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Gardens, Lawns and Such...

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

pate

Part II

I am somewhat disappointed that I did not manage to break Bellgab/bellchan with that last post.

I snapped a picture of the finished potting mix today, after a thunder-hailstorm that put tree-trash all over the place:
[attachment=1]

I am glad the weather wasn't doing that yesterday and the day before.

I figure I made (and will make as there is still a bit of the vermiculite/perlite/sand mix to go through) a total of 36 cubic feet of potting mix.  A cubic yard of sand cost ~$40 and I only used 4 cubic feet of it for this, and the Perlite and Vermiculite both cost $40 each for 4 cubic feet.  3 cubic feet of compressed Peat Moss costs about $20 a bale, and the dirt/wormcastings are free.

For about $100 (and some sweat, and perhaps 8 hours of work) I made a shit-ton of premium potting soil.  Organic and all that crap, too.

I traded my neighbor two and a half wheelbarrows of the potting mix for a bale of Peat Moss, or about 67.5 gallons of finished potting soil.  She was pretty happy, and saved me a trip to stand in line to get into the hardware store, then stand in line at social distance to get out of the store.  Win/win I think.

The rest of the cubic yard of sand I will use to set a brick path on the side of the house, where said neighbor's lack of guttering has eroded everything, and what is left from that will be mixed with peat-moss and whatever is left from last year's compost for top-dressing on the Monaco Bermuda seed I plan to get down real soon now.

Where does the damn thyme go?

-p

pate

Wow, the thyme goethe fast appear-runtly!

Hah!

The last lawn snap I posted was apparently on or about 04MAY2020.  Apparently, I managed to take another pic on 24MAY2020.  Then last week or so made a portrait of the State of the Lawn on 27JUL2020.

I managed to get part of the aforementioned brick-path finished in a very nice bordered herring-bone, but it was the small section in the front of the property, outside of the bounds of the back-yard.  That section is solid, but need a bit of re-setting in places, and perhaps a brick-saw, as I did not cut to-fit the bricks along the edging.

As to the Monaco Bermuda seeding, I think it went well.  The picture of 27JUL202 is of almost 100% Bermuda grasses, not a bit of the bent-grass seems evident.  I have since the initial and secondary seeding of Monaco Bermuda raised the mowing height at 1/4" increments every two weeks or so to the present height of 1.75".  I also acquired from a different vendor a "non-descript" common Bermuda, which I have been overseeding in one pound increments every 10 days mainly focused on the bare patches.  From thyme to thyme, as the existant Bermuda patches grow over the sidewalk, and when weather allows, I have been "harvesting" and transplanting the Bermuda runners to appropriate places in the lawn.

I haven't watered much this summer, and the bent-grass is either dormant or dead.  I expect it will return with vigor when the temperatures fall below 80 degress, but am fully prepared to purchase more of the seed.

The garden is doing fairly well for the late start.  All 18 of the cabbages are still alive, some barely, and I expect to be able to make a decent quantity of sauerkraut/choucroute this fall/winter.  The yellow squash, despite my valiant battle with the squash borer beetle:



are not as vigorous as in years past.  I decided not to use pesticides this year, and the casualties were severe.  I believe that pest has run its course, and all of the yellow squash are still alive, but not really happy.   Of the 8 or so planted, perhaps 4 are yielding flowers still.  I noticed this morning, much to my surprise, that one actually has a fruit that may yet reach maturity!

The cucumbers have produced, and appear to be doing okay.  I have so far pickled 3 quarts of them, and believe I have overcome the dreaded cucumber beetle:



due to my early vigilance in removing the infested dead blossoms and extermination of the egg-laying adults.  A pair of long tweezers was most helpful in that quest, I still have hope of making many more pints and quarts of pickles.

The cabbages suffered horribly from the cabbage moth:



I was reduced to using the tweezers to pick their voracious young from my precious plants.  This method actually seems to work better than my normal Sevin dusting, although it is a bit more time consuming.  The damage is severe, but once you kill the caterpillar, the plant recovers.  That damn cabbage moth is impossible to catch as a mature adult!  Look for the caterpillars in the early morning, they seem to hide during the heat of the day...

Peppers and Tomatoes are doing great, I planted mainly Romas this year and have several green ones that I hope are ready for picking in a week or so.  I grew them all from seed so I imagine my bountiful harvest will be late.  On the Pepper front, the "Store-bought" Red Bells have yet to flower, but a friend of mine that works at a greenhouse gifted me with a bunch of Hot Bananas, a Ghost and some Tomatoes that have already produced.  Apparently, they were destined for the dumpster but she "liberated" them for me!  Haha!

I should take a picture of my container garden to share, but I probably won't.  Too much shit to fix!

Cheers, my fiends!

-p

ediot:  if I did everything correctly there should be three pictures in chronological order below that show the progress of the lawn.




pate

I am embarrassed to report that the container gawr-dern is not quite as auspicious as I reported it to be expected some months ago...

There is still that potential Yellow Squash (one of two now still somewhat viable) that is probably best suited for seed next year.  Not yellow at all, I probably should have picked it early and eaten it as Zuccinni, yuck.

https://youtu.be/yDThrTxWBmw

By now it is woody and inedible...

The cucumbers are mostly deceased, although one of the Picklebush and the sole American Pickling are still alive, I will let them both survive but doubt that they will have a late-fall harvest (fingers crossed all the same).

Cabbages, however seem to have weathered the Kansas City heat storm, and as they are not bound for the State Fair as prize winners, I may yet get some sauerkraut/chocrute if the vile Cabbage Moth is quite done with the devastation it wreaks.

Peppers are happy enough, I have pickled all the Hot Bananas that enjoyed the heat, and there are still a few left to pick...  Apparently, among the dumpster-bound foundlings were not only Ghost Peppers (YIKES) but a Habenero and Jalepeno as well!  I have not harvested these, as I really only like Red Bell Peppers, and those were a complete bust this year.

Currently there are two Romas that might be harvested in the Tomato realm, but they need more sun-ripening.

All told, this is a dismal year for my container garden.  I blame my lack of watering more than anything.  I made a gallon or two of pickles from the cukes, and the Roma tomatoes got me three or so gallons of tomato sauce (with the addition of store-bought onions &tc).  Not one Yellow Squash has graced my plate next to a Ribeye...

It wasn't so much a hot summer for Kansas City as it was a dry summer...

Plant Thunderdome, however:

[attachment=1]

seems fine, I think the flowers when I took the picture are the Surprise Lillies, although the "Paradise Bush" or whatever it is actually called bloomed right when the guy I acquired it from died.  That was a wierd thing;  I took a photo and sent it to the contact and got a prompt reply that the man had just died.  He wanted it gone because in five or so years could never get it to flower...  Anyhow, the Wild Clematis is now flowering on the fence along the border of Plant Thunderdome.

Allegedly, cooler temperatures are right around the corner for Kansas City, so I look forward to perhaps a full week and maybe a half further before the Frigid grip of winter sets in...

Here is to a late cucumber and cabbage harvest!

Prosit!


Jackstar

Quote from: pate on September 07, 2020, 05:53:08 AMPlant Thunderdome, however:

That looks really nice, pate. If I entered that garden, I'd never wanna leave--two men or not.

pate

Over the course of the last week or so I have been bringing inside all of my tropical/sub-tropical type plants that cannot survive the winter outdoors, and also picked up all the Boston Ferns that my mother buys every year and lets freeze to death if I do not grab them.  I have been grabbing her Boston Ferns for a few years now, and I always tell her that I will give them back to her alive in the following spring so she doesn't have to waste $15-20 a plant buying them again.  This year is the first year I actually convinced her to take some back, and I have finally convinced her to stop wasting a few hundred dollars every spring so what survives of the 20-plus Ferns up in the third floor south room she will get back next year, I think that roughly approaches $400 in Boston Ferns!  Hah, maybe I should "sell" them back to her at $5/plant, that would probably be wrong and I will not do it, hehe...

Here is a shitty panorama of what I call "The Jungle Room," both as a nod to Elvis and because one of my brothers "gifted" me the sweet Leopard painting/print in the corner of the room:

[attachment=4,msg1430835]

It is really crowded this year, but the dogs love it they like to hang out on the futon and sleep in the sun during the winter.

-------

As for the lawn, I think it is doing really well.  I chose not to overseed with more bent-grass this fall to see how well the stuff spreads and fills in through the Bermuda grass I seeded over the summer.

Here is what things looked like last year about this time:

[attachment=1,msg1430835]

This is late July when the first batch of Bermuda seed had grown and started to fill in:

[attachment=2,msg1430835]

And this is yesterday, the Bermuda is really "going to sleep" for the winter:

[attachment=3,msg1430835]

The Bent grass is starting to wake up in spots, but not as much as I like.  I think it is because there hasn't really been any rain at all for the past month or so, although there was a nice drizzle day before yesterday, and a bit of rain last night.  It looks like there will be more rain coming this weekend, which is good because that Bent grass is thirsty stuff, I am still mowing every other day and where the Bent is thickest it growing in spite of the "drought."  I have not been watering this year to see how my mix of Bermuda and Bent will survive the weird Kansas City weather:  hot as fuck in the summer and cold a shit in the winter with about 2-3 weeks of decent weather in the Fall and Spring.

-------

The garden totally sucked this year, hopefully next year when I mix up more of my custom potting-soil mix there will be enough to finally just put it all on top of the concrete pad and just have a 1-2 foot deep 12 foot by 14 foot garden bed.  But probably not, as I recall the amount of Potting mix I made this year was probably only enough to make a 6 inch deep bed and I don't think that is quite deep enough.  And, I will need to put drainage in and build walls around it so probably that will all have to wait a little while longer.

This concludes the People's Free Democratic Republic of pate "State of the Lawn Address."

Go fix some shit you lazy bastiges!

-p


pate

Official Veteran's Day State of the Lawn Address, from the People's Free Democratic Republic of pate Duly Elected by Unanimous Accord Dictator-for-Life and United States Shadow-President (elect) pate.

While we await the Shadow Supreme Court and Shadow Electoral College to confirm my ascendant recent victory, and find that really high multiple of "lost" pate ballots that were fraudulently suppressed by both my political enemies and their associated corrupt political lackeys here is some Evidence of the shit that has been fixed in the PFDRp over the years.  Mind you, this is only in the back forty.

This is the earliest known photographic record of the State of the Lawn from over a year ago:

[attachment=1,msg1437607]
13SEP2019

This is from about two weeks ago, shortly before the American People unanimously elected me to be the next President and some dirty shysters colluded to have ALL of the HIGH MULTIPLES of legitimate and totally legal ballots burned/lost/misdelivered/&c:

[attachment=2,msg1437607]
22OCT2020

And today, after I finished blowing the leaves into the corner and mowing the whole thing at a 1" height:

[attachment=3,msg1437607]
11NOV2020

No one can dispute my ascendancy in the fixing of that shit.  Although the Bent Grass is only now starting to wake up from the long summer slumber and the Bermuda continues to fade into winter dormancy, it is clear and no one can dispute that by Mid-January this lawn will be lush and happy in spite of the ensuing frigid months.  That is the sort of shit fixing the MAPA initiative brings to the table.  When all this current controversy is cleared up and I am sworn in as President, the entire nation can look forward to having lawns almost as awesome as that one, or they will die trying.

Here is further evidence of Shit Fixing, this would be in Plant Thunderdome from a little over a year ago:

[attachment=4,msg1437607]
25AUG2019

And here is Plant Thunderdome after not even one brief year of the THUNDERDOME LIGHTNING project:

[attachment=5,msg1437607]
06AUG2020

I look forward to a brief but exciting 100 days of Full Spectrum Subjugation of America to usher in the New Normal of an America Made Pate Again, the truly enlightened result of my Forward Looking plan to Make America Pate Again;  at the conclusion of which I will hand over the Reigns of Power to K_Dubb's velvet gloved fist.

So say we all, or you will die trying.

Thank you in advance!  It is an honor to serve.

pate/K_Dubb 2020
"We are going to fix totally fixed this shit"

albrecht

Quote from: pate on November 11, 2020, 05:17:49 PM
Official Veteran's Day State of the Lawn Address, from the People's Free Democratic Republic of pate Duly Elected by Unanimous Accord Dictator-for-Life and United States Shadow-President (elect) pate.


And here is Plant Thunderdome after not even one brief year of the THUNDERDOME LIGHTNING project:

 
06AUG2020

I look forward to a brief but exciting 100 days of Full Spectrum Subjugation of America to usher in the New Normal of an America Made Pate Again, the truly enlightened result of my Forward Looking plan to Make America Pate Again;  at the conclusion of which I will hand over the Reigns of Power to K_Dubb's velvet gloved fist.

So say we all, or you will die trying.

Thank you in advance!  It is an honor to serve.

pate/K_Dubb 2020
"We are going to fix totally fixed this shit"
The counts are still coming in. I hope certain ballots will be found in some bushes. Is the elevated flow situation of splash blocks due to heavy rain expectations or weird drainage situation? You need to get these dogs out running more elsewhere. Let them tear up public spaces. Let it be "tragedy of the commons," not your yard.

pate

Quote from: albrecht on November 11, 2020, 06:51:25 PM
The counts are still coming in. I hope certain ballots will be found in some bushes. Is the elevated flow situation of splash blocks due to heavy rain expectations or weird drainage situation? You need to get these dogs out running more elsewhere. Let them tear up public spaces. Let it be "tragedy of the commons," not your yard.

That down spout is from the roof on the front porch, maybe 15' x 7' section of roof, not much flow there, but what little there is I am trying to direct to the Thunderdome and possibly the backyard if it makes it that far.  Thunderdome is really dry typically, and I almost never water it.  They are elevated because the crown of the little local watershed there runs along the front of the house, about in line with the porch, so yeah, weird drainage situation.

As for the yard, the dogs tearing it up are actually part of the program.  I did my research and found that athletic fields use a mix of Bermuda and Bentgrass.  I started with Bentgrass, and had trouble getting Bermuda until late last year and skipped any Bent seeding this year which is sort of backwards, I should have started with Bermuda got that established and then put the Bent in when it went dormant.  It'll be fine, I expect next year for the Bermuda to finish filling in everywhere, and probably the Bent will fill in nicely over the winter and I can do a fall seeding next year in a dense Bermuda base.  Too late for Bent seed now, tax-man ate up the Bentgrass money this year, bastige.

The grass needs to "learn" to tolerate the stress the dogs put on it, which it has, it just looks bad in the pictures because of the low angle and the Bermuda just now going dormant.  If there is decent moisture over the winter I think the tiny patches of Bent that do not show up so well in the pictures will start to spread in now that the Bermuda is going to sleep.  There is a lot of topdressing that has happened over the past year and a half and a new gutter system.

That is a really low camera angle on those pictures, maybe I will take a shot from the second or third floor one of these days when the leaves are gone from the trees.  No promises.

Taking 350lbs on a dozen paws out for a "run" is a bit much for one guy, so that is probably not going to happen.  If I try to take them out individually the ones left behind tend to jump the fence and join the party so it is an "all or nothing" thing on Adventures.  Nah, the PFDRp Lawn Rehab is one of those Long March deals, I will get there eventually and it will look awesome, just will take a bit of time is all.

Plus it gives me something to do, I am always transplanting the little clumps the dogs churn up to the bare spots where they generally do great.  It'll be fine and stronger in the long run with the dog abuse.

Jackstar

Quote from: pate on November 11, 2020, 10:19:17 PM
As for the yard, the dogs tearing it up are actually part of the program.  I did my research

I fucking love this person, and I don't give a single ripe wet fuck who knows it. Kudos.

Quote from: pate on November 11, 2020, 10:19:17 PM
Taking 350lbs on a dozen paws out for a "run" is a bit much for one guy, so that is probably not going to happen.

Weak.

albrecht

Quote from: pate on November 11, 2020, 10:19:17 PM
That down spout is from the roof on the front porch, maybe 15' x 7' section of roof, not much flow there, but what little there is I am trying to direct to the Thunderdome and possibly the backyard if it makes it that far.  Thunderdome is really dry typically, and I almost never water it.  They are elevated because the crown of the little local watershed there runs along the front of the house, about in line with the porch, so yeah, weird drainage situation.

As for the yard, the dogs tearing it up are actually part of the program.  I did my research and found that athletic fields use a mix of Bermuda and Bentgrass.  I started with Bentgrass, and had trouble getting Bermuda until late last year and skipped any Bent seeding this year which is sort of backwards, I should have started with Bermuda got that established and then put the Bent in when it went dormant.  It'll be fine, I expect next year for the Bermuda to finish filling in everywhere, and probably the Bent will fill in nicely over the winter and I can do a fall seeding next year in a dense Bermuda base.  Too late for Bent seed now, tax-man ate up the Bentgrass money this year, bastige.

The grass needs to "learn" to tolerate the stress the dogs put on it, which it has, it just looks bad in the pictures because of the low angle and the Bermuda just now going dormant.  If there is decent moisture over the winter I think the tiny patches of Bent that do not show up so well in the pictures will start to spread in now that the Bermuda is going to sleep.  There is a lot of topdressing that has happened over the past year and a half and a new gutter system.

That is a really low camera angle on those pictures, maybe I will take a shot from the second or third floor one of these days when the leaves are gone from the trees.  No promises.

Taking 350lbs on a dozen paws out for a "run" is a bit much for one guy, so that is probably not going to happen.  If I try to take them out individually the ones left behind tend to jump the fence and join the party so it is an "all or nothing" thing on Adventures.  Nah, the PFDRp Lawn Rehab is one of those Long March deals, I will get there eventually and it will look awesome, just will take a bit of time is all.

Plus it gives me something to do, I am always transplanting the little clumps the dogs churn up to the bare spots where they generally do great.  It'll be fine and stronger in the long run with the dog abuse.
I think a troubling mix of hydrocarbon industry (good) and Californians (bad) make many playing field surfaces here artificial. However, not as bad as the Astroturf of old. Seen in Cali in people's yards even now! Actually amazingly good. Not sure if dog proof, but certainly better than stuff played on back when. But I still think real grass, of whatever types, better. And weird. Bouncy and strange black crap that comes up when you hit the dirt. Joose will be having lawsuits soon, I expect. And unlike Cali won't likely work here for yards, plastics- or whatever the hell it is, gets hot.

ps: legal questions to all. Is it better to HAVE a dog warning sign, or not? In terms of a dog bite situation. Basic common law (most places, only playing lawyer on BG) says "dog gets one free bite" BUT if one had a sign warning does that eliminate "right" or indemnify? One could argue, you know your dog bites? Or I warned you? Or, simply, if it was the 'first bite' it doesn't matter?

pate

State of the Yard Address, 21JUL2022 -from the People's Free Democratic Republic of pate Duly Elected by Unanimous Accord Dictator-for-Life and United States Shadow-President (elect) pate.

The State of the Yard is dismal:  due to necessarily sky-rocketing petrochemical costs (affecting Ag-diesel, Plum and fertilizer market futures), an over-abundantly zealous inflation-rate, and budgetary concerns;  The Lawn has experienced Dune/Arrakis/Rakis-levels of Hydraulic Despotism.

Plant Thunderdome, however, continues to thrive with only a mild set-back on the sedum front.  Some sedum species are thriving under the new austerity measures however.

The Bermuda grass at this time is struggling valiantly to spread and is very probably sending out runners as I type, I may deign to water them sparingly as encouragement.  No deep drought-cracks have yet developed in the yard, so the water table yet exists although it may not last the predicted two weaks to two months of 90+ temperatures with little to no precipitation.  This is normal climate for the midwest, however:  so I fully expect the strong roots and/or foundations laid in the past to rebound with cooler fall temperatures and increased precipitation.

On the tree & shrubbery front, there is one alarming development:  the "Harvest Gold Elderberry" or whatever it was called that I put in a few years ago has succumbed to something.

Certainly not lack of water:  as each main stem has experienced the droopy "I am dying" thing it has gone through over the past month or so in rather quick succession.  I have watered the thing on a slow, ground penetrating IV-type drip (hose turned to small trickle and left to saturate the ground around the elderberry);  this had no effect on the progressive decline of the apparently doomed shrub.

I think this may possibly be the result of internal acts of sabotage by the PFRDp's Canine Armed Forces; they refuse to maintain proper hydration levels in spite of the copious amounts of water provided to them and their effluent discharges are very probably on the level of highly concentrated liquid ammonium nitrate fertilizer:  Nautical Shore.

The two columnar oaks have, however, gained some 9-12 inches of new growth so far over the summer of 2022, and after my somewhat infrequent waterings have experienced growth spurts.  This reminds me that perhaps they are due for another deep watering, as I have neglected them during the Elderberry Debacle.

I still hold out hope that the Elderberry is only going through a normal high-heat dormancy.  I think, but cannot be sure (I have misplaced last year's notes, and they are obviously not going to be present hear in any form due to reasons), that it had experienced a similar thing last year.

Only thyme will tell; which is also incidentally suffering from the heat and water austerity measures:  yet it holds on without providing enough to ethically harvest.  I have a single tarrragon plant in the nursery, two sage plants (one of which is in intensive care due to Chief Warrant Officer (III) Flipper McGee's club-footed stompery) and perhaps a half-dozen Global Basil plants in containers.

The Basil will be brought in with the tropicals when the weather begins to cool down, but I will once again attempt to see if both Tarragon and Sage can manage a winter outdoors.  I suspect they can, perhaps I should attempt them both in Plant Thunderdome?

The Ginko tree had a giant branch knocked off a few months back by an over-exhuberant trucker with a really tall trailer, but is otherwise unaffected.  I wish I had grabbed the severed limb for firewood, as I wonder what it would have smelled like while burning?

The firewood supply has been replenished due to an unfortunate Red Oak & Carpenter Ant disaster on one of the PFRDp satellite territories, and has also provided several board-feet of stock lumber as well as four 9"x9" posts and one beam for culinary expansion projects.  Of course, that last bit is not pertinent to this thread:  I may or may not make an address in the appropriate thread on that development should thyme and inclination allow.

That is all, Carrie Anne.

-p

aldousburbank

In a different dimension, Pate has been posting on BellGab for the past year and a half.

pate

Quote from: aldousburbank on July 21, 2022, 11:05:25 PMIn a different dimension, Pate has been posting on BellGab for the past year and a half.

Indeed, I am told that Liberace! has printed all of those posts out on legal size paper (8.5"x14" not 8.5"x11" which when added together is 19.5") and would be happy to fax them in their entirety to any user that cares to provide a fax number.



Or so I was led to believe, Nautical Shore.

-p

comaphobe

My degenerate neighbors stay at home all the time and often wake up no earlier than 4pm. They are welfare people. Actually they are not people, but creatures.

They play loud 'music' (it's actually not music IMO) until 7am and usually drink all night and smoke crack cocaine when they can afford it. They also booze it up with economically-priced bottles of wine. They often smoke the most hideously awful, shaggy, nutty-crotch scented dirty prison weed that smells so disgusting that it will make you gag. Maybe they put ground-up crack rocks in their weed blunts.

They also burn incense 24/7 and my backyard reeks of scented poisonous hell. It makes me furious. It comes in my kitchen window and makes my house become a flavor polluted poisonous fuck lung. It is toxic and it should be banned.

Incense gives me an absolutely severe sinus infection, extreme asthma, and it makes me weak. It puts me right out. It is pure poison to me, I do not react well to incense sticks at all. I literally suffocate to death from it.

My backyard is ruined because it smells like the thickest, hellish, poisonous and absolutely wretched imitation-cherry flavored shit bomb. It is beyond disgusting. It is a health hazard. I am anti-scent to begin with.

I don't even like air fresheners. I don't like my house to smell like anything. I like when it smells like newly built house. My house was built in 1886 and I have made it period-correct, except for the kitchen/bathroom fixtures and appliances as well as the ceramic tiles on the floor. Unlike some houses that are 130 years old and smell old, mine does not because I have filled every gap, every piece of framing and trim, even the ducts are filled in and all heating vents are filled and covered over, and are air tight. There are no gaps anywhere, along any edge or corner. My house does not smell old, and I do not believe in lysol, glade plugins, scented candles, or artificial freshness of any kind.

Now this ghetto trash is too close to me and they are poisoning me. They live in a student apartment, but they are not even students. They shouldn't be there.

I don't know how in the hell it can be so potent outdoors in the open air. The incense just billows out of their shitshack and pollutes my whole property. When it gets inside my house it takes 48-72 hours to air out. But opening windows at both ends actually makes it worse, plus doing that negates my air conditioner near my bedrooms and main living space.

I use AC at the one end of my apartment with the rooms and living space, but in my kitchen I need to have the window open because it is on the opposite end of my apartment and is outside of the section of house that I keep air conditioned.

Fuck, I want them dead. I can't even sit outside out back with fresh air anymore, as I have done so for years, until these pricks came along. How can it smell like an incense bomb outside 24-7? Do they make some kind of automatic insense burner like hookah pipe or something? It is so intense that I want to die of disgust/lack of clean air and polluted respiratory stream, but I would rather that they die instead.

Plus my tax money is paying for all the misery they cause. I am not anti-welfare but these animals are hardcore abusers of the system.

Their lease was up 2 or 3 months ago and these roaches will not leave. I wish they would get hit by a bus or a truck, but they only ever leave the house to buy/sell weird palm-sized mystery drugs in the alley nearby, probably crack.

I am being poisoned against my will. My backyard is toxic. I enjoy sitting on the rooftop patio and it is even worse up there. I am gonna have to make a batch of Zyklon-C.

War.

ItsOver

Quote from: aldousburbank on July 21, 2022, 11:05:25 PMIn a different dimension, Pate has been posting on BellGab for the past year and a half.
Ha!  ;D

pate

Quote from: albrecht on August 14, 2022, 12:53:43 PMNot for green reasons but I gave up on my lawnmower of death (dubbed so because I cannibalized two mowers to make run and disabled all safeties so blades would run without the safeties required by govt edicts and would run so loud and nasty burning oil so inhalations were, likely, dangerous.) So I went green n got an old-school mower for the house yard which isn't so large. Brand new for $15 by a guy who got it to 'help him exercise but gave up on that on being too hard.'
 
Actually works great and added benefit it has that top cut (versus side cuts) like the pros use on ballfields and golf courses. And quiet so I can mow anytime I want and hear bizarre things like the guest on C2C last night who discovered a replication/archeological find of the Spokane airport under the sea of Baja! But the runways were even larger! Unfortunately Olivia from Austin doesn't have access to a computer with pictures and so she "misses out on a lot."

Are you talking about a "Reel Mower?":



If so, I have four of them!

A micro 14" (Scotts), 2x 16" (Scotts & American), and a 18" (Great States).

I use the 18" for my commercial property maintenance gig, the Scotts 16" for my back-yard and have the 14" on loan to the back neighbors (they foolishly landscaped and planted grass in an area without making sure their tiny garden path was wide enough for their 18" [Mother Nature or somesuch nonesense eco-brand name]).

The old and original American is retired, I beat the hell out of it on the commercial lot, and is mainly for spare parts.

I think these are all pretty much manufactured by the same company:  as the parts on the Scotts, American/Great States are all perfectly interchangeable with one another.  Scotts probably just has them paint them green and slap a "Scotts" sticker on them then sells them for more $$$, gotta love capitalism!

When I need new gear and pawls I order direct from Great States:

https://americanlawnmower.com/collections/great-states

If you have to replace those, REMEMBER to make sure the LEFT one goes on the LEFT and the RIGHT one goes on the RIGHT, otherwise the reel will spin backwards and not cut anything (this is actually useful when you are sharpening the bedknife with some sharpening compound):

https://youtu.be/IG30TLMYyVw <-- this was the original vidya I posted which won't embed for some reason, the guy below uses a POWER DRILL!  HUA!

Now that guy is using some special tool, but if you put the LEFT gear on the RIGHT side & flip the pawl so it will engage in that orientation and verse vica on the other side, then put it all back together you can just drive the mower around to accomplish the back-lapping.

Hopefully, your bedknife has been properly adjusted over the years (equal turns on the screws on both sides) or the thing will cut lopsided at a goofy angle which is not fun to correct.  This is part of the problem with my old original American:  the previous owner didn't know what he was doing with the equipment which was probably why I got it for free.  HAH!

To tell the truth, I don't think I paid for any of mine.  I offered the guy that gave me the 18" $20 but he just "Bro Coded" it to me.  I think I owe him some weed or something.

You can even get gasoline powered versions of them (à la mode de "LawnMower Man") if you feel like spending $1500.


I recommend that, if you get one of those, pre-sweep your mowing area for sticks, stones and iron bars before beginning your cut.

In fact, I recommend doing that with the push versions:  hitting any of that stuff is akin to the neighborhood asshole throwing a stick into your bicycle spokes when you were a kid.  HARD STOP, OUCH!

And if it's a rock not great for the blade, even larger sticks can knick a chunk out calling for a re-lap.

Tuning the bedknife is probably the most difficult thing:  too tight and you won't be able to push the mower;  too loose and it won't cut the grass.  If you turn them unevenly one side will cut and the other one won't.

Wow.  Apparently I have a lot to say about these things.  To sum it up:

I love them and they are bar-none the BEST way to mow a lawn:  low-impact on the turf, impossible to scalp the grass, and like using a thousand pairs of scissors to perfectly cut the grass.

The only drawback is that they do not do well cutting more than 1/2" off the top, anymore than that and it will be a sweaty stuggle.  With these the rule is:  MOW EARLY and MOW OFTEN.

Let me be the first to welcome you to the world of true lawn aficionados!

Now:


HAH!

-p




albrecht

Quote from: pate on August 14, 2022, 09:12:33 PMAre you talking about a "Reel Mower?":



If so, I have four of them!

A micro 14" (Scotts), 2x 16" (Scotts & American), and a 18" (Great States).

I use the 18" for my commercial property maintenance gig, the Scotts 16" for my back-yard and have the 14" on loan to the back neighbors (they foolishly landscaped and planted grass in an area without making sure their tiny garden path was wide enough for their 18" [Mother Nature or somesuch nonesense eco-brand name]).

The old and original American is retired, I beat the hell out of it on the commercial lot, and is mainly for spare parts.

I think these are all pretty much manufactured by the same company:  as the parts on the Scotts, American/Great States are all perfectly interchangeable with one another.  Scotts probably just has them paint them green and slap a "Scotts" sticker on them then sells them for more $$$, gotta love capitalism!

When I need new gear and pawls I order direct from Great States:

https://americanlawnmower.com/collections/great-states

If you have to replace those, REMEMBER to make sure the LEFT one goes on the LEFT and the RIGHT one goes on the RIGHT, otherwise the reel will spin backwards and not cut anything (this is actually useful when you are sharpening the bedknife with some sharpening compound):

https://youtu.be/IG30TLMYyVw <-- this was the original vidya I posted which won't embed for some reason, the guy below uses a POWER DRILL!  HUA!

Now that guy is using some special tool, but if you put the LEFT gear on the RIGHT side & flip the pawl so it will engage in that orientation and verse vica on the other side, then put it all back together you can just drive the mower around to accomplish the back-lapping.

Hopefully, your bedknife has been properly adjusted over the years (equal turns on the screws on both sides) or the thing will cut lopsided at a goofy angle which is not fun to correct.  This is part of the problem with my old original American:  the previous owner didn't know what he was doing with the equipment which was probably why I got it for free.  HAH!

To tell the truth, I don't think I paid for any of mine.  I offered the guy that gave me the 18" $20 but he just "Bro Coded" it to me.  I think I owe him some weed or something.

You can even get gasoline powered versions of them (à la mode de "LawnMower Man") if you feel like spending $1500.


I recommend that, if you get one of those, pre-sweep your mowing area for sticks, stones and iron bars before beginning your cut.

In fact, I recommend doing that with the push versions:  hitting any of that stuff is akin to the neighborhood asshole throwing a stick into your bicycle spokes when you were a kid.  HARD STOP, OUCH!

And if it's a rock not great for the blade, even larger sticks can knick a chunk out calling for a re-lap.

Tuning the bedknife is probably the most difficult thing:  too tight and you won't be able to push the mower;  too loose and it won't cut the grass.  If you turn them unevenly one side will cut and the other one won't.

Wow.  Apparently I have a lot to say about these things.  To sum it up:

I love them and they are bar-none the BEST way to mow a lawn:  low-impact on the turf, impossible to scalp the grass, and like using a thousand pairs of scissors to perfectly cut the grass.

The only drawback is that they do not do well cutting more than 1/2" off the top, anymore than that and it will be a sweaty stuggle.  With these the rule is:  MOW EARLY and MOW OFTEN.

Let me be the first to welcome you to the world of true lawn aficionados!

Now:


HAH!

-p




The initial policing the area prior to mowing is key. And you even need to pay attention while mowing as it doesn't take much more than a piece of mulch or a stick to jam the blades. Only drawback of the manual mower and it is a slight and easily dealt with. I actually was surprised how good the mower was, even after a months of letting the grass grow long (experimental idea for summer) it cuts through like butter. Thanks for the technical advice. I do think you are correct with regard to manufacturing. Seem to be essentially same machine separated by coloring, marketing, and price. There could, like seen in other things, maybe some warranty or maintenance differences with the higher price brands?

pate

Quote from: albrecht on August 15, 2022, 10:46:07 AMThe initial policing the area prior to mowing is key. And you even need to pay attention while mowing as it doesn't take much more than a piece of mulch or a stick to jam the blades. Only drawback of the manual mower and it is a slight and easily dealt with. I actually was surprised how good the mower was, even after a months of letting the grass grow long (experimental idea for summer) it cuts through like butter. Thanks for the technical advice. I do think you are correct with regard to manufacturing. Seem to be essentially same machine separated by coloring, marketing, and price. There could, like seen in other things, maybe some warranty or maintenance differences with the higher price brands?

Indeed, sir.  You will find that Hamm's (or any quality "Yard Beer") pairs well with the reel mower.  I prefer the Pabst Blue Ribbon, or if I am feeling high-class the Miller High Life, while performing Basic Lawn Maintenance.

I have found that there are certain weed grasses that the reel mower doesn't play well with.

Duck grass (what I call it anyway) or Crow's Foot:



...is probably the worst.  Some folks call it Crab-grass, and I suppose it is a type of that, but the main thing is that this stuff will spread out low in a radial pattern from that central root and choke out the "Reel" turf-grasses that you want.  If it gets to be a large clump, it can jam up the blades like a piece of mulch!

Johnson grass (probably from Johnson County, KS *spit*):



...is actually worse than "Duck grass," probably even more Bamboo-like than that stuff.  It has these nasty underground rhizome/roots that can go way deep, and you have to dig every bit of them up or it comes right back!  I don't have this in my lawn, but there is some in the landscape beds (especially under some ornamental shubs) that I have been fighting at the Commercial property.  Round-up does nothing to this stuff, Round-Up sucks actually.  It kills nothing you want it to and wipes out stuff you like, digging out by the roots is far superior...

Then there is common crab-grass:



...which isn't really all that bad other than it tends to grow faster & taller than your good turf-type grasses and makes the yard look like garbage.  I call all of these "Garbage Grass," if you have a thick stand of this stuff it can easily clog up the Reel Mower and turns your nice white tennis-shoes green because it is pretty juicy stuff.  Get rid of it!

There are probably more, but those three seem to be the most ubiquitous in my parts.  They all have a similar seed-head, make sure to burn those seed-heads unless you want to those babies to sprout so you can pull more weeds later.

Here's a half decent vidya on how to adjust the HEIGHT of your mower:


...that vidya-dude sounds a bit light in the loafers (he apparently has the left-leaning "EarthWise" version), not that there is anything wrong with that, but he shows the three different positions you can move the reel to if you take the mower apart to get to the adjustment bolts (this took me a year or so to figure out.)

The higher off the ground the bolt mount the lower the bedknife is in relation to ground level.  I have my back-yard one set to that lowest position, then you use the back roller/wheel adjustment to fine tune things.

I think you can get down to 1/2" or less with these things, I have mine all set to different heights.  1" backyard mower, 2" commercial, 1.5" on retired original American and whatever height the little Scotts 14" the neighbors have is set to.

Sort of a pain in the butt to change the height with all of mine, they don't have the knob/lever on the back roller/wheels:  you have to unbolt them and move them around.  I think Great States sells the adjustable-lever thing if you want to replace a static roller.

I might get one of those for the 18" some day, as I am thinking about taking on the neighbor's lawn (he was almost begging me to a few months ago, but I couldn't make the time commitment...  I am thinking of striking a quid-pro-quo deal with him as he is a Lawyer that specializes in Property Law which I will have a need for at some future point, I digress...)

Anyway, the best part about these mowers (and the main reason I switched to them) is that you can leave them out in the elements and they still work fine (just need a squirt of WD-40 or PB-blaster)...

My residence does not have a garage or outbuilding to keep stuff in, so all my old gas mowers would continually fail and have to be taken to the shop to keep them running (mainly due to rain because I got lazy about trucking them up & down from the basement every week.)

I am a bent & bermuda man, and I allow clover to grow as well, but other than that it gets eliminated with extreme prejudice!

What sort of grass is in your lawn?

-p

albrecht

Quote from: pate on August 15, 2022, 01:01:02 PMIndeed, sir.  You will find that Hamm's (or any quality "Yard Beer") pairs well with the reel mower.  I prefer the Pabst Blue Ribbon, or if I am feeling high-class the Miller High Life, while performing Basic Lawn Maintenance.

I have found that there are certain weed grasses that the reel mower doesn't play well with.

Duck grass (what I call it anyway) or Crow's Foot:



...is probably the worst.  Some folks call it Crab-grass, and I suppose it is a type of that, but the main thing is that this stuff will spread out low in a radial pattern from that central root and choke out the "Reel" turf-grasses that you want.  If it gets to be a large clump, it can jam up the blades like a piece of mulch!

Johnson grass (probably from Johnson County, KS *spit*):



...is actually worse than "Duck grass," probably even more Bamboo-like than that stuff.  It has these nasty underground rhizome/roots that can go way deep, and you have to dig every bit of them up or it comes right back!  I don't have this in my lawn, but there is some in the landscape beds (especially under some ornamental shubs) that I have been fighting at the Commercial property.  Round-up does nothing to this stuff, Round-Up sucks actually.  It kills nothing you want it to and wipes out stuff you like, digging out by the roots is far superior...

Then there is common crab-grass:



...which isn't really all that bad other than it tends to grow faster & taller than your good turf-type grasses and makes the yard look like garbage.  I call all of these "Garbage Grass," if you have a thick stand of this stuff it can easily clog up the Reel Mower and turns your nice white tennis-shoes green because it is pretty juicy stuff.  Get rid of it!

There are probably more, but those three seem to be the most ubiquitous in my parts.  They all have a similar seed-head, make sure to burn those seed-heads unless you want to those babies to sprout so you can pull more weeds later.

Here's a half decent vidya on how to adjust the HEIGHT of your mower:


...that vidya-dude sounds a bit light in the loafers (he apparently has the left-leaning "EarthWise" version), not that there is anything wrong with that, but he shows the three different positions you can move the reel to if you take the mower apart to get to the adjustment bolts (this took me a year or so to figure out.)

The higher off the ground the bolt mount the lower the bedknife is in relation to ground level.  I have my back-yard one set to that lowest position, then you use the back roller/wheel adjustment to fine tune things.

I think you can get down to 1/2" or less with these things, I have mine all set to different heights.  1" backyard mower, 2" commercial, 1.5" on retired original American and whatever height the little Scotts 14" the neighbors have is set to.

Sort of a pain in the butt to change the height with all of mine, they don't have the knob/lever on the back roller/wheels:  you have to unbolt them and move them around.  I think Great States sells the adjustable-lever thing if you want to replace a static roller.

I might get one of those for the 18" some day, as I am thinking about taking on the neighbor's lawn (he was almost begging me to a few months ago, but I couldn't make the time commitment...  I am thinking of striking a quid-pro-quo deal with him as he is a Lawyer that specializes in Property Law which I will have a need for at some future point, I digress...)

Anyway, the best part about these mowers (and the main reason I switched to them) is that you can leave them out in the elements and they still work fine (just need a squirt of WD-40 or PB-blaster)...

My residence does not have a garage or outbuilding to keep stuff in, so all my old gas mowers would continually fail and have to be taken to the shop to keep them running (mainly due to rain because I got lazy about trucking them up & down from the basement every week.)

I am a bent & bermuda man, and I allow clover to grow as well, but other than that it gets eliminated with extreme prejudice!

What sort of grass is in your lawn?

-p

House yard is St.Augustine. Frankly I don't like it and would rather something else but that is in there and handles the drought and variety of full-on baking son but then shade by trees which Bermuda etc doesn't like. If I had no HOA I would experiment more but, whatever. Other place I sorta allowed to go native but did place some seeds years ago from Native American Seed Co (good place) with native to allow sorta native prairie like and water not a concern for stuff used to drought. But things like Johnson Grass and Loco Weed (Jimson weed) can be a problem. I envy places in Yankee-land or midwest that have water but am reminded every time I appreciate their yards and gardens that much of the year there is nothing. Still surprised how well a garden can recover from winter snow. I'm guessing the snow actually helps versus if it was just brutal cold or rainy cold. Some of those moss and Jap-style gardens in the NW are also nice but not practical here where 'the man' says you can only water once a week. Hardly enough to maintain life. Some go xeriscape and cactus/succulents but this is frowned upon by HOA.

Bought a place out in the country - wife wanted a garden and a place with a real yard. There are two huge logs and bunch of branches and smaller tree trunks left in a heap out back.  I'm thinking about going with a hugelkultur but the huge logs are a concern.  Anyone have any practical experience with this? The theory sounds good but got some Q's on the implementation.




albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on August 15, 2022, 01:32:33 PMBought a place out in the country - wife wanted a garden and a place with a real yard. There are two huge logs and bunch of branches and smaller tree trunks left in a heap out back.  I'm thinking about going with a hugelkultur but the huge logs are a concern.  Anyone have any practical experience with this? The theory sounds good but got some Q's on the implementation.





I've heard of this. No expert. Depending on your region you should check with your ag extension office for native plants and this stuff that, apparently, helps regenerate the soil and control erosion. Also consult taxing authority. Surprisingly you can sometimes get AG exemption on your taxes for allowing 'wilding' (plants and nature, not urban youths.) Sometimes even for smaller properties for things like butterflies or keeping 'piles of brush' (like that dem dar briar patch that a certain rabbit didn't want to be thrown in.) Or, at least here, you can even get permit to allow unlimited (well limited) hunting by way of 'improving' deer populations (more deer often means more chance diseases) and curtailing wild hogs- which are mean, vicious, and a threat to crops and people- but clever and reproduce like rabbits.

albrecht

Quote from: albrecht on August 15, 2022, 01:41:07 PMI've heard of this. No expert. Depending on your region you should check with your ag extension office for native plants and this stuff that, apparently, helps regenerate the soil and control erosion. Also consult taxing authority. Surprisingly you can sometimes get AG exemption on your taxes for allowing 'wilding' (plants and nature, not urban youths.) Sometimes even for smaller properties for things like butterflies or keeping 'piles of brush' (like that dem dar briar patch that a certain rabbit didn't want to be thrown in.) Or, at least here, you can even get permit to allow unlimited (well limited) hunting by way of 'improving' deer populations (more deer often means more chance diseases) and curtailing wild hogs- which are mean, vicious, and a threat to crops and people- but clever and reproduce like rabbits.
IDK where you are located. Here most of the trees/shrubs are cedars and mesquite. And various forms of oak which most people like to try to keep. Though one still sees Osage along fences and of course other stuff if closer to water (Cottonwoods, Cedars, etc.) My point is that German pile building deal would be tough with Cedar (Ash Juniper I think technically) because doesn't rot easily- why they were used for fence posts. Last a longtime and don't decay. So usually we burn them after scraping them up. But it seems we have more burn bans than normal so use for mulch (but stringy and sharp but pests don't like.) But probably not good for that burying system deal because will just sit there and get too warm, I suspect.

Quote from: albrecht on August 15, 2022, 02:02:18 PMIDK where you are located. Here most of the trees/shrubs are cedars and mesquite. And various forms of oak which most people like to try to keep. Though one still sees Osage along fences and of course other stuff if closer to water (Cottonwoods, Cedars, etc.) My point is that German pile building deal would be tough with Cedar (Ash Juniper I think technically) because doesn't rot easily- why they were used for fence posts. Last a longtime and don't decay. So usually we burn them after scraping them up. But it seems we have more burn bans than normal so use for mulch (but stringy and sharp but pests don't like.) But probably not good for that burying system deal because will just sit there and get too warm, I suspect.

Good point on Cedar but none to be found in this part of NC - they live down by the coast. I'm guess the massive logs are some sort of Oak. I only have a small chainsaw and that won't dent these monsters and I don't have enough experience to want to handle a big saw. So was thinking about this approach - supposedly after the first year you don't even have to water anything growing on it. All that rotting wood acts like a big sponge which is perfect. I just dont see ginormous logs rotting away easily - maybe in smaller sections but I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay a dude to cut them up.

albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on August 15, 2022, 02:11:51 PMGood point on Cedar but none to be found in this part of NC - they live down by the coast. I'm guess the massive logs are some sort of Oak. I only have a small chainsaw and that won't dent these monsters and I don't have enough experience to want to handle a big saw. So was thinking about this approach - supposedly after the first year you don't even have to water anything growing on it. All that rotting wood acts like a big sponge which is perfect. I just dont see ginormous logs rotting away easily - maybe in smaller sections but I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay a dude to cut them up.
Depending on your location and water situation burning is always a good option. Because fun, easier, and who doesn't like a fire? With safety precautions and, like Jay Santos Phil Hendrie would say have plenty of coolant when doing so. Interestingly I actually looked up once and here there are technical, legal ways out of burn bans for "religious or ceremonial purposes." I though strange but imagine it might've been a semi-secret organization back-in-the-day or BBQ, which can be also be considered a religion. There also is a "warming" defense for a fire even within city limits. Oddly, official burning policies prohibit it at night (idea, apparently being, harder to id if fire spreads and people are asleep) but the ceremonial burnings are exempted (like a St.Han's or Middsommer or a good ol' fashioned cross burning, I guess.) I'm not a lawyer, so no legal advice or claim presented here. But bonfires are fun. Consult local and regional statutes and regulations.

Quote from: albrecht on August 15, 2022, 02:33:39 PMDepending on your location and water situation burning is always a good option. Because fun, easier, and who doesn't like a fire? With safety precautions and, like Jay Santos Phil Hendrie would say have plenty of coolant when doing so. Interestingly I actually looked up once and here there are technical, legal ways out of burn bans for "religious or ceremonial purposes." I though strange but imagine it might've been a semi-secret organization back-in-the-day or BBQ, which can be also be considered a religion. There also is a "warming" defense for a fire even within city limits. Oddly, official burning policies prohibit it at night (idea, apparently being, harder to id if fire spreads and people are asleep) but the ceremonial burnings are exempted (like a St.Han's or Middsommer or a good ol' fashioned cross burning, I guess.) I'm not a lawyer, so no legal advice or claim presented here. But bonfires are fun. Consult local and regional statutes and regulations.

The rural South. Went to get my mail and heard a rooster, a donkey and gunfire. No problems burning shit.  ;)

albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on August 15, 2022, 02:35:52 PMThe rural South. Went to get my mail and heard a rooster, a donkey and gunfire. No problems burning shit.  ;)
Then your place is good for burning. Keep in mind, like Smokey Bear (govt agent) says, fires can last a long time, under even when pushed over. So bring plenty of coolant, to hang out and slake thirst. Or, as our friendly illegals do, even make some barbacoa. Baked potatoes also good. If coastal put on your summer whites for one last blast and have a clambake with some Elvis tunes! Or a Hawaiian style pig roast, with Elvis tunes but the shirts now might attract other agents due to some weird internet semi-cult deal.

pate

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on August 15, 2022, 01:32:33 PMBought a place out in the country - wife wanted a garden and a place with a real yard. There are two huge logs and bunch of branches and smaller tree trunks left in a heap out back.  I'm thinking about going with a hugelkultur but the huge logs are a concern.  Anyone have any practical experience with this? The theory sounds good but got some Q's on the implementation.





I sometimes contract for a goofy hippie lady that paid too much money (any amount at all) to be Officially Certified via Online Academy in a thing invented (and also Trademarked & Patented) in the 1970s called "Permaculture" by some quasi-scientific dude.

Basically, it is the Botanical equivalent of Scientology:  you pay monies for higher levels of whatever... I digress.

This Permaculture thing borrows from the Hugelkultur, among other things.  The main theory being that buried wood traps water which the plants above can then tap into.  Probably true, but I bet the more important thing that happens is that fungi (the only thing capable of digesting wood, in the guts of termites &tc that "eat wood" as a symbiote) gets down in there and develop their mycelium network which has been shown to symbiotically connect with the roots of plants to transfer/trade nutrients/water.

Anyway, burying that wood is not a horrible idea as long as you don't get some non-beneficial fungal species growing down there that actually attacks living plants.  Most fungi are saprotrophs and not parasites...

I believe the fungi that goes after your tomato roots is a parasitic one.  I digress again!

In short, your hugulkulture idea is a good one.  Depending on the size of the chunk o' land you have you might also consider using them to construct a "swale," here's a vidya (I think this is one of the Permaculture kooks;  his implementation is sound if somewhat psuedo-scientific...):


I recall stumbling across this vidya after meeting the goofy hippie lady I sometimes contract with, seeing the "PERMACULTURE" tag, and then laughing to myself after watching it.

Apparently, I have constructed a swale over the years along the side fenceline that abuts a parking lot.  AND I did it intuitively without being a sucker & paying some Ell-Rahn Hubbeard type big bucks for the "secret."

Again, I believe the concept of a "swale" predates this PermaCulture™ thing, which obviously stole the idea for financial gain.

The inventor of PermaCulture™ and his postulants are saprotrophic, parasitic, and quite possibly both.

If the Oak is not totally rotten and somewhat close to a roadway, you might consider having it extracted and hauled off to a lumber-mill.  Especially if you are a wood-worker of any kind, you could have some gold there?

I know the guys at the lumber mill that cut up the Red Oak into beams, posts, and planks for me get dead wood all the time;  it is already dried out and makes for nice stock wood.

-p

albrecht

Quote from: pate on August 15, 2022, 02:54:33 PMI sometimes contract for a goofy hippie lady that paid too much money (any amount at all) to be Officially Certified via Online Academy in a thing invented (and also Trademarked & Patented) in the 1970s called "Permaculture" by some quasi-scientific dude.

Basically, it is the Botanical equivalent of Scientology:  you pay monies for higher levels of whatever... I digress.

This Permaculture thing borrows from the Hugelkultur, among other things.  The main theory being that buried wood traps water which the plants above can then tap into.  Probably true, but I bet the more important thing that happens is that fungi (the only thing capable of digesting wood, in the guts of termites &tc that "eat wood" as a symbiote) gets down in there and develop their mycelium network which has been shown to symbiotically connect with the roots of plants to transfer/trade nutrients/water.

Anyway, burying that wood is not a horrible idea as long as you don't get some non-beneficial fungal species growing down there that actually attacks living plants.  Most fungi are saprotrophs and not parasites...

I believe the fungi that goes after your tomato roots is a parasitic one.  I digress again!

In short, your hugulkulture idea is a good one.  Depending on the size of the chunk o' land you have you might also consider using them to construct a "swale," here's a vidya (I think this is one of the Permaculture kooks;  his implementation is sound if somewhat psuedo-scientific...):


I recall stumbling across this vidya after meeting the goofy hippie lady I sometimes contract with, seeing the "PERMACULTURE" tag, and then laughing to myself after watching it.

Apparently, I have constructed a swale over the years along the side fenceline that abuts a parking lot.  AND I did it intuitively without being a sucker & paying some Ell-Rahn Hubbeard type big bucks for the "secret."

Again, I believe the concept of a "swale" predates this PermaCulture™ thing, which obviously stole the idea for financial gain.

The inventor of PermaCulture™ and his postulants are saprotrophic, parasitic, and quite possibly both.

If the Oak is not totally rotten and somewhat close to a roadway, you might consider having it extracted and hauled off to a lumber-mill.  Especially if you are a wood-worker of any kind, you could have some gold there?

I know the guys at the lumber mill that cut up the Red Oak into beams, posts, and planks for me get dead wood all the time;  it is already dried out and makes for nice stock wood.

-p

There are cool options, I doubt good for full-on work/business, where you can convert your chainsaw into a make-shift sawmill type of deal. And also limited by types of timber. Heck even splitters are tough for the types of oaks we got. They got the power but the angles suck. But up north or pines another option. Valued even cause real wood and you can get wider planks than stores normally hold.

Lots of hippies like mushrooms and fungi. Claim health properties. Also claim largest living thing is some kind of fungus or moss. Idk. Take care on this. Mushroom hunters need to be assured of what they getting.

^^^ Thanks Pate.

I'm having a ball out here BTW. Not only do I have a compost pile [not allowed back at the house due to the HOA], I can even throw a whizz on it while working out in the yard and no one gives a damn.

albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on August 15, 2022, 03:10:39 PM^^^ Thanks Pate.

I'm having a ball out here BTW. Not only do I have a compost pile [not allowed back at the house due to the HOA], I can even throw a whizz on it while working out in the yard and no one gives a damn.

Be aware like Smokey says (govt agent) aware. Believe it or not a compost pile or hay can combust. It is crazy but a real thing. Had a discussion, lengthy, with a Fire Marshall about it. Obviously one thinks of the "oily rag" but natural stuff can, and do combust.

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