume figs growing on these trees for one year.

Sprays for European Earwigs

The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) poses less danger to fig trees, but it might feed on the fruit. To control infestations, spray on the earwig with insecticides containing spinosad. It’s unlikely you will need stronger insecticides to control earwigs on figs, but if you do, then UC IPM recommends you spray them with insecticides containing carbaryl applied in accordance with manufacturer’s directions.

Insects Requiring Biological Control

The cream-colored larvae of the Navy worm (Prionoxystus robiniae) burrow under the bark of fig trees can encircle and kill fig tree limbs (See Reference 2). It is possible to recognize the 2-inch-long grubs from the sawdust and sap they excrete on the surface of the bark. There aren’t any pesticide sprays to combat carpenter worm larvae. You can control them with commercial formulas of the parasitic nematode, Steinernema feltiae, implemented in accordance with the provider’s instructions.

Insects without a Substance or Biological Control

There is absolutely no chemical or chemical control for the oval-shaped darkling ground beetle (Blapstinus fuliginosus) that feeds on figs. The dreary black beetle is all about 1/4 inch long, and its larvae feed on decaying organic matter on and in the dirt surrounding fig trees. Keep the ground clean beneath your trees and harvest the figs instantly.

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December 4, 2022 Eclectic Homes

The best way to Anchor a Curio Cabinet

Curio cabinets let you show your collectibles and mementos behind the safety of glass doors. If you have little budding mountain climbers or reside in a place susceptible to earthquakes, however, you want an extra layer of security to keep your precious things — and your loved ones — protected out of a toppling curio cabinet.

L-Brackets

Go the curio cabinet away from the wall and then locate the studs behind it. Use a stud finder or rap on the wall and then listen for the gap between the hollow and solid places.

Attach the lengthy portion of a metallic L-bracket to the peak of your curio cabinet by drilling a hole and using wood screws to secure it.

Attach the brief end of the L-bracket to your fireplace. Attach at least 2 L-brackets to the curio cabinet to ensure that it will remain securely anchored.

Earthquake Straps

Attach the grommet aspect of earthquake straps to wall studs behind your curio cabinet, using a drill and wood screws.

Peel off the backing on the adhesive strips that come with the earthquake strap kit.

Line up the rear of the curio cabinet using the grommet straps. Attach the adhesive strips to the curio cabinet. This procedure allows greater flexibility in case your curio cabinet has crown molding or other decorative touches that will make L-brackets unworkable.

Attach the hook-and-loop adhesive straps to your grommet straps.

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