Woke up and a whole pepper plant is gone from my little raised garden :-(

[Edited on May 19, 2013 at 1:11 PM. Reason : 8 rounds for that deer ]

5/19/2013 1:10:41 PM

Quote :

"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."

i had to fix a couple after we moved in. it's easy. the heads are relatively cheap. just dig down and figure out if you've got funny pipe or poly or swing pipes or whatever. unscrew the old head and screw a new one on. put it back in the ground and adjust the distance and angle. make sure you put in the same nozzles as the ones you remove.

5/19/2013 3:28:28 PM

just be sure to match nozzles and brands because different models have different flow rates leaving uneven watering if not done correctly. If you're on city water it might be a great opportunity to upgrade to hunter MP rotator nozzles or toro precision spray and save yourself some water $

5/19/2013 6:49:50 PM

^ thanks, that's exactly the kind of thing i was hoping to hear.

the previous owner has a hodgepodge of different brands, and i'm all about not wasting water.. and $$.

i watched a bunch of youtube videos, and it doesn't look difficult, just tedious.

thanks

5/20/2013 1:35:05 PM

Quote :

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

Supersod at the farmer's market has Zenith Zoysia and TifBlair Centepede seed. However, IMO it's too late to seed any warm-season grass this year.

http://www.supersod.com/grass-seed.html

I've been going back and forth regarding sod and seed and grass type for my disaster of a back yard (just moved <1 yr ago). I think I'm going to try to seed Zoysia next year. It's not too big of in investment. Tilling/soil prep is what I dread (TONS of huge rocks and clay soil).

[Edited on May 20, 2013 at 2:48 PM. Reason : link]

5/20/2013 2:47:43 PM

It is certainly not too late to seed warm-season grasses.

See page 13 -> http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/PDFFiles/004175/Carolina_Lawns.pdf

5/20/2013 3:44:18 PM

gonna take ridiculous amounts of water to get it to survive the summer. seed in the fall.

5/20/2013 3:55:19 PM

Yeah, that's why I was sure to say "IMO," it's a well-debated topic, but for me, I have the patience to wait until the best possible time to seed to maximize the chances of success (spring) and take my time with soil prep rather than rushing to get it done asap and hope that it establishes enough to survive the winter so I don't waste my money.

^I wouldn't seed a warm-season grass in the fall. A cool season grass like Fescue, fall is DEFINITELY the best time, but not Zoysia or Centepede (again, IMO).

5/20/2013 4:09:21 PM

Summer grasses have to be seeded in the Summer. They wont sprout unless the soil is above like 60-something degrees. If you plant centipede in the fall, the seed will lay dormant until the next Summer, and probably rot or get eaten by a bird prior to then.

June/July is the time to seed Summer grasses. Even if you planted in late August or early Sept when soil temps are high enough, the grass is going to start going dormant in October, so youre not giving the roots enough time to grow before dormancy. Theyll never make it through the winter because the roots will still be in the frost zone.

[Edited on May 21, 2013 at 8:20 AM. Reason : aa]

5/21/2013 8:09:40 AM

Planted a ton of fescue over my old garden location about a month ago, after discovering that the leech field for my septic system is directly below it. It's growing great. How long should I let it grow before mowing it the first time?

5/21/2013 10:07:20 AM

^no more than 4" I'd say, then cut back to about 3".

And you don't seed warm season grasses in the fall, NRR. In fact, you can seed these grasses into June. As long as it's consistently above 80 degrees, summer grass seed will do fine; just don't wait until after Aug since that's too close to fall. Depending on the temperatures, April-June are good times to see summer grasses. I'd say May-early June is probably best - 80 degree temps, spring showers.

[Edited on May 21, 2013 at 10:35 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2013 10:34:28 AM

The bermuda in our front yard is the greenest I have ever seen it right now. So much rain in May at our house (~6")

5/21/2013 11:43:05 AM

My newly laid Bermuda sod is looking awesome as well. It's also holding up to our large (75 lb) dog pretty well. Some thinner spots around where he does a lot of his walking/running...but not nearly as bad as the centipede was. And I expect it to fill in more as the summer goes along. It's still only been down for about two months.

5/21/2013 12:29:45 PM

y'all are right, my bad.

5/21/2013 1:33:02 PM

^^ You will notice a huge difference in durability between the two. Centipede is TERRIBLE in high traffic areas. Bermuda will do much better.

^ no worries. Its hard keeping up with summer vs winter grass scheduling. I used to have centipede in my lawn and went to buy seed in like April. They hadnt gotten a shipment of it yet at my local ACE because it wasnt hot enough yet. Seems counterintuitive because its so freakin hot and dry, but thats how Summer grasses work. You just have to water them the first month or so.

5/21/2013 8:00:37 PM

centipede is the ugliest grass in the world do anything but it

5/21/2013 9:36:02 PM

^ My centipede looked great for a couple years. Maybe it's just because its new and I haven't gotten use to it...but I miss it a little compared to my new Bermuda. Speaking of my bermuda...progress pics:









I don't know if you can see, but there are parts of the yard where the grass is a darker shade of green and it's a little "clumpy"...basically the grass is a little thicker, higher, and darker in spots. Still looks good overall, just wish it was a little more consistent. Wondering if that will change and everything will fill in or is that something that is common with Bermuda?

5/23/2013 10:03:08 AM

I would guess its one of two things:

1) You put down more seed there, so its naturally thicker cover in those areas
2) Your ground is uneven. Because bermuda is cut so low, you can tend to scalp some areas and clip others too high if youre running over bumps with a rotary mower.

Check to see if there are low points in the soil where it appears greener. #1 is the more likely culprit from your photos. I think it'll fill in over time

And I agree with the above...centipede is an ugly grass. If you want zero maintenance and a decent lawn, its perfect. If you are willing to put in any time and care, its not as good looking as fescue, bermuda, zoysia, etc


[Edited on May 23, 2013 at 1:08 PM. Reason : aa]

5/23/2013 1:02:28 PM

I think your lawn looks okay, I would be more concerned about that patio with the grill on it. That would be a pretty easy DIY project to fix.

and I want your dog

[Edited on May 23, 2013 at 1:05 PM. Reason : a]

5/23/2013 1:04:32 PM

Quote :

"1) You put down more seed there, so its naturally thicker cover in those areas 2) Your ground is uneven. Because bermuda is cut so low, you can tend to scalp some areas and clip others too high if youre running over bumps with a rotary mower."

It was sod, not seed. And there was definitely some disparity in the quality of some of the pieces of sod.

Ground is a little uneven. I was tired as fuck by the time I was done tilling and laying out topsoil. I did my best to even it out...but I finally just said "fuck it" toward the end. Also used a stamper instead of a roller to even it out after I laid the sod.

I've also only mowed it once since I laid the sod...and it probably wasn't even necessary at the time. There were just a few spots where the grass was high and I wanted to get them (and honestly...I missed mowing my lawn ).

Quote :

"I would be more concerned about that patio with the grill on it."

What would you be concerned with? I think we want to take a power washer and blast out of the dirt and debris out from between the bricks and fill it in with a sandcrete-type material. We want to keep most of the patio because it's old as fuck (over 100+ years)...and that goes with the "feel" of the rest of the house (same age). But we definitely want to get rid of (and keep rid of) the weeds and slick mossy-like stuff that is growing there now.

Overall...I dig the patio. I like my dog, too.

5/23/2013 1:45:06 PM

The patio is badass, don't get me wrong. But power washing and sancrete will just be a short-term fix. Judging from the picture, there is a serious dip in the middle, which I am sure collects water. Take a weekend and pull up all the bricks and re-grade it. You can power-wash the bricks before you pull them up if you want, but I would do it after so you can get all around them.

Again, just judging from the picture you have more than dirt/debris to deal with there. Looks like tons of plant growth/moss. Most likely all from too much water collecting on it and lack of screening beneath.

It's an easy fix if you want to do it right. It's an even easier fix if you want to just half-ass it.

5/23/2013 1:58:07 PM

^^ If its sod, possibly those sections of sod are just rooting quicker or the roots there werent as damage when the sod was originally cut, maybe?

Only other thing I can think of is uneven fertilization.

I honestly wouldnt worry about it for now. if its like that next season, i'd be surprised.

Maybe I missed it... what kind of bermuda is it? I assume its a hybrid since sodded...

[Edited on May 23, 2013 at 6:08 PM. Reason : aa]

5/23/2013 6:05:32 PM

I fertilized it a couple weeks ago and I could already see the unevenness when I was doing that. I just think the sod wasn't very..."uniform". I carried every square piece of sod to its spot and some were half the weight and definitely not as "strong".

I'll have to check on the Bermuda, but I think it was a tifway 419. When you say next season, do you mean next spring?

5/23/2013 10:19:35 PM

I figured it was 419. Very common "home lawn" hybrid.

Yeah, I mean next growing season...so whenever it greens back up next year. Reason I say that is that by next Spring, the roots of your sod should be uniformely ingrown into the soil. Since your sod is new, its likely that certain parts of the yard or certain sod squares are rooted better than others. That could explain any color differences (Not sure if thats the culprit, but If I had to guess, thats what I'd guess)

5/23/2013 11:09:43 PM

Word. Thanks for the info. Pretty happy with it so far.

Quote :

" Judging from the picture, there is a serious dip in the middle, which I am sure collects water. Take a weekend and pull up all the bricks and re-grade it. You can power-wash the bricks before you pull them up if you want, but I would do it after so you can get all around them."

Eesh...that does sound like a little more than I want to get in to.

I do think the shadows/angle of the photo make that dip look more severe than it really is. I can't remember it puddling up at all...but my yard also drains really well, so pretty much nothing in my backyard puddles up. At first we kind of dug the "ground moss" that was filling in the cracks. It was better than dirt and gave the patio some nice green color. But then my fiancee slipped on it and almost busted her ass one day and we were like..."alright, lets stop being lazy and do something with this shit."

But at this time...we've continued to be lazy about it.

5/24/2013 10:15:20 AM

I know the feeling. My GF has been on me for a year to finish the walkway her ex started and never finished. I finally got around to it this week, and should have it done today.

That's pretty much been the story of my life since I moved in with her: finishing/fixing projects her ex embarked on. I guess his intentions were good, but he just tended to get lazy halfway through and said "fuck it". I can never understand that mentality. If I start something, I have to finish it. I actually lose sleep if I go to bed with a project unfinished.

5/24/2013 10:34:26 AM

Quote :

"I actually lose sleep if I go to bed with a project unfinished."

don't ever take on something big that takes more than a day, then

5/24/2013 10:50:19 AM

Nah, that's not what I mean. If I have a project that takes several days, I figure out what I want to accomplish each day. If I don't get that part accomplished, I lose sleep.

Come on, man

5/24/2013 11:30:26 AM

sounds like the part the ex wanted to get accomplished each day was "just, whatever"

5/24/2013 11:41:30 AM

More like "RAWR RAWR RAWR, I'm gonna finish that walkway today.........right after I smoke this bowl......*smokes bowl*.......I'll finish the walkway tomorrow"

5/28/2013 10:37:29 AM

cross-posting from teh lounge:


Anyone have a good resource (book, website, etc) for apple trees? Got a Pink Lady a couple of weeks ago and need to know the best care techniques for this area (NC); primarily pest/disease control.

Also thought about getting another apple tree to aid in cross-pollination. My neighbor has 2 unknown-type apple trees, but those may be a bit far to really ensure success. I'm hoping to find/order (any ordering sources preferred?) another type I like that has the same blooming window.

Also, can anyone confirm if Pink Ladies are self-fertile or self-sterile? My web searches have turned up both answers.

--------

Any recommendations on landscape design software? I'm clueless when it comes to spacing/growth/climate/placement/etc.

5/28/2013 1:13:19 PM

Is cross-posting allowed?

5/28/2013 1:21:21 PM

^ for anyone but you...please confine your BS to chit chat

5/28/2013 1:42:26 PM

5/28/2013 1:46:46 PM

locksuspendterminate

5/28/2013 2:08:13 PM

got a plug aerator for $150 off craigslist today. it's a little older and a lot beefier than the ones they sell at lowe's now. has pneumatic tires and is in very good condition.

5/28/2013 6:58:00 PM

Got my lawn mower ready for the season:




Just need to drink more, I mean, get more stickers.

5/31/2013 6:19:11 PM

thats awesome, needs some flames

6/1/2013 8:48:39 AM

ha, thought about it.

too many people don't get the .08. C'mon guys, we're in our twenties!

6/3/2013 12:47:23 PM

really? hahaha i had a hearty chuckle at the .08

6/3/2013 2:38:56 PM

just got my new mower monday... granted I'm "professional" but this things is bad. it's got a 61" and will mow at 14mph

6/11/2013 7:20:03 PM

I got quoted $6,000 to prepare/maintain/seed my yard with bermuda (1 ac). Kiss my ass.

6/12/2013 9:19:29 AM

^that doesn't sound too far off for laying sod on a ~1 acre lot, but seems pretty high for seeding.

What kind of prep is included in that price? Are they going to nuke the grass/weeds, then till 6"+ and re-grade, or are we talking just spraying and raking up the dead vegetation?

6/12/2013 10:13:32 AM

I want to say that it doesn't sound too outlandish. Still a little pricey, but doing an acre yourself might be a little much.

I spent about $300 to just do 1,000 sq ft of lawn myself. It was sod...but it was still pretty exhausting work for a fairly small area.

6/12/2013 10:21:05 AM

Next week a company will come to work on my lawn for the first time of five. $35 per time.

6/12/2013 10:29:28 AM

I just made an offer on the 17 acres adjacent to my property, the owner of which just cleared it for timber. Not sure what to do with it yet, just know I want to own it. I might have a lot to add to this thread in the very near future.

6/12/2013 11:57:46 AM

That price was for dethatching, aerating, pre-seed fertilizer and liming, seeding, and 7 more fertilizing treatments, etc. over the following year. No tilling/regrading.

Weed control was additional ($150/application x 8 applications/yr).

I currently have fescue + dead rye. There was no mention of any prep/removal of weeds/grasses prior to seeding bermuda.

For the same package, but with fescue seed was $1,600. I guess I can see that.

I was primarily interested in the weed control service. I can dethatch, aerate, seed, lime, and fertilize - that's damn easy. My difficulty is keeping 1 ac of seed wet, regardless of who does it. I didn't want to pay someone to seed my entire yard and then me not be able to water it. I plan on overseeding with coated fescue this fall in smaller zones that I can more easily keep watered. And move zone by zone until the end of October.

But for now, I want to control the weeds before they take over - small parts of the yard have already been taken over. However, the guy said he wouldn't touch my lawn with his weed service until next summer, in fear that it would kill my existing young/distressed/thin fescue or if I went with bermuda, being too close to seeding time (which I agree with). So I just spread some feed and weed and it has done a decent job. I'll go back over with some 2,4-d in a few weeks to get the remaining weeds. I was trying to find Lesco 3-way, but I can't find that anywhere - I guess it's commercial only?

I'm interested in a spreading summer grass so I don't have to keep overseeding on a massive scale and to help minimize weeds. However, I'm not prepared to drop that kind of cash yet (saving for a massively long fence). I was just curious. I really thought about going with centipede... but you people would make fun of me

So I'll just reapply some 2,4-d this summer, lime as much as I can (per whatever maximum rate the state says is safe), and seed and fertilize fescue again in the fall. I may switch to a starter fertilizer as well, just because some areas are still thin/bare/weedy.

Another big concern is the property line ditch which then turns and goes through my yard - pretty bare/rough right now. I'm probably going to get cheap seed (fescue/rye) for that and hope for the best (not wasting money on expensive seed that may just wash away). The more I think about it, the more I just want to line and rock it. But my neighbor would have to agree and pay his share. Probably won't happen; though I may end up rocking the portion that's fully on my property. But $400/load for rock and about $600 in filter fabric adds up. And if my neighbor agrees and wants to do the entire ditch, I'd probably hire it out.

[Edited on June 12, 2013 at 1:21 PM. Reason : .]

6/12/2013 1:20:00 PM

my centipede looks pretty damn good imo

6/12/2013 5:52:39 PM

hulled bermuda seed is insanely expensive and VERY tiny. i think its about $30/# that said you'd seed it at a rate of 2#/100ftsq vs fescue which you'd seed at 10#/1000ftsq so maybe check you're lawn guys number and make sure he's seeding the bermuda at the right rate.

6/12/2013 6:41:31 PM

So I have a yard problem. I re-seeded with Fescue last fall and it looked great. Fertilized with 18-0-2 in March and it looked great yet again.

Recently, the grass has started to look a bit yellow and "dull". Also I've had several spots in the grass that were simply just dying and extremely yellow. Also had some clover and dandilions, so I decided to spray and fert.

Applied lime, 28-0-2 and a weed killer for clover that has 2-4-D in it. Watered a good bit, and hoped for the best.

Now its getting worse yet again. I'm not sure it was the work I did to it, but it certainty is a coincidence.

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So whats wrong with my poor grass?

[Edited on June 16, 2013 at 5:30 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on June 16, 2013 at 5:30 PM. Reason : /]

6/16/2013 5:29:03 PM