Author Topic: questions for home gardeners  (Read 1264 times)

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Offline HalfSmokes

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questions for home gardeners
« Topic Start: May 06, 2010, 08:00:16 AM »
So my wife and I finally got a home, unfortunately the lawn is in rough shape.
I have two questions
1. we have a very sparse lawn and what coverage there is is mostly weeds- any suggestions on how to get more grass coverage, I was thinking about putting down that Scotts grow anywhere stuff and hoping for the best.
2. We have a huge patch of Ivy that we want to pull out. Its got a bunch of pine trees in it, so we're pretty sure that between the shade and the roots, no grass will grow there, any suggestions on plants that will?

thanks

Offline CJames0569

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #1: May 06, 2010, 08:28:15 AM »
So my wife and I finally got a home, unfortunately the lawn is in rough shape.
I have two questions
1. we have a very sparse lawn and what coverage there is is mostly weeds- any suggestions on how to get more grass coverage, I was thinking about putting down that Scotts grow anywhere stuff and hoping for the best.
2. We have a huge patch of Ivy that we want to pull out. Its got a bunch of pine trees in it, so we're pretty sure that between the shade and the roots, no grass will grow there, any suggestions on plants that will?

thanks

1) From my experience, your best bet is to spray the lawn with a broad head weed killer like Triplet first (this won't kill grass), then put down some grass seed. When you do put down the grass seed you'll have to make sure and water your grass every day (maybe a couple times) or you're really not going to get great results and probably did it for nothing. Also with all those weeds already they, they likely have dispersed a ton of seeds/spores so putting down a granular preventative probably wouldn't hurt.

2) Ivy can be hard as hell to get rid of, but once you pull it if you think it's too shady for grass to grow try turning it into a flower bed. There are plenty of plants and flowers than can grow in half sun/shady areas.

Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #2: May 06, 2010, 08:31:49 AM »
Depending on your lawn size, you can kill the weeds/grass in your yard already by placing a tarp over the area and allowing it to sit there for three or four days. When you lift it up all the crap should be dead underneath (or at least the majority) and then you can rototill, lay seed, do whatever you need to.

Chickens and goats do well too. :lol:

Online blue911

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #3: May 06, 2010, 09:02:48 AM »
So my wife and I finally got a home, unfortunately the lawn is in rough shape.
I have two questions
1. we have a very sparse lawn and what coverage there is is mostly weeds- any suggestions on how to get more grass coverage, I was thinking about putting down that Scotts grow anywhere stuff and hoping for the best.
2. We have a huge patch of Ivy that we want to pull out. Its got a bunch of pine trees in it, so we're pretty sure that between the shade and the roots, no grass will grow there, any suggestions on plants that will?

thanks

1.) I would want to know why the lawn was in such bad shape (owner indifference, dogs pooping on it etc...). If your neighbors have nice lawns, ask them. Chances are you'll have the same soil composition, chemical balances and other factors that will/won't allow you to grow a nice lawn. If you want to seed your lawn, find out when is the best time of year ( I thought it was around October). There is always sod.

2) You might want to consider a small herb garden. Most herbs do well in indirect sun and you get to eat them.

Offline mitlen

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #4: May 06, 2010, 09:27:11 AM »

2) You might want to consider a small herb garden. Most herbs do well in indirect sun and you get to eat them.

... or smoke them.    You may have to use lamps with the indirect sun.

Offline Mathguy

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #5: May 06, 2010, 10:14:40 AM »
Use Scotts fertilizer/weed killer.  One can get a hand held fertilizer spreader at Lowe's or the hardware store.  Then aerate the lawn in October, adding grass seed into the holes.

One can get great plants that are good in the shade at any local nursery.  The employees there will provide good ideas.

So my wife and I finally got a home, unfortunately the lawn is in rough shape.
I have two questions
1. we have a very sparse lawn and what coverage there is is mostly weeds- any suggestions on how to get more grass coverage, I was thinking about putting down that Scotts grow anywhere stuff and hoping for the best.
2. We have a huge patch of Ivy that we want to pull out. Its got a bunch of pine trees in it, so we're pretty sure that between the shade and the roots, no grass will grow there, any suggestions on plants that will?

thanks

Offline tomterp

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #6: May 06, 2010, 10:51:14 AM »
Use Scotts fertilizer/weed killer.  One can get a hand held fertilizer spreader at Lowe's or the hardware store.  Then aerate the lawn in October, adding grass seed into the holes.

One can get great plants that are good in the shade at any local nursery.  The employees there will provide good ideas.


Right.  Don't plant grass now, wait till fall.  And there are good shade loving ground covers that might be ideal for a shady spot. 

We use tons of ajuga:


Offline nattybred

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #7: May 06, 2010, 02:30:38 PM »
[quote

We use tons of ajuga:


[/quote]

I'm in the same boat as the first poster... My new yard is in shambles.  It's basically all weeds.  What does ajuja look like in the fall winter?  Do you usually plant it, or grow it?  Does it grow back every year?  it looks prety cool.

Offline tomterp

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #8: May 06, 2010, 02:48:36 PM »
I'm in the same boat as the first poster... My new yard is in shambles.  It's basically all weeds.  What does ajuja look like in the fall winter?  Do you usually plant it, or grow it?  Does it grow back every year?  it looks prety cool.

You would buy a few cartons of small individuals, plant them spread around the area you want to propagate, tend them a bit (some nutrients & water) and they'll take over after a while.  Other desirable flowers (say, tulips or other bulbs) can grow right up through them.  I think it pretty much dies out over the winter in terms of appearance, but grows back strongly in the spring, gaining territory with each succeeding year.

Vinca is another one we use a lot.  



Here's an article that describes both:

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pestcontrol/a/deer_cover_4.htm


Offline nattybred

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #9: May 06, 2010, 03:07:11 PM »
Cool, thanks!  I've been meaning to do something about my yard for a couple months now.  Guess I'll put it off until next weekend when the Nats are in COL.  I've been watching the show "Yard Crashers" to get me motivated.  Don't think I'll have to worry about deer control in my neighborhood though!

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #10: May 06, 2010, 03:26:55 PM »
Thanks for the advice, looks like I'll put the grass on hold until fall and work on putting in a flowerbed, thanks for the plant sugestions

Offline tomterp

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #11: May 06, 2010, 03:29:31 PM »
Thanks for the advice, looks like I'll put the grass on hold until fall and work on putting in a flowerbed, thanks for the plant sugestions

Now is the best time for planting the flowerbeds.   That ought to keep you busy for a while.

Offline Frau Mau

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #12: September 10, 2010, 02:52:43 PM »
Does anyone know when to trim back hydrangeas? I have one that needs it, and I want to do it before it blooms this spring, so I am thinking this fall?

Offline Mathguy

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #13: September 11, 2010, 03:44:12 AM »
It looks like these can be cut back in the spring or fall

http://hydrangeasplus.com/pages.php?pageid=5

Does anyone know when to trim back hydrangeas? I have one that needs it, and I want to do it before it blooms this spring, so I am thinking this fall?

Offline saltydad

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #14: September 12, 2010, 04:52:14 PM »

Online imref

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #15: September 12, 2010, 05:47:19 PM »
couple of other suggestions - check the PH level of your lawn, most in the mid-atlantic need lime.  Also, till/aerate the lawn before putting down seed.  And as others have said - watering is key.  Most laws in this area will struggle without an in-ground sprinkler system.  Oh, and don't bag your clippings.

FWIW, We've had really good luck with Biogreen as our lawn service, when they took it over the lawn was a mess.  The first thing they did was tilled the dead spots and then apply seed.  We're paying about $350 a year for their service.  If I were to buy Scotts and apply it myself, plus spot-kill weeds, it would cost me about $250 (we have about a 1/3rd of an acre.

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #16: September 12, 2010, 10:00:32 PM »
I got Mrs PA Groupons to a garden store. What are good fall plants to aim for?

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #17: September 12, 2010, 10:21:36 PM »
Mumms?

Offline Minty Fresh

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #18: September 13, 2010, 09:34:56 AM »
Mumms?

My wife and I were pulling weeds in November last year and getting rid of dead plants.  She took the side of the house that our mumms WERE on.  She comes around the corner all proud of herself with a handful of dead mumms pulled up - roots and all - big smile on her face, beaming with pride.  

I siad, "what the hell are you doing??!?!?"  She said, "I was pulling weeds and I was particularly proud that I got rid of this huge one!?!"  I said, "those were MUMMS, not weeds!  They were flowers not just two weeks ago!"

Beautiful yellow-ish-orange mumms - ripped out and didn't make the comeback.  

But yes, mumms should flower into October - perhaps later in the DC area than up here.

Offline Mathguy

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #19: September 13, 2010, 08:35:33 PM »
Do you have any info on the address of Biogreen ?

couple of other suggestions - check the PH level of your lawn, most in the mid-atlantic need lime.  Also, till/aerate the lawn before putting down seed.  And as others have said - watering is key.  Most laws in this area will struggle without an in-ground sprinkler system.  Oh, and don't bag your clippings.

FWIW, We've had really good luck with Biogreen as our lawn service, when they took it over the lawn was a mess.  The first thing they did was tilled the dead spots and then apply seed.  We're paying about $350 a year for their service.  If I were to buy Scotts and apply it myself, plus spot-kill weeds, it would cost me about $250 (we have about a 1/3rd of an acre.

Online imref

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #20: September 13, 2010, 08:45:05 PM »
http://www.biogreenva.com/bio_green_turf_care_services.html

a bunch of my neighbors use them as well.

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #21: October 17, 2010, 05:59:25 PM »
We ended up getting a fig tree. :shrug: At least I can amuse myself by naming it Figbert.

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #22: October 17, 2010, 07:14:12 PM »
Yeah, so fig sap causes a rash like poison ivy in people and dogs, and the fruit is poisonous when unripe. We asked the moron working there if it was dangerous to dogs and she said it was not. Someone needs to be fired.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #23: October 17, 2010, 07:17:26 PM »
Yeah, so fig sap causes a rash like poison ivy in people and dogs, and the fruit is poisonous when unripe. We asked the moron working there if it was dangerous to dogs and she said it was not. Someone needs to be fired.

I'm guessing aside from the rash and poison it's great though? Anyone know if it's too late to plant bulbs? I got a couple of boxes from a relative and was wondering

Offline saltydad

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Re: questions for home gardeners
« Reply #24: October 17, 2010, 08:59:46 PM »
Not a problem if they are bulbs for fall planting. I have some lilies and poppies that I'll be planting soon.

http://www.americanmeadows.com/QuickGuideToFlowerBulbs/AboutPlantingBulbsinFall/FallPlantingFAQ.aspx