How to Clean Finished Wood Floor With Murphy Oil

Murphy Oil Soap, that comprises 98 percent organic ingredients, which is formulated to wash finished wood surfaces, including wood floors, with no rinsing required. If you’re unsure whether your floor is finished, test an inconspicuous area by wiping it with a moist cloth. If the wood does not absorb water and appears the exact same wet as it did dry, then it’s finished with a water-resistant sealer like polyurethane, which makes it safe to wash with oil soap.

Murphy Oil Soap Instructions

Insert 1/4 cup of this oil soap to a gallon of warm water in a bucket, and use a mop or sponge mop to whirl the water around to mix it. If the ground is extremely messy, raise the oil soap, then up to 1/2 cup per gallon. Dip the mop into the soapy water, wring out excess water, and then mop the floor, allowing it to dry completely before walking on it. The soap does not leave residue behind, therefore it requires no rinsing. Keep water to a minimum when cleaning hardwood floors; any water left standing on the ground could stain the end or even seep between the planks and warp the wood. Murphy Oil Soap might also be utilized to remove marks left from crayons, pens, shoes, shoe polish or even pet accidents. Apply a dab of this oil soap to a warm, moist cloth and rub on the affected area from the outer edges inwards to remove the offending material.

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Will Deer Eat Lilies & Hostas?

Deer will eat just about any plant that is available to them, but they really do prefer some types of foliage over others. Both hostas (Hosta spp.) and lilies (Lilium spp.) Are bull favorites, and often damaged by their grazing habits. If you enjoy having these plants and their blooms in your garden, you are going to have to protect them with fencing to deter deer from snacking on them.

Shade-loving Hostas

You’ll find hostas in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, based upon the species. These herbaceous perennials have been known for their leaves, which come in a variety of colors, and showy, lily-like flowers. Hostas are used as ground cover or as an addition to boundaries. They grow well in rich soil and prosper in partial to full shade. Hostas with leaves need color than their counterparts that are yellow or green. With the exclusion of snails and slugs, hostas are free of pests, which makes them easy to watch over and plant plants.

Hostas: A Deer Buffet

While hostas are thought to be toxic to some animals, like dogs, cats and horses, they are not toxic to deer, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Deer love eating their large leaves, tender ones, especially the young. Hostas merely grow between 2 and 3 feet in height, so they are easy to protect with garden and fencing netting to deter deer. Install a few sprinklers close to the plants to harmlessly repel deer and keep your hostas moist and fine. You can even spray a little deer-repellent on the leaves of your hostas to dissuade them.

Colorful Lilies

Lilies of various species thrive in USDA zones 3 through 9, just like hostas, as these plants both used to be classified together from the Lily (Liliaceae) family. These bulbs grow best in full sun or shady locales and are known for their large, showy blossoms. Lilies can grow very tall, up to 8 feet based on the species of lily which you are dealing with. Lilies make excellent border plants and are deemed low-maintenance plants, although they can suffer with bulb corrosion, the mosaic virus — that is spread by aphids — botrytis and weak stems from growing from heavily-shaded or windy spots.

Lilies: A Smorgasbord for Deer

Like hostas, deer love munching according to the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. Plant them away from the fencing to discourage algae from nibbling on these tall plants and install fencing at least 8 feet in height to protect your lilies. Plant a few deer-resistant foliage, such as a few greenery with thorns, aromatic leaves or leaves with a tough, leathery feel, around your lilies, recommends the California Native Plant Society. Produce hedges around other exposed crops and your own forehead using foliage which deer don’t like to consume. Oleander (Nerium oleander), by way of instance, is resistant since it’s toxic and grows up to 8 feet tall. You’ll find oleander in USDA zones 8 through 10.

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What Does the Lithium Battery Do in a Rain Bird ESP-4M?

The Rain Bird ESP-4M is an lawn sprinkler system which consists of a handheld electronic master control, underground plastic pipe and controllable 24-voltoperated sprinkler heads linked by buried wiring to the master control. You can program the controller of the sprinkler system of watering with a program.

Lithium Backup

The Rain Bird ESP-4M controller unit features an integrated lithium backup battery which keeps your watering program, date and the time in the event the power to the device goes out for any reason. The non-replaceable lithium battery, which has a promised service life of 5 to ten years, provides the controller unit’s memory until electrical power is restored to maintain its contents with a trickle of power. Without the lithium battery backup, your watering application would vanish if the AC power collapsed and you would need to program the system.

Secondly Battery

The ESP-4M controller permits you take it to some other place to unmount the programming faceplate and input a watering program or modify the program. The faceplate is powered by its standard 9-volt battery that was replaceable. The watering program saved in the memory of the controller is automatically upgraded, when you remount the faceplate.

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How to: Step-By-Step Mushroom Grow Bag

Inoculating wooden logs using mushroom spores is an maintenance process that is growing, but availability of sufficient logs and limited space to keep them induce individuals to look for a different solution. Mushroom grow bags are a item that help grow huge quantities of mushrooms at a compact setting. So that air could be traded with all the mycelium, they are sterile plastic bags that have a filter interface. Grow bags could be sent waiting to be filled with substrate and climbing substrate already sealed inside the bag, or empty.

Put on a breathing mask and latex or nitrile gloves so that as the bags are handled by you, so they remain as clean as you can. Spray a disinfectant, like Lysol, into the atmosphere where you will work to disinfect the area. Wipe your gloves wash with alcohol wipes.

Open bags grow and fill with your substrate that is growing that is preferred. Without packaging too closely, Put the bags in a pressure cooker, so that the warmth is able to fully penetrate the medium that is growing, and heat for 3 hours.

Allow the closed pressure stove to cool to room temperature so that it could be safely handled.

Seal the bags upon opening the pressure cooker so that as little air can enter the medium and induce contamination.

Wait for the bags to cool for 12 hours, and place a piece of packing tape on the side of the bag.

Inject your mushroom spawn or liquid culture by pushing the needle through the packaging tape and straight into the substrate that is growing. If you would like to lower the time that it takes the mycelium to completely fill the substrate this may be done in several places.

Cover the injection hole to reseal the bag.

Move the mushroom grow bag to an area using fluorescent or indirect lighting. Research whether warmer or cooler temperatures are preferred by your particular mushroom species, and keep the bag within 4 degrees of the mushroom range.

Whether kept at warmer temperatures monitor the bag does not dry out. If the substrate does dry out, inject a small amount of water that is filtered using a syringe and reseal the hole with tape.

Harvest the mushrooms if they are. Mushrooms can be eaten at any stage, but always select them by the time they are fully mature or they will rot from the bag. Mushrooms are fully ripe when the cap is open along with the thin covering over the gills starts to rip. Depending upon the species of mushroom, it may take several weeks to begin fruiting.

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What's Cutting My Corn Off at the Ground?

Stalks of corn (Zea mays) severed near ground level through the night are a sign cutworms are on the job. These insects are caterpillars which feed on the stalks of other plants and corn. By migrating adults hatch in early spring when eggs laid during the fall or the cutworm’s life cycle starts. Cutworm eggs are found on low plants or on the floor. Till they develop into their adult form these insects will continue to feed on corn and other plants throughout the spring and in the summer.

Cutworm Habits

Cutworms are currently burrowing insects that emerge from the soil to feed at the night. Cutworms feed on a variety of plants but will aim tender such as corn seedlings. These pests chew through it, leaving the remainder of the plant onto the floor and wrap themselves around the stalk of this plant. There are currently rising species of cutworm which can climb corn stalks to feed on their foliage.

Cutworm Damage

Damaged or completely severed stems which are chewed at or just below ground level are a powerful indicator of cutworms. Following feeding on it these insects leave little holes in the soil around the base of the plant. Plants close to the border of gardens are attacked after eggs. Damage is spread after eggs laid by migrating hatch throughout the backyard. Feeding species, such as black cutworm, will move from plant to plant, leaving a plant every night ruined.

Identifying Cutworms

Cutworm eggs are round with a flattened top and dull white. These eggs have a feel and are laid placed at rows that are densely packed on the floor or plants. Cutworm larvae typically measure 1 to 2 1 3/4 inches and will curl in on themselves when disturbed. The cutworm includes a semi-transparent grey or light body body with irregularly spaced black dots. The variegated cutworm includes a darker, tan-colored body with a underbelly that’s speckled with white spots.

Controlling Cutworms

The ideal time to control cutworms is until they begin or hatch feeding. Tilling weeds in around the backyard in the end of this growing season in fall helps destroy eggs which would hatch the following season. Tilling again before planting time will help remove these pests. Ditches around the perimeter of a corn patch helps stop migrating cutworms .

Spraying Cutworms

Pesticides using the active ingredient carbaryl provide control over cutworms. Pesticide made from liquid carbaryl concentrate is best mixed in a speed of 1.5 oz per 1 gallon of water at a pump sprayer unless the tag specifies otherwise. add the carbaryl and shake the concentrate before opening the bottle and fill it. Apply in the night to the bases of the plants and the corn plants surrounding them. Always wear pants gloves and long sleeves when handling pesticides to prevent accidental contact. Spray through you’re spraying. Carbaryl is highly toxic to honeybees, avoid using it or blossoms when possible and don’t spray it onto corn in two weeks of harvesting it.

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Description of Sunspot Euonymus

Durability under harsh conditions, excellent shade tolerance and year-round shade make wintercreeper “Sunspot” (Euonymus fortunei “Sunspot”) a flexible border tree or compact climber in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. As with other wintercreepers, “Sunspot” has two major shortcomings: It’s potentially dangerous, and its colorful fall berries are poisonous to pets and people if eaten in large quantities.

Ornamental Features

Yellow-stemmed, shiny foliage variegated with irregular, dark green borders and bright yellow centres account for “Sunspot’s” usefulness as a shade-garden ornamental. Its green, late-summer berries split to show seeds covered in bright orange pulp. Birds and wildlife consume the pulp and then spread the undigested seeds to new places, where they may crowd out native vegetation. The tree’s modest, greenish-white flowers bloom from late spring to early summer.

Dimensions and Form

“Sunspot” is a curved, spreading cultivar, typically reaching 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide if it is fully grown. In numerous plantings, space them 4 to 6 feet apart. The tree’s main stems produce tendrils that allow it to climb nearby trees, shrubs or structures.

Growing Conditions

“Sunspot’s” variegation is most powerful in part sun to part shade, with from two to six hours of daily sun. In hot summer climates, it will better at the lower end of the range. A young plant in an exposed spot benefits from burlap wrapping to protect it from winter wind. Once established, “Sunspot” tolerates cold down to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant it in any soil but a consistently wet one.

Basic Care Tips

“Sunspot” prefers moist soil and takes deep weekly watering during dry spells. Spreading a 2-inch layer of ground bark mulch out of its own drip line to over 6 inches of its base preserves dirt. Working a 1-inch layer of organic compost and to the top 6 to 8 inches of soil before planting helps it be establish. Replenishing the compost each spring and concurrently spreading 4-3-4 organic wide leaf evergreen fertilizer around the drip line retains it vigorous. A “Sunspot” less than 3 feet broad gets 1 cup of fertilizer for each 1 foot of height, while bigger plants get 2 cups for each 1 foot of height.

Pruning Requirements

For the tidiest kind and most vibrant shade, “Sunspot” needs trimming in early spring. Pruning the berries until the birds get them lessens its invasiveness. Any shoots that revert to strong green ought to be pruned once they look. Pruning tools wiped down between cuts with a cloth dipped in a solution of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts alcohol are not as likely to spread infection.

Disease and Pests

Diseases seldom bother “Sunspot,” but euonymus scale insects do serious damage by feeding its sap off. The scale colonies look like white or grayish powder sprinkled along the stems or on the corners of their leaves. Even tiny numbers destroy its appearance, and a heavy infestation can make it lose its leaves or kill it. Scraping scales off or pruning badly infested branches helps, but the best control method is to saturate the dormant plants in winter or early spring with a pressurized spray of 10 tablespoons of olive oil each 1 gallon of water. Wearing safety goggles, a respiratory mask, waterproof gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, shoes and a hat and also adhering to the label’s instructions is vital when spraying. Keep children and pets out of the region when you’re using garden chemicals.

“Sunspot” Sports

“Sunspot” has created two widely grown organic mutations, or sports. “Blondy’s” (Euonymus fortunei “Blondy”) yellow-stemmed, yellow-centered leaves are edged in green. “Moonshadow’s” (Euonymus fortunei “Moonshadow”) deep-green leaf margins enclose bright-yellow centres which fade to white as they age, and it never reverts to solid green. Both sports grow in USDA zones 5 through 8.

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Companion Planting Basil & Chives

Both chives (Alium schoenoprasum) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) produce chemicals that help repel some garden insects, such as aphids. Basil grows as an annual herb, while chives grow as perennials at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Companion putting these herbs with vegetables susceptible to insect damage and ornamental plants can help reduce pest damage.

Beneficial Properties

Insects are repelled from the aromatic oils created by chives and basil. The smell of these herbs also confuses foraging insects, notes Cornell University’s extension, camouflaging the aroma of the plants that the insects wish to feed on. Blending chives and basil in using other plants or putting them as a border round insect-susceptible plants can provide some protection from pest insects.

Pairing Up

Chives and basils make good companions for any plant that’s similar growing requirements, but perennial chives perform better if planted in an area where they won’t be disturbed each year. Chives also produce attractive lavender flowers, in addition to the deep green, grassy edible foliage, so they can make a suitable companion to ornamental perennials, such as roses (Rosa spp.) , which develop in USDA zones 4 through 9 depending on the variety. Basil works well with other annual plants. Although the green foliage is attractive, the plant is not highly ornamental so it makes a good companion to summer vegetables, such as tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and peppers (Capsicum annuum).

Growing Chives

Chives do best in mattresses that drain well with moderately rich soil. Chives tolerate both complete, all-day sun and partial shade, and that means you can companion plant them under or about bushes and larger plants that will filter the sun reaching the chives. They also grow well in clumps interspersed with vegetables, annual flowers or perennial flowers, but distance them 10 to 12 inches apart so you do not disturb the chives when replacing another plants. The plants can reach up to 18 inches tall when in flower, so they may not work well with lower growing flowers or flowers. Chives can withstand moist soil, but wet, soggy soil will kill them. They function best with about 1 inch of water each week. The flowers readily self-seed after flowering, so trim off the flower heads after blossom should youn’t want more plants.

Basil Care

Basil grows in warm, frost-free weather in beds that get complete, all-day sun. The plants can grow up to two feet tall, so space them about 12 inches away from their companion plants to prevent overcrowding. Basil needs moist dirt, usually about 1 inch of water a week is sufficient to keep the top 6 inches of soil moist. After flowering, basil plants begin to fall and perish. Pinching off the tips of the plants often to prevent flower buds from forming can expand their productiveness, or you’ll be able to replace the plants as soon as they begin to flower.

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The Way to Stop the Sap From Ficus Clippings

The genus Ficus incorporates edible figs (Ficus carica) as well as many ornamentals such as the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) and weeping fig (Ficus benjamina). Ficus possess a milky sap which bleeds from wounds or reduce cells. Sap bleeding is a natural phenomenon that ceases with time and protects wounds from ailments. Edible figs are sturdy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 and also have invasive tendencies in certain places. The rubber tree and weeping fig are equally hardy in USDA zones 11 and 10b.

In rubbing alcohol or a solution of 1 part household bleach sharp pruning shears.

Put on gloves to protect your skin in the ficus sap.

Prune off a terminal branch of a ficus or rubber tree that is roughly 6 to 9 inches in length. Cut off the branch just above a leaf node. Do not worry about the bleeding out of the cut end of the branch that stays about the plant.

By pruning them off the branch cutting remove the foliage aside from the top a couple of leaves edge. This allows the cutting to place all its energy instead of developing leaves.

Put in a container full of water that is sufficient to cover this cutting’s wounded areas so the sap will dissolve into the water instead of hardening on the stem. Wait 30 minutes before removing the cutting. Shake off the excess water.

Coat this cutting’s puned finish with rooting hormone. Set the cutting in a rooting medium such as sand, moistened perlite or vermiculite. Be sure that the container includes bottom drain holes. Maintaining the soil moist.

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The Way to Use a Cobra Auger in a Washer Drain

A drain auger is known as a snake, and also this Cobra auger’s name is a play upon this fact. Three Cobra auger models can be found, Choose the premium version and drill attachment to quickly clean washer drains and your sink.

Organizing the Washer Drain

You might have to move the washer from the way; before you do this, unplug it to get the drain. A standpipe is emptied to by the drain hose, and you need to be able to simply pull it off. The drain is now ready to snake. Put on gloves and goggles before you begin.

Snaking the Drain

Unwind about a foot of cable and also feed the mind of the auger . Until you experience resistance, keep ingesting and unwinding it. At this point, lock the cable and crank the handle. If you’ve got the premium version, attach and operate the drill in a low rate to crank. When the auger has proceeded through the obstruction, then unlock the cable, feed it and operate it through obstacles you encounter. When you run out of cable, or you think the drain is clear, pour hot water down the drain.

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How to Grow Shell Gingers

Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), using its large, variegated leaves and pendulous clusters of fragrant, light pink blossoms, adds a lush, stunning appearance to landscaping. It is native to tropical India and only develops outdoors within moderate environments, such as U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9b throughout 11. Few tropical plants are easy since it is not vulnerable to disease, to nurture as shell ginger and requires little care. It looks and grows best if supplied with pruning soil and frequent water to remove dead leaves.

Plant shell ginger at a mattress with complete sunlight exposure in coastal locations and under partial shade in hot, dry inland regions. Amend the mattress using a 6-inch-thick layer of compost to a depth of 15 inches to help regulate the moisture retention and nutrient content of the soil.

Distribute a 3-inch-thick layer of mulch at a 10-inch radius around the bottom of the plant to help keep the soil surrounding the roots moist and cool. Remove in spring and replace it with a new layer from colonizing the roots, to keep fungi.

Ginger plants are shelled by water often and deeply. Run a hose at the bottom of the plant for 10 to 15 minutes a week. Increase water to weekly during periods of extreme drought or heat. Reduce water by half during the winter months. Cease watering.

Before the plant blooms feed shell ginger plants with 10-10-10 ratio mulch in spring warms to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and in summer. Apply the fertilizer at full advantage. Water afterward.

After the flowers fade, prune away all dead or damaged leaves. Snip off the leaves stems using bypass shears that are sharp. Discard the leaves instead of using them as mulch.

Watch for signs from the plant like brown edges on the leaves, which indicates that it is currently receiving inadequate moisture. Test the soil moisture with the tip of your finger. Add water to the soil if it feels dry at the inch to prevent additional harm to the leaves.

Divide and replant ginger plants every couple of years to promote prolific blooming and a lush, womanly look. Dig up the large rhizomes in spring using a shovel. Break them into 2- and replant them beneath the surface of the soil.

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