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Gardens, Lawns and Such...

Started by chefist, June 10, 2015, 09:46:44 PM

TigerLily

Quote from: SredniVashtar on May 16, 2017, 11:59:55 AM
On the sprawling Vashtar estate I am currently growing potatoes on one side, with zucchini on the other. Unfortunately the weather has meant that my tender zucchini plants are being menaced by snails, to which I have responded with a carpet-bombing campaign of slug pellets. 50 confirmed kills so far, with power to add.

Howzabouta Spring pic of a lovely English garden? You can post it in Bella-Haven. Stay for some coffee and bacon

SredniVashtar

Quote from: TigerLily on May 16, 2017, 12:11:57 PM
Howzabouta Spring pic of a lovely English garden? You can post it in Bella-Haven. Stay for some coffee and bacon

I will, I (I mean my team of gardeners) will have to make it a bit more presentable and cart away all the snail corpses first.

albrecht

Quote from: SredniVashtar on May 16, 2017, 11:59:55 AM
On the sprawling Vashtar estate I am currently growing potatoes on one side, with zucchini on the other. Unfortunately the weather has meant that my tender zucchini plants are being menaced by snails, to which I have responded with a carpet-bombing campaign of slug pellets. 50 confirmed kills so far, with power to add.
Not sure if they sell or ship to the UK but I have one of these for flies etc and it works ok and makes killing flies fun. Since it shoots salt it might also be a fun way to kill slugs and snails, though it might not shoot as much salt necessary.* I will try it out if I find any on my plants.
https://bugasalt.com/
* They anticipated our needs and have released a new "garden" variety which shoots a larger load of salt! Awesome.
https://bugasalt.com/products/lawn-garden-edition

coaster

I've had a few slugs to contend with. Never got too bad though. My problem are these grubs in the ground. They're maybe one or two inches long.  A landscaper friend said not to worry about them, but they have ruined some of my cannas. They burrow right into the roots.

Rix Gins

Quote from: coaster on May 16, 2017, 03:37:34 PM
I've had a few slugs to contend with. Never got too bad though. My problem are these grubs in the ground. They're maybe one or two inches long.  A landscaper friend said not to worry about them, but they have ruined some of my cannas. They burrow right into the roots.

I used to have massive, orange flowering cannas out back but they eventually dwindled and disappeared.  I wonder if it was those grubs you mentioned?  Or I probably didn't fertilize them, or divide them enough.   

SredniVashtar

This is to show you what I'm up against. There must be a dozen of those slithery bastards there.

Rix Gins

Quote from: SredniVashtar on May 16, 2017, 03:54:24 PM
This is to show you what I'm up against. There must be a dozen of those slithery bastards there.

Oh yes, those are the same type of snails that we've got here in the states.  I've often wondered if they can be packaged and sent to France as a delicacy, though I've never gotten the nerve up to sample one.  Perhaps your gardeners would know?

SredniVashtar

Quote from: Rix Gins on May 16, 2017, 04:24:29 PM
Oh yes, those are the same type of snails that we've got here in the states.  I've often wondered if they can be packaged and sent to France as a delicacy, though I've never gotten the nerve up to sample one.  Perhaps your gardeners would know?

I think the edible snails are larger than these ones. I rarely speak to the staff. I like to preserve a certain distance from the peasantry whenever possible, and they keep mentioning the fact that they haven't been paid for six months.

coaster

Quote from: SredniVashtar on May 16, 2017, 03:54:24 PM
This is to show you what I'm up against. There must be a dozen of those slithery bastards there.
Dear lord..have you tried gasoline?

akwilly

Quote from: SredniVashtar on May 16, 2017, 03:54:24 PM
This is to show you what I'm up against. There must be a dozen of those slithery bastards there.
I deal with big ass slugs by leaving beer bottles about half full around the bases of what is in planter boxes. The slugs freaking love beer (Miller lite) and go straight into the bottles where they drown and leave my plants alone. Might work on snails

mikuthing01

Quote from: akwilly on May 16, 2017, 06:42:13 PM
I deal with big ass slugs by leaving beer bottles about half full around the bases of what is in planter boxes. The slugs freaking love beer (Miller lite) and go straight into the bottles where they drown and leave my plants alone. Might work on snails

When i grew strawberries i would bury small cups and fill then with cheap beer and the slugs would fall in and drown. Even with cheap beer it got kind of expensive tho because you would have to dump and refill the cups every day. Then trees and weeds got so bad i just tilled them under and said never again, fuck strawberries! 

Rix Gins

I was taking a nap outside earlier today and felt something crawling on my arm.  I thought it was a spider and I almost swatted it away but I'm glad I held my fire because it was a baby praying mantis.  I put it on a potted tomato plant, but anyway it's the first praying mantis that I have seen this year.  There are some years that I don't ever see them at all.

Yesterday I spotted the first swallowtail butterfly of the season, in my particular locale, of course. 


nbirnes

Here is one quadrant of my cutting-field. Mowed by hand, by me. Also, I've begun to hand-weed the edges of beds, in that old-fashioned Italian way.


Rix Gins

Quote from: nbirnes on May 30, 2018, 02:06:47 PM
Here is one quadrant of my cutting-field. Mowed by hand, by me. Also, I've begun to hand-weed the edges of beds, in that old-fashioned Italian way.



Beautiful woodland quadrant you have there.

whoozit

Garden and grass I used to maintain.

albrecht

Quote from: whoozit on May 30, 2018, 07:41:12 PM
Garden and grass I used to maintain.
Where does one purchase, or make, such a dome so that  your land is protected and greenhouse like? Is that something RCH can advise on?

Yorkshire pud

It took a while but the head gardener managed to get his team organised and this afternoon we opened the new fountain..

;)

albrecht

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on May 30, 2018, 08:00:48 PM
It took a while but the head gardener managed to get his team organised and this afternoon we opened the new fountain..

;)
Looks good! One think I liked about you lot were "follies." Those guys who would make "ancient" ruins on their property and such.  A former neighbor sorta did same with some fake Grecian "ruins" near his pool and garden by the cliff. It looked ridiculous at first but now sorta fun with the plants and vines established and stone weathered. Still absurd but looks pretty good. Friend built a "grotto" in his pool, two-tiered and sorta between them, which is ridiculous but now, admittedly, is pretty awesome in a money wasting way. How often, seriously, does one use a bar in a grotto unless you are a certain purveyor of porn in Hollywood?

pate

I am getting rained out on my massive ever-expanding lawn project today.  Several years ago when I still had a gasoline powered mower a friend who I was helping move gifted me with an old-skool reel mower.  When my last gasoline mower died, I started using the reel mower and discovered that it worked really well on a certain type of grass already growing in the lawn.  Since then I have abandoned the gasoline mower (my small back yard is maybe 1500 square feet) and embarqued on a systematic genocidal extermination of weeds and crab-grasses.  I don't like to put pesticides or herbicides on the yard due to my three large dogs, and my container garden so I have hand dug and burned weeds as I find them growing.

Last year around this thyme I decided to get really serious about the grass situation and dug up/tilled the back yard, identified the species of grass that was present and worked well with the reel-mower (set at a 1 inch mowing height) and went about finding some seed of that type.  I discovered that the species present that I liked is Bermuda grass, and it was too late at that time to get seed for it as it is a warm weather grass like zoysia and some other types.  With this information in hand I proceeded to goggle the intartubes for a cool-season grass that could tolerate a 1 inch mowing height and settled on Bentgrass.  I also discovered that athletic fields are sometimes planted with a mix of Bermuda and Bentgrass.

My three dogs weigh 58, 78 & 110lbs each, one is a puppy on a high-protein diet until Christmas (apparently in addition to the salt in dog urine, a high protein diet makes dog urine the equivalent of industrial strength liquid fertilizer) so I have the added challenge of the wear and tear these dogs put on the lawn.  I figure they are the equivalent of a Rugby team in the amount of stress they inflict on the yard, especially in the summer.

Happily, Bermuda is very salt tolerant and grows aggressively if you water and fertilize regularly.  Unhappily the little bit of Bermuda I had present did not seem to survive the winter last year, but the Bentgrass that I seeded in did.  I think the Bentgrass kept growing throughout the winter as long as the temperature was above freezing.  Anyhow, Bentgrass is not as salt tolerant as the Bermuda, and I seeded Bentgrass again this spring and it took off wildly in the areas the dogs had not compacted into concrete.  According to my notes, I seeded in May with the Bentgrass, a bit late probably. 

When June came along, I made a mistake.  I lowered my mowing height to 3/4 inch and that along with "Dollar Spot" fungus, the heat and the growing puppy's high-protein diet effectively nuked my lush Bentgrass.  I think I also cut down on the watering due to the alarming water bills.

In late June, alarmed, I raised the mowing height back to  1" acquired some Bermuda seed, applied 300lbs of 2:1 sand/compost dirt topdressing and spread 120lbs of gypsum to try to break up the clay/compacted soil.  All of this in preparation for another Bentgrass seeding (I had notionally scheduled it for this weekend, but am putting it off for a week or two while the latest Bermuda seeding has a chance to get established.)

I seeded again in late July with Bermuda, this time applying 600lbs of the 2:1 sand/compost topdressing and 20# more gypsum (I understand you cannot really hurt anything with craploads of Gypsum, or "Alabaster WHyte" as I affectionately call it).

Intermittently I have acquired, various varieties of Bermuda runners that have overgrown curbs and/or invaded flower/garden beds and transplanted these into particular spots in the yard where the dogs won't allow grass to grow.  It has worked pretty well.  Even though I don't like Zoysia very much I have also acquired a small 1 square foot plug of what my lawn care friend tells me is "Emerald Zoysia" that I have installed in the most abused section of dirt/lawn.  The dogs have not yet killed it, but it remains to be seen if it survives this winter.

In early August, dissatisfied with the Bermuda coverage I opted to again seed, I altered my top-dressing formula to a 2:2:1 sand/compost dirt/peatmoss and put approximately 1750lbs over the 4.5lbs of Bermuda seed.  I amended this topdressing with finely ground gypsum (I will guess about 15lbs of it for the 1750lbs, I basically filled up a small flowerpot halfway for every wheelbareel load of topdressing).  This new topdressing for the seed is now my standard, the addition of the peatmoss really keeps the seeds moist, and assists in keeping the dirt from washing out leaving only sand behind.

This early/mid August Bermuda seed has sprouted about a week ago, and the current plan is next weekend if it is tall enough to survive a 1/4" topdressing I will use the Labor Day weekend to put together about 30 cubic feet of 2:2:1 sand/compost dirt/peatmoss topdressing (I figure that will weigh almost 3000lbs!) and try seeding some more Bentgrass for the fall/winter growing season.

I really did not think when I started this lawn project centered around a reel-mower that I would still be working on it to the almost exclusion of all else for this long.  What amuses me most about it all is that I have apparently selected varieties of grass that most would consider a nuisance/weed.  One is a cool weather grass that is very thirsty, and the other is a hot weather grass that is drought tolerant.  They both spread aggressively in their respective growing seasons which I hope will be enough to counteract the dog abusive treatment of the backyard.

Next year, if I can get my crazy Bermuda/Bentgrass plan to work and both are established healthily I plan to acquire some Creeping Red Fescue seed and overseed and topdress the whole shebang.  I am not sure how Creeping Red Fescue will tolerate a 1 inch mowing, but what the hell I like the fact that it is a really fine bladed grass.

Bermuda:

Bentgrass:

Creeping Red Fescue:

-p

ediot: please spare me the "TL:DR" TIA

albrecht

Quote from: pate on August 25, 2019, 01:39:04 PM
I am getting rained out on my massive ever-expanding lawn project today.  Several years ago when I still had a gasoline powered mower a friend who I was helping move gifted me with an old-skool reel mower.  When my last gasoline mower died, I started using the reel mower and discovered that it worked really well on a certain type of grass already growing in the lawn.  Since then I have abandoned the gasoline mower (my small back yard is maybe 1500 square feet) and embarqued on a systematic genocidal extermination of weeds and crab-grasses.  I don't like to put pesticides or herbicides on the yard due to my three large dogs, and my container garden so I have hand dug and burned weeds as I find them growing.

Last year around this thyme I decided to get really serious about the grass situation and dug up/tilled the back yard, identified the species of grass that was present and worked well with the reel-mower (set at a 1 inch mowing height) and went about finding some seed of that type.  I discovered that the species present that I liked is Bermuda grass, and it was too late at that time to get seed for it as it is a warm weather grass like zoysia and some other types.  With this information in hand I proceeded to goggle the intartubes for a cool-season grass that could tolerate a 1 inch mowing height and settled on Bentgrass.  I also discovered that athletic fields are sometimes planted with a mix of Bermuda and Bentgrass.

My three dogs weigh 58, 78 & 110lbs each, one is a puppy on a high-protein diet until Christmas (apparently in addition to the salt in dog urine, a high protein diet makes dog urine the equivalent of industrial strength liquid fertilizer) so I have the added challenge of the wear and tear these dogs put on the lawn.  I figure they are the equivalent of a Rugby team in the amount of stress they inflict on the yard, especially in the summer.

Happily, Bermuda is very salt tolerant and grows aggressively if you water and fertilize regularly.  Unhappily the little bit of Bermuda I had present did not seem to survive the winter last year, but the Bentgrass that I seeded in did.  I think the Bentgrass kept growing throughout the winter as long as the temperature was above freezing.  Anyhow, Bentgrass is not as salt tolerant as the Bermuda, and I seeded Bentgrass again this spring and it took off wildly in the areas the dogs had not compacted into concrete.  According to my notes, I seeded in May with the Bentgrass, a bit late probably. 

When June came along, I made a mistake.  I lowered my mowing height to 3/4 inch and that along with "Dollar Spot" fungus, the heat and the growing puppy's high-protein diet effectively nuked my lush Bentgrass.  I think I also cut down on the watering due to the alarming water bills.

In late June, alarmed, I raised the mowing height back to  1" acquired some Bermuda seed, applied 300lbs of 2:1 sand/compost dirt topdressing and spread 120lbs of gypsum to try to break up the clay/compacted soil.  All of this in preparation for another Bentgrass seeding (I had notionally scheduled it for this weekend, but am putting it off for a week or two while the latest Bermuda seeding has a chance to get established.)

I seeded again in late July with Bermuda, this time applying 600lbs of the 2:1 sand/compost topdressing and 20# more gypsum (I understand you cannot really hurt anything with craploads of Gypsum, or "Alabaster WHyte" as I affectionately call it).

Intermittently I have acquired, various varieties of Bermuda runners that have overgrown curbs and/or invaded flower/garden beds and transplanted these into particular spots in the yard where the dogs won't allow grass to grow.  It has worked pretty well.  Even though I don't like Zoysia very much I have also acquired a small 1 square foot plug of what my lawn care friend tells me is "Emerald Zoysia" that I have installed in the most abused section of dirt/lawn.  The dogs have not yet killed it, but it remains to be seen if it survives this winter.

In early August, dissatisfied with the Bermuda coverage I opted to again seed, I altered my top-dressing formula to a 2:2:1 sand/compost dirt/peatmoss and put approximately 1750lbs over the 4.5lbs of Bermuda seed.  I amended this topdressing with finely ground gypsum (I will guess about 15lbs of it for the 1750lbs, I basically filled up a small flowerpot halfway for every wheelbareel load of topdressing).  This new topdressing for the seed is now my standard, the addition of the peatmoss really keeps the seeds moist, and assists in keeping the dirt from washing out leaving only sand behind.

This early/mid August Bermuda seed has sprouted about a week ago, and the current plan is next weekend if it is tall enough to survive a 1/4" topdressing I will use the Labor Day weekend to put together about 30 cubic feet of 2:2:1 sand/compost dirt/peatmoss topdressing (I figure that will weigh almost 3000lbs!) and try seeding some more Bentgrass for the fall/winter growing season.

I really did not think when I started this lawn project centered around a reel-mower that I would still be working on it to the almost exclusion of all else for this long.  What amuses me most about it all is that I have apparently selected varieties of grass that most would consider a nuisance/weed.  One is a cool weather grass that is very thirsty, and the other is a hot weather grass that is drought tolerant.  They both spread aggressively in their respective growing seasons which I hope will be enough to counteract the dog abusive treatment of the backyard.

Next year, if I can get my crazy Bermuda/Bentgrass plan to work and both are established healthily I plan to acquire some Creeping Red Fescue seed and overseed and topdress the whole shebang.  I am not sure how Creeping Red Fescue will tolerate a 1 inch mowing, but what the hell I like the fact that it is a really fine bladed grass.

Bermuda:

Bentgrass:

Creeping Red Fescue:

-p

ediot: please spare me the "TL:DR" TIA
If you have sun Bermuda can be invasive (I use this term in a good way here.) Shady parts are hard to deal with grass. Recently, I'm dealing with an armadillo problem. Caught possum, caught coon, but can't catch the bastard digging up the lawn (St.Augustine.) I would appear my technique, despite rules and increasing water bill, of watering too much in attempt to catch said dillo was not working. So, I plan to do the opposite and not water, in hopes he will wander off to better pastures for the grubs, worms, etc. A difficult balance between not losing the lawn though.

Dogs do damage. Unless you can occupy them with other endeavors. You might try to overseed with rye perennial (a realtor trick) and during winter to help keep some ground cover when other grass goes dormant or looks bad. 

If your property is sufficient size, lots of sun, and no ridiculous HOA or City rules there are native seeds that actually can look nice. A prairie look. Less mowing and can actually look nice. Some have been hybridized to become more 'turf like' also. I can't vouch for those. With creativity, depending on your State's laws, you can actually get an 'Ag Exemption' for restoring prairies or native wildscape or support for creatures- even butterflies- (so lower taxes.) The general trick, if your main home, is to parcel out your home (and Homestead it) and the rest of the land as another property and get Ag Exemption on that.

Some links to native seed companies that have various native (so hardy) depending on your region: 

https://www.wildseedfarms.com/ 

https://www.seedsource.com/

pate

Quote from: albrecht on August 25, 2019, 04:23:15 PM
If you have sun Bermuda can be invasive (I use this term in a good way here.) Shady parts are hard to deal with grass. Recently, I'm dealing with an armadillo problem. Caught possum, caught coon, but can't catch the bastard digging up the lawn (St.Augustine.) I would appear my technique, despite rules and increasing water bill, of watering too much in attempt to catch said dillo was not working. So, I plan to do the opposite and not water, in hopes he will wander off to better pastures for the grubs, worms, etc. A difficult balance between not losing the lawn though.

Dogs do damage. Unless you can occupy them with other endeavors. You might try to overseed with rye perennial (a realtor trick) and during winter to help keep some ground cover when other grass goes dormant or looks bad. 

If your property is sufficient size, lots of sun, and no ridiculous HOA or City rules there are native seeds that actually can look nice. A prairie look. Less mowing and can actually look nice. Some have been hybridized to become more 'turf like' also. I can't vouch for those. With creativity, depending on your State's laws, you can actually get an 'Ag Exemption' for restoring prairies or native wildscape or support for creatures- even butterflies- (so lower taxes.) The general trick, if your main home, is to parcel out your home (and Homestead it) and the rest of the land as another property and get Ag Exemption on that.

Some links to native seed companies that have various native (so hardy) depending on your region: 

https://www.wildseedfarms.com/ 

https://www.seedsource.com/


Al, my yard is really small, approximately 25 feet wide by 55 feet deep.  I like to keep it mowed at a 1" height, and find myself mowing every couple of days.  It takes all of ten minutes to run over it with a reel mower, pick up the dog poop and any sticks that act like emergency brakes with a reel mower.

I do have a side yard that I call "Plant Thunderdome" that might benefit from the native grasses route.  Presently I put gifted/acquired stuff in there and see if it takes, I never water it, and occasionally weed it.  Seedums, day lilies, peonies, daffodils, irises, columbine, and one shrub (paradise something oranother) are all that have survived this year.  There is also some Euonomous (sp) that is growing in there, but it tends to take over, I am contemplating Vinca, which I have started on the other side of the house.

Figured I snap a couple pics of the yard and thunderdome.

Yard: [attachment=1]

Plant Thunderdome:  [attachment=2]

Yeah it all looks shitty, but it is a work in progress and I am fine with it for another few years if it actually takes.  Maybe I'll give up and just turn the whole back yard into vegetable garden and actually get something out of it.  I am in a lawn mode right now.  Thanks for the links, +19.5!

-p

albrecht

Quote from: pate on August 25, 2019, 05:56:35 PM
Al, my yard is really small, approximately 25 feet wide by 55 feet deep.  I like to keep it mowed at a 1" height, and find myself mowing every couple of days.  It takes all of ten minutes to run over it with a reel mower, pick up the dog poop and any sticks that act like emergency brakes with a reel mower.

I do have a side yard that I call "Plant Thunderdome" that might benefit from the native grasses route.  Presently I put gifted/acquired stuff in there and see if it takes, I never water it, and occasionally weed it.  Seedums, day lilies, peonies, daffodils, irises, columbine, and one shrub (paradise something oranother) are all that have survived this year.  There is also some Euonomous (sp) that is growing in there, but it tends to take over, I am contemplating Vinca, which I have started on the other side of the house.

Figured I snap a couple pics of the yard and thunderdome.

Yard: 

Plant Thunderdome:   

Yeah it all looks shitty, but it is a work in progress and I am fine with it for another few years if it actually takes.  Maybe I'll give up and just turn the whole back yard into vegetable garden and actually get something out of it.  I am in a lawn mode right now.  Thanks for the links, +19.5!

-p
I'm not totally against chemicals but do think there is something to be said for using native plants (or ones that are regionally equivalent but not invasive) because less water and less chemicals....so less cost or even potential harm. Turning into a garden is a good idea because you also get free food. (Haha, my experience here is that the cost is actually more than if one went to the market. But that because conditions here. In more milder climes you can yield a lot of stuff, fairly easily.) Does your area allow chickens? Another idea for that one area is make a coop. Pretty soon you will be overdosing on eggs but tastier ones. And the chickens will eat almost anything so recycle your food garbage, eat bugs, etc. And you will be an urban food hipster, de facto.  ;)    Rabbit and ducks are also pretty easy.  Your dogs will likely, if not acclimated, want to go after the animals though. Then again keep them occupied from tearing up the lawn! 

The other thing, which I found weird but then reassessed, is to take photos (from same point) of your yard during the day and also different times of year. Get to know, now with records, how the sun hits. Then plant, trim trees, etc accordingly. Also, I suggest vary mowing height depending on season. This can help with watering, growing, etc.

pate

Quote from: albrecht on August 25, 2019, 06:05:17 PM
...

The other thing, which I found weird but then reassessed, is to take photos (from same point) of your yard during the day and also different times of year. Get to know, now with records, how the sun hits. Then plant, trim trees, etc accordingly. Also, I suggest vary mowing height depending on season. This can help with watering, growing, etc.

I could have chickens, but you have to feed them &c.  Not really a big egg eater, the dogs are livestock enough.  Same with rabbits, although I do love to eat the rabbits not looking to add livestock at this thyme.

As to the photos for the sun thing, I sort of have a plan on that one (have yet to do it), although I think I have mentioned this plan somewhere on this site before.  On the equinoxes and solstices I want to make observations using a fixed point in the yard and mark out with structures & permanently placed plants where the shadows fall at sunrise, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and sunset.  Sort of like a yuge sundial or Stonehenge, would be helpful to plan the year's gardening activities while I drink my morning coffee contemplating the many unfinished projects and plans going on out there...

I am not against chemicals either, I do apply a fertilizer to the lawn every 30 days.  As you can see, it is more dirt than lawn, but for such a small size (less than 1500 square feet) a whole 50lb bag has lasted almost a year and a half, and there's still at least 25lbs of it left...  This is really just a vanity project, the goal being a lawn that looks like a tennis court with a small dry creek bed running through it after I complete the extensive topdressing for house foundation drainage...  Keeps me busy and out of the bar, although I think I have earned a Miller High Life tallboy today.

I did manage to finish the last bit of weeding & picking up leaves, and after I bought a pair of scissors to manicure the herb garden got that done too.  The rain today really de-railed the other stuff I was going to do.  I have some more seedums I acquired for the "Plant Thunderdome" and some English Ivy that I want to transplant to the curb to see if it takes, and more English Ivy to put in the container this transplant batch has been "nurserying" in.  I guess I just want a beer ona Sunday...

Cheers!

pate

 [attachment=1]

Looking over my yard notes, I see that Bermuda seed & topdressing went down on 12AUG2019.  The first sprouts were noticeable by 17AUG2019.

29AUG2019 Bentgrass seed went down, with some fertilizer.  First sprouts were noticeable 31AUG2019 (I love how fast the bent-grass can sprout after you spread it)

Picture above is from yesterday (the file data says 2018 because I incorrectly entered the year when setting up the camera).

[attachment=2]

This is that picture I took on 24AUG2019 from approximately the same spot.

Have had some serious rains since the top-dressing went down, it has washed most of the peatmoss & bentgrass seed down to the sidewalk that goes into the back corner compost & firewood area.  Had quite a crop of bentgrass sprouts on the mud-covered sidewalk, but the dogs have trampled the hell out of it so I think it was a waste.  There are spots around where the bentgrass is sprouting, mainly in amongst the Bermuda.  I just overseeded the Bentgrass, since I had enough seed for two seedings, I didn't think the Bermuda was tall enough yet for a top-dressing.

The plan had me putting more seed and topdressing down last weekend, but I think I will delay that for at least a week, to allow the bentgrass that has just sprouted (and is continuing to sprout) some time to get a bit taller and more established.

Mongo Llyod, & Flipper McGee decided to photo-bomb while documenting this process.

Overall I am satisfied with the progress, I wish there was more coverage but I think I am doing pretty well with the dog challenges.  In the middle left of the first photo there may be a yellow/brown spot visible, that is a dog-urine patch.  That seems to be the Achilles' heel of the lawn, even though I water on a daily basis it doesn't seem to be enough to dilute the spots.

Jojo

Quote from: pate on September 14, 2019, 01:37:16 PM
[attachment=1,msg1356316]

Looking over my yard notes, I see that Bermuda seed & topdressing went down on 12AUG2019.  The first sprouts were noticeable by 17AUG2019.

29AUG2019 Bentgrass seed went down, with some fertilizer.  First sprouts were noticeable 31AUG2019 (I love how fast the bent-grass can sprout after you spread it)

Picture above is from yesterday (the file data says 2018 because I incorrectly entered the year when setting up the camera).

[attachment=2,msg1356316]

This is that picture I took on 24AUG2019 from approximately the same spot.

Have had some serious rains since the top-dressing went down, it has washed most of the peatmoss & bentgrass seed down to the sidewalk that goes into the back corner compost & firewood area.  Had quite a crop of bentgrass sprouts on the mud-covered sidewalk, but the dogs have trampled the hell out of it so I think it was a waste.  There are spots around where the bentgrass is sprouting, mainly in amongst the Bermuda.  I just overseeded the Bentgrass, since I had enough seed for two seedings, I didn't think the Bermuda was tall enough yet for a top-dressing.

The plan had me putting more seed and topdressing down last weekend, but I think I will delay that for at least a week, to allow the bentgrass that has just sprouted (and is continuing to sprout) some time to get a bit taller and more established.

Mongo Llyod, & Flipper McGee decided to photo-bomb while documenting this process.

Overall I am satisfied with the progress, I wish there was more coverage but I think I am doing pretty well with the dog challenges.  In the middle left of the first photo there may be a yellow/brown spot visible, that is a dog-urine patch.  That seems to be the Achilles' heel of the lawn, even though I water on a daily basis it doesn't seem to be enough to dilute the spots.
Looks good.  Nice and natural.  I don't see the yellow at all.  One idea is to corral the dogs with fencing to control where they go, and then open the fence after they peed.  Lot of work thought.

pate

Quote from: Jojo on September 14, 2019, 01:42:22 PM
...  I don't see the yellow at all...

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BoJo get really close to your viewing device and examine the area inside the red oval in the above picture.

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Moving along;  rain delayed this weekends' lawn clean-up, top-dressing, pre-fall tree trimming and potting of plants.  I haven't mowed since 12SEP2019 to allow the grass to grow tall in preparation for the top-dressing & bentgrass seed.  I actually had already called off this weekend seeding/top-dressing since I check the extended forecast and the predicted temperatures were in the 90s Mon-Wed.  Bentgrass in my little experience thrives best mid 80s and lower, the "torrential rain" that is supposed to hit tomorrow cemented the decision to punt it out another week.

I believe there are enough images of the yard from slightly different angles and elevations for a code-monkey to begin the 3d modeling process of my backyard, why they would bother I couldn't tell you, but I sure would like to see it.  I digress...

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For those of you following along at home, the above image is what the State of The PFDRp (People's Free Democratic Republic of pate) Whyte Haus Lawn was back in 2014 (I think).  I note that there were several exciting weed varietals growing:  Creeping Charlie, Wild Violets, White Clover, Trumpet Vine, Crab Grass, Quack Grass, Mock Strawberry and I believe the medium bladed Bermuda Grass.   The People's Freely Elected Dictator-for-Life embarked on a genocidal campaign against some of these ne'erdowells and is happy to report that except for White Clover, Trumpet Vine and Bermuda Grass these criminal invaders have all but been wiped out.

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Above is a photograph of a plant that was rescued from the curb, notice how it is segregated from the rest of the population with some humane non-razor wire barrier material.  It is believed that this vagrant came from a tropical climate and is being held in quarantine, and although it was "renditioned" to the PFDRp gov't is considering asylum and eventual 2nd class citizenship.  Currently, it is being interviewed and waterboarded to determine its eventual status.

Recruit-in-Training PV1 Mongo, of the PFDRp seems suspicious of this one, and may get over-zealous in his "interviewing" of our new arrival and there is a small possibility that it will be found mangled and dying one day.  The glorious PFDRp medical system will attempt to keep it alive in that event, but probably nothing heroic will occur.

That is All, Carrie-Anne.

-p

pate

Good lord, last weekend was brutal.  I mixed up approximately 3750lbs of topdressing of my new standard 2:2:1 Sand:Dirt/Compost:Peatmoss mix.  Fertilized, threw out about 20lbs of pelletized gypsum and enough bentgrass seed for the whole yard, then enlisted my nephew to help me spread the topdressing on top of all of it.

Yard was looking pretty good before I did all this:


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27SEP2019 Hanz (he has great teeth) and Mongo enjoying the yard after I picked up all the leaves in preparation for a 2" pre-topdressing mow.

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29SEP2019 Mongo Lloyd, Hans Tzu & Flipper McGee survey the 2" mowing and enjoy some sun.  Mongo seems dubious of my decision to put 1/2"-5/8" of topdressing over what looks to be a fairly decent lawn.  Dictatorial decree allows no dissention in the ranks, PV1-recruit Lloyd was severely disciplined, sent to re-education camp and was placed on half-rations for two days.  I am a just and fair leader.

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30SEP2019 Flip & Mongo inspect the aftermath of the topdressing operation, they are justly afraid of stepping on the newly laid down dirt, sand and peatmoss mixture.  Severe life-threatening beatings are promised to any canine soldier that messes up the bentgrass re-colonization operation.

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04OCT2019 Today, as of now too small to show up in the photograph are the first microscopic bentgrass sprouts.  Some of the established grasses are beginning to poke through the topdressing and the week of light rain has not made too many washout zones.  I expect in a week's time if the dogs don't trash the yard too badly that things will be looking up.  Temperatures are going to be in the 60-75F sweet zone where the bentgrass thrives and apparently does its most efficient photosynthesizing.  Don't know if the soil temperature will reach the 50F sweet spot for maximum root growth, but I am hopeful.  This is the final throw of the dice on the lawn renovation for this year, and I think it will be touch and go as this is the absolute latest in the season for seeding.

The bentgrass seed went down on 29SEP2019, and the long range forecast has the first dip below 32F to occur sometime around Thanksgiving.  That gives a little over 7 weeks of growing before the freezes start happening which should be plenty of time for the grass to reach maturity and get an established foot hold.  I plan to overseed again next year in March or so, as soon as the last freeze happens.

I have a really good feeling about this, fingers are crossed that I will have something other than bare dirt to look at this winter.  Last year it seemed to me that the bentgrass stayed green all winter and actually grew a little bit whenever the temperatures got above freezing for a few days.

-p


ediot:  apologies if this is multiple posting of the same damn thing, I am attempting to make the post without any attached pictures.  Good lord, I think I may have broken the site.  Haha, what a lame post to break bellchan with!  I stand by my work, it all looks fine to me now.  nJoy!

pate

Well it has been about two weeks since I did the seed & top-dressing and I am starting to see results, although my Bermuda grass is going into hibernation for the winter. The dogs are doing there best to kill it already;  the 100lb knucklehead likes to "wipe" his paws after he takes a dump, killing all sorts of new sprouts and probably some established Bermuda grass too.  I still think it looks pretty good considering the 250lbs of destructive canines that have free reign while I try this quixotic task.

Yard two weeks ago:

[attachment=1,msg1362204]
04OCT2019

Yard today:

[attachment=2,msg1362204]
17OCT2019

The leaves are starting to fall pretty good, and my summer long hand picking up of leaves is over.  I don't want to rake them so for the past two weekends a friend that owns a lawn business has graciously loaned me his STIHL BR700 leaf blower (cue Tim Allen Tool Thyme monkey sounds):



That thing is fucking badass!  What would have probably taken me an hour or three to do without fucking up the sprouts with a rake I did in like 10 minutes.  I want one of my own, but they are like $700 or something;  ridiculous for my tiny 1500 sqft yard.  Someone should start a GoFundMe page for my yard or something, PM me for deets.  Now I will not miss the CHIEFS game tonight due to OCD leaf cleanup.

Cheers!

albrecht

Quote from: pate on October 17, 2019, 05:37:34 PM
Well it has been about two weeks since I did the seed & top-dressing and I am starting to see results, although my Bermuda grass is going into hibernation for the winter. The dogs are doing there best to kill it already;  the 100lb knucklehead likes to "wipe" his paws after he takes a dump, killing all sorts of new sprouts and probably some established Bermuda grass too.  I still think it looks pretty good considering the 250lbs of destructive canines that have free reign while I try this quixotic task.

Yard two weeks ago:

 
04OCT2019

Yard today:

 
17OCT2019

The leaves are starting to fall pretty good, and my summer long hand picking up of leaves is over.  I don't want to rake them so for the past two weekends a friend that owns a lawn business has graciously loaned me his STIHL BR700 leaf blower (cue Tim Allen Tool Thyme monkey sounds):



That thing is fucking badass!  What would have probably taken me an hour or three to do without fucking up the sprouts with a rake I did in like 10 minutes.  I want one of my own, but they are like $700 or something;  ridiculous for my tiny 1500 sqft yard.  Someone should start a GoFundMe page for my yard or something, PM me for deets.  Now I will not miss the CHIEFS game tonight due to OCD leaf cleanup.

Cheers!
STIHL still has a, some would say, outdated franchise sales model. But it keeps their reputation up and they continue to make solid products, often worth the extra cost when compared to other brands. Also does help support more local, smaller businesses- not just Amazon or the HD/Lowe's. You could always look on CL, pawnshops, or small engine repair shops where a used or refurbished model might be available. Overkill for such a small yard but that is the American Way, dammit! 

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