Posted in the Weed thread in the lounge. Looks cool...

http://turfid.ncsu.edu/

4/25/2013 3:55:06 PM

as a general rule, ive always watered sod heavily until i get slight root resistance when trying to pull the sod upwards. this can vary anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on conditions. after that i do a deep and infrequent, which is optimal for root growth. also, throw some milorganite down on the soil before you put down your bermuda sod. i swear by the stuff. it smells like shit, because it is processed human shit, but it works like a charm.



[Edited on April 25, 2013 at 4:41 PM. Reason : .]

4/25/2013 4:39:38 PM

I want to build a raise bed out of stone. Is there a good stackable stone I don't have to use cement with? Any recommendations?

4/28/2013 8:30:20 AM

http://www.interlock-concrete.com/products/details/stackstone/

4/28/2013 10:32:12 AM

you can use paver adhesive in a caulk gun and just about any pavers or bricks you want

4/28/2013 1:41:25 PM

Alright, so while I was on my honeymoon my neighbor (bless her heart) decided to "mow" my grass for me with her Deere rider. She was just being nice thinking she would help, as she knows how much I have worked on getting my fescue perfect in my front yard.

I look out this morning...and its horrible. Allot of scalping, and she must have cut it very very short since the grass went from a deep dark green where you could see my stripes from the mower, to lime green and ragged.

My landscape buddy says dont touch it for a week to a week and a half and let it all grow back out and then mow it.

What say you tww?

4/29/2013 10:38:28 AM

just have to wait it out.

4/29/2013 10:45:40 AM

^^ I have a similar situation, but it's the opposite. My driveway is about 100 yards long and runs along side my neighbor's property. Whenever his daughter mows, she always mows the grass that runs along my driveway. I know she is doing it just to be nice, but she never mows it short enough and misses spots. So I always end up mowing it anyway. I guess I should say something to her, because there is no point for her to waste their gas if I am going to just come behind her and mow it again anyway.

But to answer your question, yeah just wait it out. All the rain we have gotten this past weekend will definitely help.

[Edited on April 29, 2013 at 11:25 AM. Reason : a]

4/29/2013 11:23:24 AM

Alright, I went out and inspected it further this afternoon. Def cut too short, but it looks like the main damage is from the blade. It must have been super dull as it ripped the grass and that seems to be whats giving the grass its lime/white color.

I mowed on the highest setting to even it out (she missed many many spots) and weedeated. Used my wedding present (new Stihl BR350 backpack) to blow some of the thatch out of the grass and I'll hope for the best.

Landscaping buddy said in a few weeks it will be back to normal. Also said some fert. with a high first number would be really good for the grass, but I'll skip that...I'm already having to mow this fescue like 3 times a week.

4/29/2013 4:51:03 PM

I'd skip the fertilizer too. It doesn't look like there's any rain in the forecast for the next 10 days, so I would definitely make sure to keep it watered.

4/29/2013 5:16:46 PM

I built a raised bed garden a couple weeks ago, filled it with soil, and planted some tomatoes, peppers, and basil.

I looked closely at the soil in the garden today, and noticed hundreds of little teeny tiny, almost spider like bugs. Any clue what they are? I don't see them actually on any plants. They're slightly pinkish.

the basil has had some bronzing of leaves, and a tomato plant is struggling. Most of the others seem to be doing OK, maybe a little bit of spotting on the leaves.

4/29/2013 6:06:24 PM

^^^yes, skip fertilizer. you don't fertilize fescue in late spring or summer (well, not until the end of the summer).

4/29/2013 7:15:18 PM

^^ sounds like spider mites.

look on the underside of the leaves, and you'll probably see them hanging out.

they're a pain in the ass to get rid of without making your vegetables toxic.

4/30/2013 10:14:50 AM

Some good info re: Spider Mites. There's a table of chemical control options at the bottom:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05507.html

Good luck! Those things are a pain in the ass.

4/30/2013 10:25:58 AM

they fucking LOVED my peppers a few years ago.

like the other said ... if its spider mites, good luck. fuck those things

4/30/2013 12:52:57 PM

anyone ever have their property spray for ticks?

4/30/2013 1:05:53 PM

^Sevin dust or granular. It's cheap, easy to apply and effective. Works on ticks, fleas and chiggers (among all kinds of other pests)

4/30/2013 2:28:47 PM

my family has always used sevin dust and it seems to still do the trick

just dont get it on your crops if you are growing veggies

4/30/2013 2:31:19 PM

eh, how well is that going to work for an acre and wooded areas?

4/30/2013 2:50:26 PM

sevin dust is fine for your vegetables

[Edited on April 30, 2013 at 5:00 PM. Reason : hell, they only sell 5% anymore anyway]

4/30/2013 4:58:53 PM

We've bought three loquat saplings over the years and we had one that gave us a small bowl of fruit last year, but we have one little tree that is giving us a ton of fruit this year!

Here is a pic of a "bunch" that is on the tree. We probably have about 12-15 of these bunches on this one small tree (I'd say it's about 6-feet tall). We LOVE loquats. They are pretty small and you need a few to get a decent amount of fruit, but they are tasty and their trees look great.



And here are a few we picked and snacked on on Sunday:



[Edited on April 30, 2013 at 5:09 PM. Reason : .]

4/30/2013 5:00:11 PM

Re spider mites: I did look at the underside of the leaves, I haven't found a single one on any plants... But its all over my damn garden.

Then there's this shit I found today. I have no fucking clue what this is. Its the consistency of tooth paste. Maybe someone nut in my garden, for all I know. I'll try to snap a clearer pic.


http://imgur.com/FscWH4p

Better image. http://imgur.com/kf9oMkC

[Edited on April 30, 2013 at 8:07 PM. Reason : .]

4/30/2013 8:02:44 PM

I've loved all the rain we've gotten lately. Hopefully it keeps up through this summer again like it did last year. Not having to water the grass is awesome.

5/1/2013 1:03:51 PM

Anyone have any recommendations on foundation shrubbery? We are planning to either create a mulch or stone bed around the sides of our house and probably throw some low-maintenance, foundation-safe shrubbery sparingly in those beds. Looking for suggestions.

Additionally, I am looking for a couple SMALL shapely evergreen trees/shrubs that are also foundation-safe to plant in the natural area right outside the dining room window. I'm only going to be planting 1 or 2 of them as I just want a low-maintenance item that adds some height to that natural area. I know I have seen people with those evergreen-type trees/shrubs in their natural areas that seem only get 5-6' tall and have a simple pyramidal shape to them. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

5/2/2013 1:06:33 PM

Plants in the ground,
Plants in the ground,
Lookin' really cool,
Wit' my plants in the ground.

5/13/2013 10:37:17 AM

^Looks great, congrats. You need to turn that horseshoe upside down though... you're dumping out all of your good luck!

We recently finished our little garden at our new place. Four 4' x 4' planting boxes and just added a few pots for some extra herbs and some lettuce [not pictured]. Mulched all around and I left wide lanes around all 4 sides of each box for easy harvesting and weed control.



Since we're small-scale, I went with deer netting since it was cheap and I can take it down in the winter if I want to. You can't even see it from ~25' away, which is nice. I hope it suffices.

5/13/2013 1:20:33 PM

^ looks awesome.

I am thinking I'm not going to have near the deer problem this year that I have in years past. They have been clearing the 14 acres of woods behind my house for timber, and I believe that has run a good bit of the deer off.

5/13/2013 1:45:44 PM

i'd rather eat the deer than the stuff out of the garden.

5/13/2013 3:58:17 PM

Will deer crawl under things? The gap at the bottom of the gate to my garden is definitely big enough for one to fit through, but I have never seen a deer crawl. Just curious if I should cover up that gap or leave it.

5/14/2013 10:45:47 AM

^^me too. My PSE shoots straight, shoots long and is oh so quiet.

5/14/2013 12:10:40 PM

Looks like the frost claimed some leaves on my cucumbers and one of my tomato plants. Hopefully they will recover.

5/15/2013 1:59:00 PM

I solved the problem of ants getting into my hummingbird feeder with a red Solo cup, some waterproof adhesive, and some water:

Quote :

"EPIC ANT MOAT"

[Edited on May 15, 2013 at 6:46 PM. Reason : a]

5/15/2013 6:45:27 PM

anyone ever spray their property for ticks? looking to have a company come spray mine. I have about an acre and a little bit of wooded area. the company I use for extermination/termite treatment charges $300 for an acre, but doesn't spray wooded areas.

5/16/2013 11:45:27 AM

I've never sprayed for them because of my bees, but my brother-in-law works for a company (Mosquito Squad) that does it. I am not sure if they have an office in Raleigh, but I can ask him what they charge.

5/16/2013 12:08:19 PM

^thanks. if this is the company: http://raleigh-cary.mosquitosquad.com/

then they have an office in raleigh, but don't service my area (according to their site)

[Edited on May 16, 2013 at 4:09 PM. Reason : n]

5/16/2013 4:08:56 PM

okay, i'll move my question over to this thread...i didn't think to check old school

sprayed 2,4-D about 3 weeks ago and it did its job...but now the lawn is looking rough (which i expected, and prefer to an abundance of dandelions)

i have a bunch of kentucky 31 sitting around, but i realize it's a winter grass and may not establish before the heat/drought kills it off

so what seed should i use? i'm pretty set on broadcast spreading, as it's about half an acre that i'm trying to seed

and then, where do i GET the seed? lowes/HD don't carry much, and agrisupply only seems to have fescue

5/17/2013 11:15:35 AM

if you're wanting to keep fescue, then I'd recommend annual rye, just to hold you over for the summer. Most of the summer grasses are pretty aggressive and will start to take over; so unless you want that, I'd avoid them. Also, I think most of the summer grasses are relatively expensive.

rye is pretty cheap at lowe's. it will have pretty good coverage and will look decent enough.


[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:23 AM. Reason : .]

5/17/2013 11:18:39 AM

honestly, i'm indifferent to which grass becomes my lawn...i just want it to stay (relatively) green during the spring/summer/fall months (i don't care if it goes brown in the winter)

it's not currently seeded with anything in particular...the fescue is leftover from a friend doing THEIR lawn...i used it to patch some places last year (or the year before, i forget)

the annual rye seems pretty cheap ($40/50lbs)...would this be good enough? http://www.lowes.com/pd_93909-303-20021496005571_0__?productId=3047689

and a dumb question: does annual means that it actually dies and must be reseeded next year, or just that it goes dormant over the winter?

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:24 AM. Reason : just saw you mentioned lowe's]

5/17/2013 11:24:15 AM

annual rye will die after about a year (second summer season typically I think).

I said that because I thought you already had a good bit of fescue and just wanted to fill it in. If that's not the case, you can do a summer season grass. You're still in a decent window to do many summer grasses. Bermuda is very popular and aggressive, so it will choke out most of anything in your yard; it does need full sun though. Centipede is similar, though much easier to maintain.

bermuda in this area is just now starting green (well, over the last few weeks); so you won't have a green yard in early spring most years. I think it goes dormant again in october/november, depending on temperatures.

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:31 AM. Reason : .]

5/17/2013 11:28:02 AM

based on the inconsistent grass i see in the yard, i don't think i have any large amount of anything in particular...there's definitely some fescue (which i didn't put there), but there's other random crap, too

the goal behind the weed killer and this seeding is to establish a yard that's low on weeds and stays fairly green...so as long as i can broadcast it (without having to do anything else but watering), i'm up for anything

and, along that same line...where do i buy anything BUT fescue and rye?

also, is it feasible (and advisable) to add dry fertilizer to the spreader with the seed?

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:35 AM. Reason : also, if rye is still best for now until the fall, i'm fine with that, too...it's so cheap!]

5/17/2013 11:33:58 AM

I wouldn't seed and fertilize at the same time. If you want to choke everything else out, go with bermuda or centipede. I prefer to do a light aeration, watering, and fertilizing a few weeks before thoroughly aerating, seeding, and watering. Then after the grass has established (about 6 weeks later, fertilize again). This is for new establishment only; normal fertilization happens 1-2 times a year, often spring and/or fall, depending on the grass.

If you want a cheap yard for now while you decide/plan, annual rye should do fine. It won't be a great yard, but it will be something. But without a primary grass present, you'll have to stay on top of the weed control. either way, rye now will let you do a cool season grass in the fall, or hold you over until next spring to do a warm season grass (if you don't do one now).

as for where, other than Lowe's/HD, agri supply and similar stores? I don't know; I get my seed from a commercial supplier that doesn't sell to the public.

I'm no expert, so I recommend a good source like: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 11:51 AM. Reason : .]

5/17/2013 11:41:00 AM

do you where can bermuda or centipede seed be purchased around here? i'm sure it's available

5/17/2013 11:43:04 AM

you can order some bermuda from Greg Norman for about $700/50lb

5/17/2013 11:47:20 AM

^^ They have it at Lowes and Home Depot, but it is expensive as hell. I'd look for a local ag supply place and talk to the owner to see if he'll cut you a cash price deal.

5/17/2013 2:28:58 PM

alright, so who's repaired sprinkler heads before?

i finally tested out the irrigation system at the new crib, and i have a lot of busted heads.

i feel like it's one of those things that'll cost about 5 times as much to pay someone to do than for me to do myself.

5/17/2013 3:05:51 PM

Quote :

"if you're wanting to keep fescue, then I'd recommend annual rye, just to hold you over for the summer."

isn't rye a winter grass?

5/17/2013 3:36:39 PM

Quote :

" do you where can bermuda or centipede seed be purchased around here? i'm sure it's available "

"Common" bermuda can be bought at lowes or HD. Not sure how much they sell in bulk, but the do have bermuda seed. Might be worth it to look into. You could always buy some tifway 419 plugs, which is a nicer hybrid, but it would be expensive.


Local ACE hardware stores usually sell Tifblair centipede seed in the 1 or 5 lb bag. Also, check out Patten Seed Co. online. With centipede, mix the seed in your spreader with alot of sand to get better coverage. Its very expensive and you dont just put seed in a spreader alone...mix it.

With both of these summer grasses...once sprouted, pull up some of the runners, dig a small hole with s hand shovel, place the runner approx 3-4" into the hole, step on it for soil contact. itll start growing next summer from that sprig


[Edited on May 18, 2013 at 10:27 AM. Reason : aa]

5/18/2013 10:25:03 AM

Hey quag ...

I see you mention dandelions and I have a terrible problem with dandelions and clovers. I was wondering what specifically you used to get all that without really hurting your grass.

I need to really get on this

5/18/2013 11:14:16 AM

^^ thanks for heads up...i might check that out and see what i can find...i'm used to the fescue/rye that has a comparatively high application rate for overseeding, but my dad had mentioned something similar for "orchardgrass" where you use only a small amount and mix sand with it

^ i used spectracide weed stop with the hose attachment: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-Weed-Stop-For-Lawns-Ready-to-Spray/16630905

lowe's and HD have it, as well, but their stuff includes "crabgrass killer" and is $10/bottle vs $6/bottle at wally world (and while i generally avoid walmart like the plague, i was getting a bunch of stuff, all of which was significantly cheaper, so it was worth going)

anyway, i don't know what the bad reviews are about, but it worked great for me...took 4-5 days before stuff really started to noticeably die, and it was almost 2 weeks before it was obviously dead, but since i didn't want to seed for at least that amount of time after application, that was fine for me

i went from having boatloads of dandelions and clovers and plantain to virtually none...in my rough estimation, almost 100% of the clovers were killed, 95% of dandelions, and 85% of the plantain...what's left was easy enough to spot and pull up

5/18/2013 12:49:42 PM

Sweet thanks for the info

5/19/2013 12:29:13 PM