*SIGH*... Y'know mownie, I really do think that the hard-to-turn-the-engine-over syndrome is related to the starter. Now I can't get it to turn the engine more than a single revolution at all even when it is cold (I have it uncovered so I can see what it is doing when cranking it), let alone turn it over to fire. This is what it was doing when it was hot. So can't try out the carb adjustments yet since I can't get it to turn the flywheel fast enough to fire the engine at all. What HAS been happening is when you turn the ignition key, the starter driveshaft pops up, the gear engages the flywheel, then it stops wmmph at a high compression point in the engine or something, and then labors and can't turn it past that point, like something is jamming up somewhere. At least once tonight though it cranked the engine a couple revolutions without incident but it wasn't seeming to get any firing action; that was right after I put the battery on the charger briefly. THEN, after that a couple times the starter drive shaft (or whatever it is) did not pop up at all upon turning the key; it sat there and spinned....so we know it is getting current. Tried a little WD-40 to the shaft under the silver disk-shaped part below the gear but did not make much difference...a and finally another time the shaft popped up, engaged, stopped (when it stops it is engaged with the flywheel and stays there after releasing the key; you have to turn the shaft to make it come back down), and then there were a couple of clicking noises coming from inside the starter too when the key was held in start briefly past the jam-up point. That also happened on one or two tries. Sooooo....Battery? Starter? Neither? Both? lol. I replaced a broken plastic part at the top of the drive shaft on the starter season before last; will have to look up what it is called but remember removing and replacing the pin that holds it all together to the drive shaft was next to impossible...so kind of hesitant to try to tear it all down again because it was such a pain. Way easier to just buy a new one, albeit a lot pricier.. Might make more sense just to put the battery on the charger to be sure it does have sufficient charge before blowing $125 on a new starter but will it hurt the battery if it DOESN'T need charging to do this? Can't afford the starter at this point anyway. Sorry to change this thread so late in the game, if you think I need to start another let me know. Dang dinosaur...it just doesn't want to do any work, that's all... :^\

that would be my guess but you can just wait and see. If they are toast they will fall off pretty fast. Sorry! If they have only been in the ground 2 years it maybe a bit soon anyhow. For most very permanent fruits they advise you wait 3 years before you let it set fruit to get the plant really well established before you let it go through the stress of setting fruit. So maybe ma nature did you a favor, inadvertently.

I don't think you have a lawn problem at all. Basically crappy genetic stock bowing out to the conditions. It'll likely come back fine this fall. How you manage the fall season is largely dependent on what is the predominant grass type in your blend. If just a cool season mix, treat it as such and take an average. So between high input KBG to as low as fine fescue, fertilize somewhere in between. You have to cater your routine to what you have. Sounds like you are wanting more. That requires better genetic stock or going over the top with what you have in defiance of nature--that will require more pesticide use and cultural practices like core aeration.

I might be wrong about this, but I think the goal with overwintering potted hostas is to keep them out of the sun. So I would put the pots in a shaded location. Colder and darker is better I think. Plastic pots that won't break. I had several on the screened porch last year (NNE facing). That kept them dry, and they were shaded. And I've overwintered in the unheated garage. I'll have pots in both locations this year because I just didn't get around to planting them in the summer. C'est la vie - I'm only human. But wet newspaper and plastic bags would be great if you're indeed going to have them out of the ground short-term - like if you can dig them up, transport them to the new home, and stick 'em in the ground fairly quickly. (Or - if you want to throw them on the driveway for a while!)