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Berlin (dpa) – Allergic reactions, aggravated illnesses and problems in the respiratory tract: There are plenty of health reasons to do everything you can to avoid mould growing in your home. Your home's health also stands to suffer since mould also damages the fabric of a building. In the worst case, this can lead to fungi destroying load-bearing wooden beams or the roof truss of a house – and make the building uninhabitable. The essential thing to measure is indoor humidity. This should ideally be between 40% and 60%, and in older uninsulated houses it should be kept toward the lower end to reduce the risk of mould on cold wall surfaces. To get a handle on conditions, check the humidity in a room regularly with a hygrometer. "Mould infestation is not just an optical problem; it can also harm health," says home energy specialist Ingo Wagner. Make sure to check for less obvious sources of moisture, he says. Of course, after showering the air is often humid, but drying laundry indoors and even houseplants can also raise humidity. Cooking produces steam too, which a cooker hood or a lid on the pot can help reduce. The simplest, cheapest and most effective method is to let moist air escape and drier air flow in from outside. The best approach is to air rooms several times a day for about five to ten minutes. Opening several windows at once to create a cross breeze is a good idea. In exceptional cases a dehumidifier can be a solution to remove moisture from a room, but it uses electricity and is expensive. It's also important to adequately heat your home. To avoid unintentionally heating cooler rooms, keep doors closed after airing.Even in less-used rooms such as a hallway, guest bedroom or storage room, you should aim for a base temperature of about 16 to 18 degrees. Moisture condenses fastest on cold walls, so your home should not cool below 16 degrees overall. Another measure is to check whether larger pieces of furniture such as wardrobes and sofas are too close to a cold exterior wall in autumn and winter. If air cannot circulate, moisture builds up behind them and mould forms. If you have found mould, the onset of spring might temporarily resolve the problem, as mould cannot grow any further without enough moisture. This also applies to an infestation in deeper layers. As the temperature rises over the course of the year, mould will diminish or disappear altogether – but only to the eye. The mould lies dormant, waiting for moisture to act again at some point, just like a seed. If you don't act consistently, the problem will not only come back the next winter, but an existing mould infestation will get worse. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn mod yyzz n1 rid

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Berlin (dpa) – Rice pudding is genuine soul food, bringing an instant, comforting childhood feeling, like a hug or a warm blanket. And what could be nicer than a portion after a long walk in a hopefully snow-covered wood that tastes properly of winter? This one adds different textures with some apples and nuts, and some extra flavour with tonka bean and a hint of marzipan. Ingredients for at least four people For the rice pudding: 500 ml milk 125 short-grain rice (pudding rice) 20 g sugar 1 vanilla pod a little butter tonka bean For the topping: 2 apples 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp sugar a little cinnamon mixed nuts of your choice Method Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Butter the inside of a medium saucepan. Add the milk, the vanilla pod and the vanilla seeds to the pan and warm very slowly over the lowest heat until the milk boils. Add the rice and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring now and then. Turn the hob down below 1 (on induction hobs use the keep-warm function) and leave the rice to stand with the lid on for 50 to 60 minutes. Stir, then season with a little grated tonka bean to taste. Add more milk if needed. Remove and discard the vanilla pod. Meanwhile, while the rice pudding rests, cut the apples into small pieces. In a frying pan over medium heat, cook the apples with the butter, sugar and cinnamon for a few minutes to caramelize. Set aside. Spoon the finished rice pudding into bowls. Top with the caramelized apple pieces, sprinkle with the nuts and the wintry rice pudding is ready. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn hsk yyzz n1 xlt cwg amc tsn

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Berlin (dpa) – It's not just us humans that need regular washing, but indoor plants too. Leaves need wiping down from time to time, since the dust that gathers on them blocks out light and impedes photosynthesis. Outdoors, any dust is quickly removed by wind and rain, but not so for indoor plants. That's why experts like those at the Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland will recommend wiping dust off the leaves about once a month. For large-leaved plants, use a soft damp cloth and support each leaf with your free hand to be as gentle as possible. An alternative is to place less sensitive plants in the shower or bath and carefully rinse the leaves with lukewarm water. In darker times of year when sunlight is less abundant, it also makes sense to place pot plants as close to the window as possible. If your plant is struggling in the winter, supplementary LED lighting can help prevent it from losing leaves due to a lack of light. There are exceptions that tolerate darkness well, such as the cast-iron plant, spider plant and devil’s vine. They are said to thrive even in winter at some distance from the window. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn jek yyzz n1 cja coh

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Working with nature and conserving resources are important, say experts. London (PA Media/dpa)  – If you’ve failed in previous years to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, whether it’s losing weight, giving up drinking or quitting smoking, perhaps it’s time to look to the garden to turn over a new leaf. Sustainability – minimising environmental impact, working with nature and conserving resources such as water – is a key focus of horticultural experts in 2026 and beyond, so perhaps think about realistic New Year’s resolutions to aid sustainability, which you could simply adopt as a new way of gardening. “Sustainability is about working with the available resources in your garden and making use of everything. Rather than seeing something as a waste item that needs to be binned or taken to landfill, just think, ‘What can I do with this? What can I turn it into?’” says Kim Stoddart, editor of Amateur Gardening magazine. Here are some ideas for realistic resolutions to help you garden more sustainably in 2026. Grow from seed “The joy, satisfaction and lower resource input needed to create plants for your garden can achieve amazing results for something as simple as a few seeds and some time,” suggests Peter Jones, Eden Project director of horticulture. Go peat-free It’s so easy. If you don’t have time or space to make your own compost, just opt for peat-free varieties of compost in your garden centre or nursery. You will help to protect native peatlands and wildlife in the process. Don’t dig Opt for the ‘no dig’ method, which not only will give you less backache but can benefit the environment, as you are not forking over and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. If you want to suppress weeds in winter, place a layer of cardboard on the area you want to cultivate, which will decompose naturally, and then cover it with organic matter such as compost, and grow your plants in that. No need to dig at all. Grow what you want to eat “Try and grow a few of your favourite things, be it a tomato, or a French bean. A meal with food metres, not food miles, is a joy with the benefit of greater sustainability,” says Jones. Buy local If you want to reduce the carbon footprint caused by air miles and long-distance transportation, think about where your plants come from before you buy. Native plants may be the way to go, or those grown near or at your local nursery, or even if you have a neighbour who will pass you a cutting or some seedlings, at least you know it hasn’t travelled far. Choose the right plant for the right place A little research to find out what soil you have and the situation – sheltered, sunny, shady, exposed – will help you choose the right plant for the right place. “Don’t try to fight your environment and plan to plant at the best time to ensure success,” Jones suggests. Grow your own cut flowers So many beautiful flowers that can be grown in the UK are imported from abroad. Take a moment to consider what flowers you can grow at home which may be good for cutting, including roses, echinacea, peonies and dahlias, as well as shrubs such as forsythia and witch hazel, which provide excellent cutting material in winter and early spring. Be patient, though, as many perennials grown from seed won’t flower in the first year. Go native Just growing a few native plants on your plot such as bugle, chives, primrose, cowslip, cornflowers and ox-eye daisy is superb for biodiversity and will attract all sorts of pollinators and wildlife to your garden. These plants are also likely to thrive, as they have adapted to life in our climate and ecosystem. Companion plant If you have a problem with whitefly on your tomatoes, cucumbers and kale, plant French marigolds with them because their scent will deter the pests or attract the predators. So rather than using chemicals you can handle the problem naturally. Similarly, grow pungent plants such as leeks and garlic among carrots to deter carrot fly, or plant sacrificial crops such as nasturtiums, which cover the ground and tempt aphids away from brassicas such as Brussels sprouts. Save water With climate change ever present, try to make a few changes to help save water. It may be setting up a water butt from the down pipe of the roof of your home, your garden shed, greenhouse or other structure using a rainwater diverter, the RHS suggests. For those who don’t have that facility, increase the water-holding capacity of your soil by adding organic matter to it, whether as a mulch or digging it in, it adds. Reduce waste Why not re-use bits and pieces instead of sending cast-offs to landfill? It might involve utilising a piece of old furniture as a garden prop, plant holder or ornament, creating novelty containers out of tin cans, colanders, rain boots and old sinks, re-using plastic pots time after time for seeds and seedlings and recycling cardboard boxes to use as weed suppressants instead of non-biodegradable plastic membranes. Revive your tools You may have left your tools out in the rain and think that they are beyond saving, but have a go, suggests Stoddart. “Look after your tools. If you have high-quality tools – a lot of the good makes use really good-quality steel – that look really rusty, you can sand them down and bring them back. Take them apart, give them an oil, give them a sharpen and you’ll be amazed how much you can transform those tools. “There’s a beauty around looking after things, upcycling, repurposing, making things last for longer and not feeling that you have to keep buying something, that feels really good.” The following information is not intended for publication dpa pa mls

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)