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Thufir posted:Your local government might sell them for cheap. I bought the Sweethome recommended one from Nashville public works for like $20 less than I saw it anywhere else. My neighbor has one of these and his main complaint is having to constantly try and stir it which is quite difficult with the shape of the bin. I've been looking at the smaller, roller style bins, even though they are more expensive. My plan is to get two, and fill one to 3/4 capacity and continue rolling it a few times a week to let it finish the composting process while I begin filling the second and keep up the rotation.
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Mar 24, 2017 01:30
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There's also compost sacks, which are cheap and comparatively easier to turn. Not a good solution if you're trying to keep out animals though.
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Mar 24, 2017 01:55
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WarMECH posted:My neighbor has one of these and his main complaint is having to constantly try and stir it which is quite difficult with the shape of the bin. I've got ~6 months of compost in it and don't have that much trouble stirring it with a hoe, but yeah larger tools might not fit in the top.
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Mar 24, 2017 17:26
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I compost and just refrain from animal waste such as eggs. Only raw uncooked plant matter and I have no issue with rats. My bin is an open log cabin style.
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Mar 25, 2017 01:45
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I'm not convinced that I should start composting. The big barrels seem expensive and I don't want a big pile of plant matter in my yard because it will definitely become a centipede habitat.
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Mar 25, 2017 07:50
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QuarkJets posted:I'm not convinced that I should start composting. The big barrels seem expensive and I don't want a big pile of plant matter in my yard because it will definitely become a centipede habitat. What's wrong with centipede habitat? We stopped composting food because rats started coming around and only left when we got a cat. If it was just centipedes and worms I would be super happy and still doing it.
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Mar 25, 2017 16:58
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therobit posted:What's wrong with centipede habitat? We stopped composting food because rats started coming around and only left when we got a cat. If it was just centipedes and worms I would be super happy and still doing it. Because centipedes are loving awful and like to bite people? Rats seem kind of innocent by comparison; at least they won't skitter up a wall and drop down and sting you while you sleep
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Mar 26, 2017 00:52
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QuarkJets posted:Because centipedes are loving awful and like to bite people? Rats seem kind of innocent by comparison; at least they won't skitter up a wall and drop down and sting you while you sleep Do centipedes fill your crawlspace with feces, chew through walls, and carry the bubonic plague? I had a brief rat infestation (I think I ended up trapping about half a dozen inside) and it was the closest I've ever felt to insanity.
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Mar 26, 2017 01:35
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BeastOfExmoor posted:Do centipedes fill your crawlspace with feces, chew through walls, and carry the bubonic plague? I had a brief rat infestation (I think I ended up trapping about half a dozen inside) and it was the closest I've ever felt to insanity. It's a question of risk Centipede stings become relatively common when there's a big nest of them nearby, and they result in huge painful welts for several days (like you ever been stung by a wasp? That's a very mild version of a centipede sting). A centipede infestation is just about impossible to deal with because the little fuckers are super resilient and can go anywhere. They don't respond well to insecticides or commercially-available repellants, and there's not really any such thing centipede bait. You're basically hosed until you remove all of the debris from your yard, and then you'd better pray that they're not living in your walls because you will definitely never, ever get rid of them without bombing the whole house (and there are stories of centipedes just leaving and coming back when a house is bug bombed) The likelihood of catching any disease, much less bubonic plague, from a mild rat infestation in the suburbs is extremely low. And if by some rare chance you do catch it, it's extremely easy to treat (with common antibiotics). Drywall damage is a couple hours of repair work at worst. A rat infestation can be cleared up with common preventative measures like traps and bait So yeah, I'd rather have to deal with a rat infestation than a centipede infestation QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Mar 26, 2017 |
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Mar 26, 2017 01:52
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QuarkJets posted:I'm not convinced that I should start composting. The big barrels seem expensive and I don't want a big pile of plant matter in my yard because it will definitely become a centipede habitat. I'm with you. Ship it off somewhere else and I'll consider it.
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Mar 26, 2017 02:10
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A centipede infestation is one of those things where I'd just seriously consider insurance fraud. gently caress. That. poo poo.
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Mar 26, 2017 03:07
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I'm with you. Ship it off somewhere else and I'll consider it. In Seattle there is typically a story about the composting site every year where the people who live near it are PISSED about how much it stinks. I imagine it stinks year round and local news outlets just lean on that story on slow news days.
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Mar 26, 2017 03:38
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If your compost bin stinks you are Doing It Wrong. Just add more browns and get some air circulating in there!
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Mar 26, 2017 14:34
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The only time my compost stinks is if I dump it full of lawn clippings. Otherwise it smells like dirt.
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Mar 26, 2017 14:42
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Yeah the only time mine has been gross was when I dumped like 20 lbs of hot wet spent home brewing grains on it and didn't mix them in.
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Mar 26, 2017 16:32
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Like I said earlier, I only put uncooked greens, coffee grounds and yard waste in mine, so it is basically just a condensed version of what is in the yard anyway.
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Mar 26, 2017 16:51
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QuarkJets posted:It's a question of risk Where is this a thing, out of curiosity? I've lived in the most pest-free part of the country my whole life, so I guess I've lived blissfully unaware of this issue.
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Mar 26, 2017 17:41
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QuarkJets posted:It's a question of risk Great, now I have one more house related thing to keep me up at night. Centipedes give me the God drat chills worse than spiders.
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Mar 26, 2017 19:52
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Anyone know about dethatching? I'm trying to get my yard looking nice and green and there is a layer of thatch over a big section without much growth other than a few weeds. I've seen a lot of opinions going between core aeration and dethatching and I am not sure which will really help get my yard looking the best. Some additional information, I think sometime last year the previous owner put St. Augustine sod over the yard. I see it popping up in places but there are a lot of weeds and some dead spots. It also looks like in a couple sections there used to be a tree and the ground is exceptionally soft in those areas (maybe the roots rotting underground). The alternative question is do we have a lawn thread somewhere?
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Mar 26, 2017 21:00
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WarMECH posted:If your compost bin stinks you are Doing It Wrong. Just add more browns and get some air circulating in there! I don't think anyone is actually complaining about smells, that seems straightforward to address. The main concern is pests showing up QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Mar 26, 2017 |
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Mar 26, 2017 22:26
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QuarkJets posted:I don't think anyone is actually complaining about smells, that seems straightforward to address. The main concern is pests showing up I guess, though if everything is composting correctly and you don't put in stuff like animal fats, etc., then the draw for pests is quite low. Although we don't have the aforementioned centipede problems around here that much (PA).
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Mar 26, 2017 22:32
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So get some chickens to eat the centipedes and gain 2 locovore levels
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Mar 26, 2017 22:39
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BeastOfExmoor posted:Where is this a thing, out of curiosity? I've lived in the most pest-free part of the country my whole life, so I guess I've lived blissfully unaware of this issue. Centipedes live all over the country. The tropical kind is meaner, the desert kind looks freakier, but they're all venomous and will completely gently caress your weekend if they sting you. They're more common in neighborhoods adjacent to wilderness than deep in the suburbs In my part of the country it is surprising if you don't see a few centipedes each year, even with perfect yard upkeep
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Mar 26, 2017 22:42
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dalstrs posted:Anyone know about dethatching? I'm trying to get my yard looking nice and green and there is a layer of thatch over a big section without much growth other than a few weeds. I've seen a lot of opinions going between core aeration and dethatching and I am not sure which will really help get my yard looking the best. Some additional information, I think sometime last year the previous owner put St. Augustine sod over the yard. I see it popping up in places but there are a lot of weeds and some dead spots. It also looks like in a couple sections there used to be a tree and the ground is exceptionally soft in those areas (maybe the roots rotting underground). How big of an area? If we're not talking about 1/4 acre or more you should go spend $40 on a dethatching rake (the kind with little round wire tines), get to work and throw some seed down when you're done. Best time is in the fall, but if you get started early in the spring you should be okay.
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Mar 26, 2017 23:23
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dalstrs posted:Anyone know about dethatching? I'm trying to get my yard looking nice and green and there is a layer of thatch over a big section without much growth other than a few weeds. I've seen a lot of opinions going between core aeration and dethatching and I am not sure which will really help get my yard looking the best. Some additional information, I think sometime last year the previous owner put St. Augustine sod over the yard. I see it popping up in places but there are a lot of weeds and some dead spots. It also looks like in a couple sections there used to be a tree and the ground is exceptionally soft in those areas (maybe the roots rotting underground). Where are you located? From the mention of St Augustine, it sounds like you might have a warm-season lawn -- warm and cool season grasses have somewhat opposite maintenance schedules. Core aeration is basically one of the best things you can do for your lawn. It will help thatch in that it will punch holes through the layer and leave plugs on top to break down and cover it, provided the holes are dense enough -- you want something like 14 holes/sqft, so do two passes (from different directions if convenient). The thatch is only really a big deal if you're trying to overseed, however, as it prevents seed-soil contact and will reduce germination rates. If you've got bare spots, I'd just hit it with a regular rake and clean it all up. I'm with Mortronic that a dethatching rake is fine and good if the area isn't too big, but it's only really necessary if you're doing maintenance work on established grass you don't want to damage. For bare spots, just expose the dirt (and even rake it a little to loosen it up for the seed). If you are in a cool season area, you *probably* wanted to put down pre-emergent herbicide about 2 weeks ago, but not over St Augustine. Either way I would put down some "starter" fertilizer this time of year, as the fertilizer will help promote root growth and make sure the grass stays healthy through the hotter/drier seasons. about 4 weeks after that you can throw down some Milorganite if you want to green things up and help promote soil ecosystem. I follow the 4x/year "Labor Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving" schedule. Do some nitrogen rich fertilizer over the summer to help keep it happy. St Augustine will spread by runners. One good way to establish it is by using "plugs" -- dirt cores around rooted st augustine bundles. You can buy them from your local Home Store, or (if you want to put in "effort") cut your own plugs and transplant them from dense patches to your bare parts. A plug every sqft or so should be a good start, and given time and proper fertilization/irrigation you will see it slowly start to expand and fill in. Bare spots are usually not caused by thatch itself. Thatch is somewhat of a myth -- alone, it won't cause much in the way of problems. Healthy soil will decompose it naturally (adding nitrogen back for the plants). However, it can prevent roots from getting oxygen, harbor insects, and make it harder for seeding to take. You should dethatch if you're trying to fill in an area with seed, but also consider if there's some other reason it's not growing in. Buried stumps/roots (or pavers or gravel) is one good theory, as they will prevent the grass from establishing a deep enough root system, and so dying off when the heat comes. There's not much you can do there but wait for it to decompose. I got a dirt auger bit for my drill and went through and bored some holes where I had bare/thin patches and sure enough I pulled up some wet, woody pulp. The plus side there is that it'll decompose much faster. I'd core aerate now if you've got warm season grass, then fertilize and try to do whatever transplanting/seeding you need to do after that. Oh, and set your mower high (like 3+"). Grasses like bermuda will be encouraged to spread when scalped low, but St Augustine will get stressed out. It will spread if cut frequently, but it likes to keep much more height to stay happy. Hubis fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Mar 27, 2017 00:15
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Motronic posted:How big of an area? If we're not talking about 1/4 acre or more you should go spend $40 on a dethatching rake (the kind with little round wire tines), get to work and throw some seed down when you're done. It's not a huge lot, the county office say, almost a quarter acre, though I am a corner lot so most of it is front yard. I was looking at one of those but am lazy enough I might rent the dethatching machine from Home Depot if I decide the take that path. Hubis posted:Snip I'm in the Dallas area, depending on the map I look at we are considered zone 7 or 8. I also put down a pre-emergent in the fall and a couple weeks ago, I don't know how good it is, I mainly got it because it was supposed to help with stickers. It does say it works with St Augustine grass. Would a reasonable first step be using a core aeration machine over the yard and then adding plugs to all the spots that seem to be bare (maybe adding in top soil to the uneven and drooping areas the trees were at). Then in a few weeks adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer?
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Mar 27, 2017 01:50
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dalstrs posted:I'm in the Dallas area, depending on the map I look at we are considered zone 7 or 8. I also put down a pre-emergent in the fall and a couple weeks ago, I don't know how good it is, I mainly got it because it was supposed to help with stickers. It does say it works with St Augustine grass. I don't have any first hand experience with warm season grass, but yeah that's basically what I'd do. Ideally you want to use something labeled as a "starter" fertilizer (high phosphate content) in the spring as it will encourage root growth, especially if you are seeding/trying to establish new plugs. Then do a nitrogen rich fertilizer in mid summer. Top soil will help the bare/thin spots. You can apply over grass (top dressing), just keep it to 1/4-1/2" or so at a time and let the grass grow up through it. I just spread it out and then kind of tossle the grass by hand to shake the blades up over the new soil, working the low spots with a bag of dirt about once a month.
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Mar 27, 2017 04:56
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QuarkJets posted:Centipedes live all over the country. The tropical kind is meaner, the desert kind looks freakier, but they're all venomous and will completely gently caress your weekend if they sting you. They're more common in neighborhoods adjacent to wilderness than deep in the suburbs God drat I'm glad I live in bug-free Denver. I've never heard of anyone having issues with centipedes or rats here. I'm not sure I've ever even seen a rat. Probably haven't seen a centipede longer than an inch, which I'm guessing isn't the kind that you are all losing your poo poo over. No big spiders either 
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Mar 27, 2017 20:38
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Tucson has these loving terrifying centepedes that are like a foot long. No joke, massive things out of the Cambrian period.
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Mar 27, 2017 21:43
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Portland goon checking in, worst we get are carpenter ants, which are not aggressive at all. We don't even get termites here!
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Mar 27, 2017 21:50
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Goon from some other place checking in, we have some things but not other things.
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Mar 28, 2017 01:45
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same
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Mar 28, 2017 01:46
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it me
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Mar 28, 2017 13:50
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Huge insects seem like the worst part of a year round warm weather climate.
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Mar 28, 2017 22:41
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:Huge insects seem like the worst part of a year round warm weather climate. true worth it to not have to ever shovel snow or rake leaves imo but obviously people have their own preferences (such as the people who landed in the Northeastern US and were like "I can still feel my face, this isn't cold enough" and eventually found they way to what would become Minnesota)
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Mar 29, 2017 00:56
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2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid: because you aren't really committed to lawn care until you're using Agent Orange to control weeds
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Mar 29, 2017 14:52
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Hubis posted:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid: because you aren't really committed to lawn care until you're using Agent Orange to control weeds It's only half of agent orange, apparently the OK half. I sure hope so anyway, because it's nicely effective on weeds (unfortunately kills clover too though). Also, rock out with the Talstar and insects will gently caress right off.
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Mar 29, 2017 15:13
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baquerd posted:It's only half of agent orange, apparently the OK half. I sure hope so anyway, because it's nicely effective on weeds (unfortunately kills clover too though). Now I just need to get a Weed Dragon to complete my Vietnam-Era defoliation arsenal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MrVPwowHro BTW, I tried out some blue marking additive in my sprayer tank, and I highly recommend it if you're using a pump sprayer (which you should). It made it way easier for me to tell which weeds I'd already hit in between fills as I did my zone spraying.
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Mar 29, 2017 19:35
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I got some pretty serious seepage and I have like an inch of water in my basement. I have a wet-dry vac but apparently 16 gallons is not as much water as it sounds like and it feels like I am hardly making a dent. What can I do to get this water out short of paying someone a gazillion dollars to come out and pump it? I guess the good news is that seepage is specifically mentioned as a covered problem in my home's warranty
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Apr 1, 2017 23:12
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I got some pretty serious seepage and I have like an inch of water in my basement. I have a wet-dry vac but apparently 16 gallons is not as much water as it sounds like and it feels like I am hardly making a dent. What can I do to get this water out short of paying someone a gazillion dollars to come out and pump it? Buy a pump like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018LRUDUU?ref=emc_b_5_i, make sure it can clear the water down to a very low level (1/8th inch or 1/16th inch). Don't you already have a sump pump somewhere, since you have a basement? It should already be pumping out the water for you.
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Apr 1, 2017 23:29
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