NOW IS THE TIME. Do not wait until spring. If you wait until spring you will be replanting the weeds. Start by fertilizing lightly. If you use chemical fertilizers, then wait until after the summer heat breaks to fertilize. If you are using organic fertilizers, you can fertilize any time. Then two weeks later, spot spray with Weed-B-Gone spray (or a similar product) and only spray on the weeds. NEVER use Round-up unless you want to renovate your entire lawn. You might need to reapply the Weed-B-Gone a week later. Why? Because sometimes a plant will be in a sprouting stage and the WBG is only taken up by leaves. Weed-B-Gone will do nothing to the crabgrass. Crabgrass is an annual plant and will completely die out when the weather cools off. If you want to try to get rid of it, one way that I see here is to use a power rake and take all the grass away down to 1/8 inch below the surface. Then immediately seed some new grass. Since your grass is already a mix, you should stick with a mix. You didn't say where you live (a minor infraction, but it's important), but since you are in Zone 9, you probably have warm season grass like bermuda or St Augustine. What matters more is which grass you want to end up with. Can't tell you what to do for the long haul without knowing that.

Alotofplants, often what happens with many ideas about clematis is that what was initially thought about them came from the British and their experience with them. This information is parroted along by everyone and it often takes a long time to get the information corrected. (As far as googling to get information on the web, you can probably find information out there that will support any position.) As an example about info that is parroted about clematis, take for example the idea that clematis are difficult plants to grow. Nothing is further from the truth especially if you give them what they need and you choose a variety that is suited to your area. The same is true about how some types of clematis are better suited to growing in a conservatory. Clematis fremontii and other similar types are grown in England either inside or in containers because they have trouble with them dieing off over the winter. I took this information to heart and planted my fremontii in a pot based on that information. I then learned of quite a few people here in the states, some in the cold north, who have been growing theirs outside in the ground for several years. As a result, mine are now in the ground and are doing fine. Yet, another myth out there circulating is that clematis need cool root runs. What they like is the moisture that is associated with cool root runs, that is moisture. The plants can exist in pots that get quite hot in the summer if they are provided the moisture, which is what they really need. Janet, if you look in Edith's book, you will also see that she says the following: "The only exception to the rule of not adding lime would be if you live in an area that has a major calcium deficiency. Have your soil tested by a professional soil lab and add lime only if their findings reccomend that you do so." Perhaps this is your issue lotsofplants. Perhaps a soil test would show that your soil lacks calcium that it is getting from the lime and that is what your plant is lacking, not the affect the lime has on your soil pH. I garden in acidic clay soil, have tons of clematis, and have never added lime to my soil. How can I grow them in acidic soil and you not? Perhaps the issue is calcium or some other deficiency in your soil that is being helped by a microcomponent in the lime and not the pH affect caused by the lime. Edith goes on to say: "I have found that in this country it is better to grow clematis in the more acidic planting situation of a pH of 6.5. Growing clematis in an acidic location is important for gardeners who live in areas where there is little rainfall." In another section of her book, Edith states that lime can inhibit clematis from utilizing essential nutrients such as iron, manganese, and zinc from the soil. The bottom line is that unless you have investigated your soil conditions via a soil test, you don't really know if the lime is doing anything for your clematis or whether it is really needed. Something else may be the actual cause of clematis failing to thrive and lime may be just adding that extra ingredient. The pH affect may be totally unrelated. Excuse my insistence on fact and investigation, but it comes from graduating college with a chemistry major and biology minor. I am a science nerd and proud of it! LOL

If the problem is damping off, and it sounds likely, put 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a pint of water and spray the seedlings with that as soon as they start their true leaves. Once a day is more than sufficient. The baking soda is a fungicide. Always water from the bottom--it promotes root growth down rather than sideways. The suggestion of adding a light dose of fertilizer is a good one. Since the plants are on the back porch, you might consider using compost tea or manure tea (neither is smelly, but the idea of manure in the house turns some folks off. Go figure!). The teas are very mild and won't burn delicate roots. It sounds like you have a wonderful set-up that will give you more plants than you will know what to do with. You just have a minor problem that is easily fixed.

My hollyhocks haven't done much beyond a single leaf or two, you may just need to wait. In the meantime Google ~ hollyhocks site:gardenweb.com ~ .