1.) My yard has gone nuts with all the rain and relatively cooler temperatures we've had recently, but there are still some bare spots. When is the best time to seed with fescue? Is it possible use too much seed, within reason? I have one of those massive bags, and i don't mind using the whole thing. Obviously layering it on so that you can't see the ground is too much.

2.) Like most people, I really hate weeding. I have some fairly well-defined flower beds (some with flowers and some with ornamental plants like Japanese aucuba), but they're chock full of weeds (some grass, some pine saplings, small maples, stuff like that). I will set aside some time this fall around early October (if that's not too late) to thoroughly weed them, but then I want to take some measures to minimize weed growth come spring. I was wondering if I could use Round-Up on the areas around the plants (perhaps covering the plants I want to protect) and then lay down some of the black weed plastic. Is that a bad idea?

3.) I have a fairly large deck out back that has nothing but bare dirt underneath. I'm not sure what to do with it, though I was wondering if it would be a cool idea to plant moss under there, just so it doesn't look so bad. This deck is pretty high (you can walk under it and nearly stand up), so when you're on the ground, you can definitely see underneath. What do you think?

4.) I have a space in the back yard that the previous owners had set aside for a garden, but never actually did anything with it. I haven't used it since I moved in a year ago, but I would really like to prep it for use next spring. It was fertilized with manure and small wood chips, but it's been growing a lot of poison ivy this past year. Enough that I'm not sure I want to walk through it to pull them up individually unless I have to. What can I do to kill everything that is there but still use it next spring?

I have a variety of the usual tools - rakes, shovels, spades, a hoe, etc - as well as a mower with mulching function and I have access to a tiller if I need it. All suggestions are appreciated!

8/30/2010 8:20:14 AM

As far as under the deck, when we build new houses they get either mulch or pinestraw under the decks. You could also lay down some flat stepping stones and let the grass grow around them. That way at least the area has a hard foundation instead of bare dirt.

8/30/2010 9:12:01 AM

my parents' house had pinestraw. the moss idea sounds kinda neat though.

8/30/2010 9:14:50 AM

#2 - I use glyphosate/roundup on crabgrass and chickweed that tries to pop up in my landscaping. Doesn't take but a little bit and the whole interconnected plant is toast. With a good sprayer, you can control it so it doesn't get on your other plants, just be mindful of the wind. Try to yank up the small trees and any weeds you can't hit with roundup, then put down a good thick bed of mulch. That'll keep most of your weeds at bay for the coming season.

#4 - Again, glyhosate/roundup over the whole thing, just spray it all over the foliage, being mindful of the wind. Once it's all dead, keep in mind that the oil is still there. Resist the temptation to burn it. Just leave it there for a few days to a week, then hit the patch at least one more time with the roundup. Let it decompose, or take a big garden tiller to it and turn it under.

Moral of the story - Glyphosate is some wicked stuff if you use it right. It'll kill damn near anything with the slightest exposure. Since it is systemic, it works best if you apply it a day or two before a good rain.

8/30/2010 9:19:05 AM

If it were me, I would use Rip-Rap under the deck. That way, you won't have to get under there to get rid of weeds, you can spray with Roundup/GlyStar/glyphosate once a year and take care of anything growing under there.

I despise landscaping fabric. I prefer to use large doses of mulch. If you place the mulch in a 6" layer and it settles out to 4", you will only have to replenish every other year. When it looks faded out, rake the top and "till" the top inch to make it look new every couple of months in the summer.

As far as the fescue yard, if you apply too much seed, the grass will choke itself out. I don't know much about a fescue yard, so check this out --> http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/articles/tf0017.aspx

8/30/2010 9:25:56 AM

Try and use existing threads please. Some of your questions may already be answered...

/message_topic.aspx?topic=560357

message_topic.aspx?topic=591929

[Edited on August 30, 2010 at 9:46 AM. Reason : .]

8/30/2010 9:44:58 AM