Well, I spent all last night pulling it up anyway. That part of the yard is shaded, but it faces south. The tree is on the south end and has shade over it, but in early morning it gets a fair amount of morning sun and in late afternoon gets some afternoon sun. Not a lot, but some. The weed was growing on the eastern most edge of this lawn, where it gets the most sun. Either way, it's gone now. For now. The house faces south. This is the front lawn I'm describing, broken apart by a concrete path. To the west of the path is a huge tree in the middle of the area (don't ask me what kind...). Further west on the lot is a larg side lot filled with mature trees forming a full canopy (partly due to lack of maintenance) so TONS of shade. It also borders the house so doesn't get much morning sun. At the moment it's still weeds, but if the front takes, we'll start planting shadow turf there too. To the east of the path is a similar sized section that has only a smallish crepe myrtle and very little shade. It's a corner lot, so it gets full morning and afternoon sun and a fair amount of setting sun. That's where the Bermuda is - at least some of it. And also a TON of weeds. Not the crabgrass like stuff, more like clover leaf (but not that). The plan to till was to get rid of all that. I spent a good 7 hours last weekend pulling up weeds from one small stretch and my hands and back are killing me. How would you recommend we remove what is basically a carpet of weeds? There is some bermuda mixed in, but for most of the area, it's 90% weeds. I'm sore :( Here's a picture of the soon to be bermuda lawn that's full of weeds, looking north from the street: http://cheriseandfredo.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-after.html There's lots of overgrowth of bushes and whatnot that need trimming too. Do you have a recommendation for a tree trimmer that won't want to go in and tear out all our trees? We REALLY like the shade (have a/c but don't use it often). We like the park-like look, but it's bordering on overgrown forest.... Here's a fairly good picture of our side yard http://cheriseandfredo.blogspot.com/2006/02/autumn-in-texas.html We're in Lavaca. Not too close to the River, but we can walk to it! Oh, about the shadow turf, so it'll pop up elsewhere, not just expanding from the main plugs? I have a few sprouts that look like it, but they're kind of isolated and I'm not sure if that's really MY grass or some weed invading...It is expanding. Slowly, but I think I can see it. It's good to know it took a little while before really hitting its stride. I was worried I'd overwatered it. I am about to go buy some more plugs I think.

Malcolm Manners, thank you for pointing out the distinction between the two names. I checked the internet and apparently "biological index" is the general term and the two subterms are herbaceous index and woody index. Davis in their 2004 web article "The Rose Clean Stock Program" use the term "biological index". I am interested in any literature comparing the 2 subterms for rose virus testing. I did find the following for Rubus: "Transmission to herbaceous indicators CRLV, ApMV, BRLV (and indeed TSV in general) can be transmitted by inoculation of sap to herbaceous test plants and can usually be detected in this way. Grind rapidly growing leaves from Rubus plants to be tested in a small volume of 2%, nicotine solution with a little celite as abrasive. Gently rub this sap extract on leaves of young, soft, rapidly growing plants of Chenopodium quinoa and/or Cucumis sativus. Keep test plants in aphid-proof glasshouses at about 20°C and observe for symptoms over about 3 weeks, Symptoms caused by these viruses in inoculated leaves should be apparent in 4-10 days. BRLV and ApMV are probably best detected in very young cucumber cotyledons, but all viruses should induce symptoms in C. quinoa. All four viruses should become systemic in C. quinoa, but some strains of tobacco streak virus (BRLV is a strain of TSV) are not systemic in this host. Woody indicators While the nepoviruses and ilarviruses could be detected by grafting Rubus to woody indicators, there is no purpose in doing so for the alternative methods are much superior. In the case of RLCV, however, this is the only method of detection. Graft scions of test Rubus plants to Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry) which develops particularly severe symptoms. In general, R. idaeus can also be used. Symptoms may take 2-12 months to appear after graft inoculation. The two strains of RLCV (alpha and beta) are both detected." http://74.125.93.132/custom?q=cache:IolSYfkHYSoJ:archives.eppo.org/EPPOStandards/PM3_PROCEDURES/pm3-31-e.doc+rubus&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=google-coop ------------------------ "Rubus is a large genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae" from ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus ). Here is a link that might be useful: link for rubus indexing

kimmsr - I'm not really sure what it would be considered. It used to be a vegetable garden before we inherited it in the Spring. We only used one half of it for vegetables and the other half (separated by stairs) for the meadow part. We are quite new to this gardening bit as we have never owned our own garden. The part where we planted the wildflower seeds, I think may have been a potato field previously. I believe that lime was added to the soil, along with compost before we came along. The field gets pretty much full sun all day, from sun up to sun down. Everything is growing crazy like a jungle. Every time I see it, I see something new! I am able to identify some of the flowers I see like poppies and thistles, but I am unsure of the identity of a lot of them. That is why I wanted to ask about this particular yellow flower because my father-in-law thinks it is a weed and that we should remove it. If it is indeed Winter Cress or something similar from the Mustard family, which I think it definitely is now that others have suggested it, then I will let it stay. Thank you!

Thanks everyone. For me paid storage is out of the queston as is someone else storing it for me. I do hope a person I know that works at the univerity will store my stack in each other suitcases. BTW this apt is on the champus of the church affiliated University. It is mostly older widows... It has 100 apts That are very well kept. I have clothes of all sizes as I have a weight problem. Right now I am wearing the smallest sizes. I have from size 18 to 26 here. I don't want to ever get to 26 again but who knows. I'll have to be careful as I'll be eating in the school cafeteria(SP) a lot but they have healthy grilled foods to now (along with good desert & great Ice cream) I have a large walkin closet here along with a whole room for storage. It's gonna be a big Job. I think I can walk away & leave some here for a few months then come back & clean out. I am in a moble home where I have lifetime rights. This moble home should be mine for 6 months but after that I lose it completely. It is in the middle of nowhere & I don't drive. That makes it a very big hardship.It is 30 miles to almost everything. I need to be closer to Drs & Hospitals along with stores. At the Apt I can walk to church, a grocery store, drug store & many other stores. They also have pretty good setup to go anywhere I need to go. One place I can walk is Goodwill..that's not good.. I hear at the end of the school year some pretty good stuff gets donated from students LOL My puter stuff, kitchen & clothes I think will be the big problem areas (what else is there LOL.) I buy in bulk now but won't have to there. I have enough groceries here now for 3 weeks or more. Powdered milk, egg beaters all help on that. I also have a large freezer now. I'll clean out cabinets Friday & Sat as Monday is my trash day. I can get rid of lots doing that. There is some things in back of the cabinettes that have been here longer than I have (4 1/2 years.) I lost my husband last July while on vacation in Alaska. WE were to be gone 4 month (with Family) but ended up less than a month. He has a large collection of books & oil lamps. There is a complete set of Louis L'Amore western books. I hope to sell them. Most of his good clothes stayed in Alaska & donated but all his other things are still here. Some have never been moved as I just can't. In one corner is the chair he sit in when his legs bothered him at nite. When we were getting ready to leave quickly he threw things on that chair. Everything in that corner is just like he left it. I have gotta make myself pick them up & donate them along with all his other knock-about clothes. We were only married 4 years & we both went on diets. He went from a 52 to a 38 so I have all those clothes still here. His clothes will be one of my 1st step to getting ready to move. His books, lanterns & tools I hope to sell as I'll need money for the move & fix the apt so it will be my home. I will keep a few of his favorite lanterns. The church here will help me move in a U-haul truck. This will be a big move for me as I have no family there (or here) but a large church family. I want this home to be neat & clutter free as I'm sure it would be awful if it was cluttered. I was in an apt that size in VA Xmas. It had cardboard boxes everywhere full of junk. She had lived in it for several years & I don't think she threw anything out. I don't want that. I know it can be neat as I was in one at the building I will be going to. It was neat as a pin & clutter free. That's what I want. I know I can't have as nice of things but it can be clutter free & neat. I have always been one who hates to throw away but this move should break me of that or I'm in trouble. Thanks for all the answers & Ideas. Dar