How Corn Gluten Works Corn gluten does not prevent weed seeds from germinating, but it does inhibit those seeds from forming roots after germination. This means that applications must be very carefully timed. When the application of corn gluten is timed correctly, crabgrass seeds germinating will form shoots but not roots, and will therefore die, provided there is a short dry period after seed germination. However, if conditions are too wet immediately after seed germination, the weed can recover and establish a root....

Extension Cord Ratings Extension cords vary in rating, based upon the amperage they can safely carry and the wattage they can handle—both of which are determined by the gauge of the wire. The amperage rating for each extension cord should be labeled on a tag attached to each cord, but this label may not always be present or visible. What’s important when choosing an extension cord is to determine the amount of the wattage and amperage that will be drawn by the tool or appliance connected to the extension cord....

The desert rose plant is the only Adenium extensively hybridized to obtain different flower colors. Desert rose is an indoor or outdoor plant depending on your location. In many tropical and warmer climates (USDA zones 11 and 12), it’s a widely-used ornamental outdoor plant, and in cooler zones, it is grown indoors. It’s best planted in the spring, and it will die if exposed to frost and freezing temperatures. A member of the dogbane family, the sap of the desert rose plant is toxic to people and pets....

And yet, neutrals endure. Beige, tan, white, off-white, sand. Dozens of colors fall under the traditional umbrella as a neutral tone. “The meaning of the word “neutral” in design has evolved over time,” says Leigh Spicher, national director of design studios for luxury homes builder Ashton Woods. “In the ’90s, neutral was synonymous with beige. Beige everything. Beige paint, beige carpet, beige tile, even the atrocity that was beige laminate....

The two main factors that should determine the shape of your dining room table should be the shape and size of your dining room or dining area and the number of people you usually seat around your dining table. You will find that certain shapes lend themselves better to certain conditions. When you match the two, you create a flow that makes your space look and function better. Rectangular Dining Tables A rectangular dining table shape is perhaps the most common, and there is a pretty good reason for it....

Take a closer look at vital chicken feed ingredients, essential nutrients and supplements, different textures, and treats to consider for a homemade chicken feed that’s cheap and easy. How to Make a Balanced Chicken Feed by Age Much like humans, chickens have different needs at different stages of development. When they are chicks, they need a lot of protein to encourage healthy growth. In the adolescent stage, they still require protein but not as much....

Drywall’s Disadvantages Drywall comes in flat sheets with straight edges but it does eventually require wet work in the form of drywall compound (mud) and trowels. So, despite its origin as an easier material to work with than plaster and lath, drywall still requires a deft, artistic hand to get right, especially in the finishing stages. There are a few more downsides to drywall: Sanding drywall mud is tedious and messy because of the clouds of fine dust it creates....

There is a saw that is so unique that it escapes the attention of many do-it-yourselfers. No, it’s not an oscillating multi-tool or a rotary tool. It’s a saw that gobbles through materials effortlessly and can perform near-magical feats such as cutting backward and making plunge cuts with perfect control. It is a dual blade circular saw, and once you learn about some of its stand-out features, you may be tempted to buy one....

Early blight is a difficult enough disease to deal with, but don’t confuse it with the much more problematic late blight that can quickly kill tomato plants and spread for miles. What Causes Early Blight The early blight fungus can come from many sources. It can be in the soil, or it can already be on seeds or seedlings you purchase. It can even over-winter in the diseased debris of your tomato plants and it can persist in the soil or debris for at least one year....

Once you open the door to the panel you can access all the circuit breakers or fuses. Usually one of these panels feeds all the circuits in the home but there may be a situation where there is another “sub-panel” serving a dedicated area like a new kitchen. Circuit Breakers You will find the circuit breakers stacked in the panel and controlled with a lever that places it in the “On” or “Off” position....

AIRCARE is a brand by Essick Air Products that specializes in mist humidifiers only and offers a wide range of products from small, ultrasonic, diffuser-style bedside units to large whole-home appliances. We tested the company’s Console MA1201 Humidifier, which falls into the latter grouping, to see if its performance is on-par with its looks. Find out if the humidifier’s large capacity and straightforward design conquered the dry mountain air in our small home....

Any person of any age can be baptized or christened, though the occasion is usually associated more with babies or very young children. And, although the two terms are interchangeable, there’s a very subtle difference between the two types of events. The baptism is part of the ceremony representing one of seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, while the christening is the naming part of the ceremony. The traditional way of referring to this celebration is that a child is baptized during a christening service, and according to the Catholic Church, you can’t exclude the baptizing portion....

What Is a Bonus Room? Bonus rooms, sometimes called flex rooms, are extra spaces within the home that have no clearly defined purpose and often do not meet building code requirements for habitable rooms. Homebuilders sometimes add dedicated bonus rooms or areas to attract home buyers. The bonus room might be a side room with no windows or doors. Or the builders may have partially built out the attic as a bonus room; lightly finished the basement; or constructed a full-size bonus room above the garage....

Carpet spills are the bane of my existence. I’m clumsy, I drink coffee, and I have kids—accidents are inevitable and happen more often than I care to admit. For years, I made do with a “gentle” combination of baking soda and water or made multiple trips to the dry cleaners if the item was portable enough. I also spent hundreds of dollars on products laden with chemicals that promised to work miracles and never did....

The FoxPrint Princess Play Tent is one of several pop-up style play tents on the market. While we think the tent looks adorable, we wanted to see if its construction would hold up to real-life use as an indoor and outdoor toy. So, we handed the tent over to our 4-year-old daughter for some fun make-believe moments. (And, keeping parents in mind, we also looked at how easily it could be packed away and then reassembled....

Furniture Tip-Overs By far the greatest danger from furniture inside a home is from furniture tip-overs. Anywhere from 22,700 to 31,400 people are injured by falling furniture each year according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and most of them are children. Familiarize yourself with tip-over standard for chests, armoires and TV stands. Look for products that meet the voluntary tip-over standards and anchor any existing unstable furniture to the wall....