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MetaJew posted:Do any of y'all have an effective treatment for chiggers? My back yard is just infested with them, and Deepwoods Off or not I will get terribly itchy bites along my ankles, waist, and groin when I go in the yard. When I was a kid, when we visited places with chiggers, my mom dusted flowers of sulphur in my sock tops. It works. https://www.lsonews.com/craig-nyhus-28/ e: The tree service is here with the massive tree-scale chipper to get rid of a lot of overgrown fire-hazard rosemary. I went outside for about five minutes to take a picture of the chipper, and now my ears are ringing. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Aug 18, 2021 |
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Aug 18, 2021 18:43
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 22:26 |
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Drugstores used to have sulfur; I hear some garden stores do, too. Then there's Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Cruz-Sulfur-Powder-Grade-Packed/dp/B01MZ6YJQ2
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Aug 18, 2021 19:52
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Here you go! https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/cherry/grow-a-cherry-tree-pit.htm Bear in mind that cherries don't flourish in clay soil, need a specific climate (look up "chill hours" in your area; sweet cherries need at least 700), and grow to 30-40 feet tall. There's a reason they call them "cherry-pickers". There aren't many people who have both the height and width space for a standard cherry tree. Depending on how big your plot is, I'd recommend buying a cherry tree on a dwarfing graft. A dwarf cherry grows to 10 feet, which gives you some idea.
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Sep 13, 2021 00:19
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Your post on stratification reminded me it's time to order from Le Jardin du Gourmet. Admire the Web 1.0 site! The seeds and roots I've gotten from them have excellent quality, and I've wanted to try their French shallots for years. I highly recommend their Get Acquainted offer, 6oz of shallots a bulb of garlic, 4 sample packets of herb seeds for $9. A thing I specifically love about Le Jardin is that they sell "sample" packets so you don't wind up staring gloomily at more petunia seeds than anybody would ever want. The reason stratification brought Le Jardin to mind is that the herb cicely must, for best results, be planted almost as soon as you harvest the seeds. This year's batch was harvested August 2nd, so time is ticking.
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Sep 13, 2021 01:37
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Surprisingly (to me, anyway) cherries, peaches, and nectarines come (e:mostly) true from seed. Apples and roses? Boy, no.
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Sep 13, 2021 02:54
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Platystemon posted:Starting trees from seed is rarely the most practical option, but if you want to try it, go for it. Just keep your expectations reasonable. It can take many years to get fruit, and if you want fruit that tastes good, you should learn how to graft. It was a wrench to leave those trees behind. If you have time on your hands and want a rare tree variety, check out http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/
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Sep 13, 2021 03:57
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rdb posted:Spraying, grazing, controlled burn.
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Oct 6, 2021 19:32
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rdb posted:[useful info snipped] Now I am sad. On a Friday morning. You monster.
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Oct 8, 2021 16:39
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The Wonder Weapon posted:I know they're quite pricey when they're this size, which is why I thought to ask. I've also got no clue what species they are. Post closeups of the leaves, we'll figure it out.
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Oct 13, 2021 17:43
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Leon Sumbitches posted:Pencil and paper never fails, plus it's cheap if you have materials.
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Oct 23, 2021 01:50
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The thing I have a hard time visualizing is the look of the garden from the side, not the top. I don't have any problem with "space the peonies three feet on center"; it's "if I put the peonies in front of the penstemon, will they be blocked from view?"
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Oct 23, 2021 02:57
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The Saucer Hovers posted:who has grandmas secret wisteria care guide.pdf for me? Where do you live, and what's the soil like? Ideally https://garden.org/nga/zipzone/ USDA or https://www.sunsetwesterngardencollection.com/climate-zones Sunset climate zones in the US. If you're in the West, Sunset zones are much, much more helpful because USDA zones are based solely on the average minimum winter temperature.
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Oct 24, 2021 19:37
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Aha! Well, the important thing to know is that it blooms on last year's wood, so you should not prune it before it blooms. After it blooms, you're going to have to be pruning hard all summer, but be sure to keep some of this year's new growth so that you get blooms next year. In my experience, in the right climate (which sounds like you've got), the problem with wisteria is to keep it from growing over your house, your car, your dog, and the telephone wires. What do you want fixed?
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Oct 24, 2021 23:00
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The Saucer Hovers posted:nothings broken so i take your point. i just love it and want it to eventually envelop my bones. It will, but it probably won't wait for you to be dead. So, the major thing you need to know is when to prune. Wisteria blooms on old (the previous year's) wood. If you prune severely in the fall, you'll get few blooms in the spring. Keep pruning throughout its growing cycle in the summer, binding some of the new stems down to where you want blossoms next year. As long as you leave lots of this year's sprouts, you'll have blooms the next year. Why am I emphasizing pruning? Because I have seen sheds covered with old wisteria vines that have collapsed under the weight. Depending on how good your climate is for wisteria, you will be constantly pruning to keep the thing within bounds. Buy Fiskars bypass pruners.
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Oct 28, 2021 17:50
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Somebody on the Home Improvement thread vouched for Emboss-O-Tags, which are heavy aluminum overlaid on a fiberboard center. You write on them with a ball-point pen, or equivalent, they last forever in the weather. https://www.embossotag.com/products/emboss-o-tag-double-sided-write-on-metal-labels-pack-of-50 I've just ordered $50 for $14, because I'm beginning to put in a new garden in the autumn, and it's nice to know where you put things.
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Oct 31, 2021 19:19
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Bermuda grass is super aggressive in its spread and growth. Assuming it's fed and watered, it will fill in gaps on its own.
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Nov 13, 2021 21:29
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That one has a lovely graceful shape; well worth saving.
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Apr 11, 2022 23:37
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Where do you live? (like, not your address, but "LA area" or whatever. If you prefer, your USDA zone. We can't recommend plants unless we know whether they'll thrive. Do you want the kids to be able to play on the area that's currently grass? That limits your options.
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Apr 16, 2022 16:51
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The first thing you need to do is figure out what that soil's like. Does it drain well, is it clay, something else? The first two of the simple tests here will tell you a lot. I'm not impressed by the worm test. If it drains well, xeriscaping is easier. The second is to figure out how much sunlight your yard gets. A lot of places recommend checking each spot you want to garden once an hour for an entire day, but that sounds too much like work to me. Figure out which direction your yard faces overall, and notice which parts of the yard are shaded by trees, fences, or by the house's shadow. Many of these will qualify as "part-sun", which means 4-6 hours of direct sun per day. Some of them may qualify as "full shade", which is <4 hours of direct sun. Places with no shade are "full-sun". The difference between "full sun", "part sun", and "full shade" determines which plants you can get. Here are some pretty awesome-looking plants to use as anchors (obviously the thorny ones are Right Out.) Scroll through Texas A&M's plant lists to see if anything pops out at you. https://www.seedsource.com specializes in Texas-native seeds; many places that sell you "wildflower mixes" or "meadow mixes" include a lot of plants that are cheap but not native and not necessarily suited to your particular climate. They get great reviews on Dave's Garden. Do you get no rain in the summer, or only intermittent rainstorms? If you get some rain, you're in great shape, because there are a lot of plants that can take a few weeks between rainstorms, fewer that can take an entire dry summer. If you want to do all the planning yourself, make a casual map of the spaces you want to plant things. You don't have to do it to scale, but you certainly can. Decide whether you want the space completely covered in plants, or whether you want a sand or gravel base dotted with plants. Draw circles on the space the size of the plants you like (this will be in the seed or catalog listing). Does all of this sound like too much to do in one spring? It does to me. I would consider killing the existing grass with Roundup or an equivalent weedkiller, wait a couple of weeks, hiring somebody to till/dig up the dead grass (making sure to avoid any sprinklers, if you have them). Then sprinkle a good meadow mix from Seedsource or another vendor. Tuck in whatever larger plants you've fallen in love with. Follow the instructions on the mix, but in general you'll need to water for a few weeks to get the seedlings started on their way. Spend the summer watching what grows and what doesn't, and planning what plants you'd love to have. Google "native nurseries" near you. If they're allowing visitors, the staff will be happy to help you figure out what to do next. Many of them will offer landscaping services, or have one to recommend. e: Straightforward option: clear the land as described above, then plant liriope (aka lilyturf). It's pretty, it's tough, and it forms a neutral background to the rest of the yard. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Apr 16, 2022 |
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Apr 16, 2022 17:59
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Motronic, you recommended vastlan as an herbicide that's safe to use around water. I can't find it around here, and when I try to find it online I find a quart for >$50.00. Domyown doesn't carry it, either. Do you have thoughts on where to find it?
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Apr 26, 2022 19:11
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Motronic posted:Yeah, that's a little bit forestry specialized and domyown is kinda more turf/landscape focused.. I get mine from arborchem: https://www.arborchem.com/product/388/vastlan-qts Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Apr 26, 2022 |
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Apr 26, 2022 19:58
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Motronic posted:Oh crap. So I'm checking Imazapyr/Stalker (which would be far from my first choice near water but better than glyphosate) - nope, also not labeled for use in CA. Sounds like a plan! Weirdly, the only ebay seller I can find is located in California. 
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Apr 26, 2022 20:33
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I don't know anything about growing thuja, but it's common for plants to flomp for awhile after they've been planted; root shock is real. Give it a couple of weeks before you worry, for it to put out new roots and recover from the trip.
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May 26, 2022 20:35
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Speaking of tools, I bought this spade last year and it absolutely rocks. For those situations where you need more leverage than a trowel gives you, but a full-sized spade won't fit (e.g. a raised bed). Light, easy to maneuver, good sharp edge. They also make a full-sized one.
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Jun 7, 2022 18:37
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Oh, wow. Every fall my mom set out for locally-grown bittersweet to make into wreaths. I had no idea it wasn't native. Mom stopped picking her own after a massive poison-ivy attack; she was even more allergic than your typical person.
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Jul 7, 2022 22:36
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BonHair posted:Agreed. I'm preparing a minor battle against my neighbour who has gone all in on perfectly managed lawn monoculture. He removed all moss and interesting stuff, and all summer he fertilized weekly and cut it two or three times as much. Meanwhile, my lawn is overrun with moss, not enough clover (I need more clover, even if it means stepping on a bee again) and cut twice a month if that. Check if Roman (not German) chamomile will grow in your area. Chamomile lawns have been a luxury for centuries. It's a creeper with a lovely scent when crushed. Some people have planted garden seats with chamomile.
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Oct 9, 2022 16:04
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It wouldn't hurt to do a home soil test. This is one name brand. If you feel like spending some real money, call the county agricultural extension and ask who they recommend to do soil tests. I say all this because a lot of reasons that grass won't grow have to do with the soil. Is it too acid? Lacking important nutrients? Too hard packed for the grass to put roots in? A no-cost test can tell you what kind of soil you have: loam, sand, clay, other? Dig up some dirt, mix with water and detergent, put in a jar, watch it separate into levels. If plants won't grow, your first question must be, "What kind of dirt do I have?" e: I know you mentioned how complex it all is, but what did you find out when you did tests?
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Oct 12, 2022 04:13
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Smugworth posted:Although I live in Minnesota now where the summers aren't brutally hot, if I still lived in Austin I'm sure I'd have a brown lawn in the summer like everyone else.
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Oct 12, 2022 15:30
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Have you considered hiring a xeriscaper instead of a lawn specialist? A xeriscaper can set you up a yard that is mostly pebbles, some local plants, is pretty, and is much lower-maintenance than a lawn. If it were me, and I wanted a lawn, I'd ask at work, or on Nextdoor, if anybody had a lawn service they were happy with. The steps we've told you to take are pretty low-effort. If you want no-effort, go back to trying to find a good lawn service. Avoid the national chain brands, if you can.
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Oct 13, 2022 00:18
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devmd01 posted:In fifteen years I do not want to be able to see a single one of my neighbors when I sit on the back patio. Sounds like an absolutely lovely yard.
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Oct 13, 2022 18:05
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Wallet posted:Dig up your whole lawn and fill it with spring bulbs and then put the lawn back. It's amazing.
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Oct 14, 2022 16:09
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eddiewalker posted:I have caught so many moles with scissor traps. Just press one in across a fresh trail, and if it hasn’t sprung by the next morning, move it. Have you ever had wild animals try to dig up the corpse?
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Apr 5, 2023 19:05
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Woodpile posted:If you've got the budget - hardscape as much as you can (not the entire yard) but a patio, garden paths, etc. Dig the rest up and replace with native or native cultivars in flower beds/bayscapes. Throw in a vegetable garden. I would go apeshit in that yard.
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Apr 19, 2023 23:55
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A cylinder of hardware cloth, floating above the ground, stapled only on one side, will do nothing to deter either deer or rabbits. Rabbits will come up from under, deer will push the whole thing over. Hungry animals work hard to get to food sources. As far as when to leave it unfenced, how many deer/rabbits are there in your area? If the answer is, as I assume, lots, shrubs are always going to need protection. I'm about to spend $$$$ to put deer fence around my yard, because it's the only thing that has a chance of working. (And it won't do a drat thing to keep out rabbits and gophers.) Minimum would to put actual anchored fences around each plant or the planting area. Three stakes around each plant, with hardware cloth wrapped around them and buried several inches below ground would be a good start, but it's only going to protect the plant as far as the height of the wire. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Apr 29, 2023 |
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Apr 29, 2023 23:25
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Motronic posted:The pictures you posted are dry stack. You can't use it as a retention wall because there's nothing holding those stones together except for gravity.
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May 7, 2023 19:29
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Oh, yeah. I have lived in New England, where the ground incubates stones all winter and gives birth to them in the spring. I don't have a good sense of how famous it is, but there's a lovely Robert Frost poem, Mending Wall, about going out in the spring to re-pile your drystone fence. e: Make sure there is drainage behind your stone walls. Otherwise a water buildup can push the stones forward.
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May 7, 2023 21:21
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lite_sleepr posted:Finally ordered some Celsius and sledgehammer to apply to my lawn. After that I need to figure out why grass will not grow on the sides of my house. I'm impressed you're getting it to adhere at all.
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May 8, 2023 20:29
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lite_sleepr posted:Getting what to adhere?
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May 8, 2023 22:11
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You might consider adding a couple of splashes of creeping phlox. It's tough, it spreads exuberantly, it loves slopes, and it's glorious in Spring. When I lived in Massachusetts, I always enjoyed other people's creeping phlox. e: I adore creeping thyme, but it takes a fair amount of weeding.
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Jul 13, 2023 17:14
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 22:26 |
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Xposted from the garden thread: Does anybody know where to buy a well-made Japanese shishi odoshi (deer-scaring fountain), the kind that has a bamboo arm that fills, tips down, and falls back to hit some external object with a solid clunk? Google is worthless for shopping nowadays, and the stuff I see on Ebay and Etsy hasn't looked sturdy or even functional. This would be used with an electric pump, not in a stream.
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Aug 1, 2023 03:29
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