Best, fastest, cheapest sound barrier
plan9fromposhmadison
14 years ago
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Donna
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Do Barriers Work?
Comments (44)I want to cut a hole in a cement slab to create a container of sorts for bamboo. The location is a side of my yard that is completely paved over with concrete from the house edge to the property line block wall. On the neighbors side of the block wall is also a paved driveway. And in the East and west directions are even more concrete formed stairs, in and out of the property. If I cut a hole near the block wall and plant bamboo, will rhizomes run under the slab toward the house? And if they do, what damage could they do? I presume the block wall foundation will stop it and the steps on each side are at least 20 feet away in each direction and probably too much footing to matter as well. But the house would be 9 feet away from the hole so I’m worried about that. The house is a slab foundation though so yeah, more concrete! It’s a concrete paradise! (That’s why I need to soften the place up with bamboo) Also there is some plumbing and a sewer clean out on that side of the house so I wonder if the rhizomes could infiltrate them and do some damage?...See MorePlease help w/ suggestions for a fast privacy barrier
Comments (15)Cinna: As for being pot-bound--it depends on how long a tree has been in the pot. Also, to be honest, I am not sure how much of a problem it is if a tree is to some degree pot bound. It may depend on the species of tree somewhat. It is my belief, that the real problem comes when an encircling root is high enough, or in a position that it will eventually constrict or "girdle" the trunk of the tree--the portion of the tree at or above the root flare. Tangled and encircling roots below that point, at least with the species of trees I am familiar with, will just graft over each other. With Norway spruce, I can say from experience, being pot-bound is a problem only because it will slow the growth somewhat. But with Norway spruce I know the tangled and circling roots will simply graft over each other and a pot bound tree will eventually grow like one that was not pot bound. I bought a very tall 12 foot one a three years ago that was discounted because it was in its box for several years sitting in the nursery. Where there was supposed to be soil, there was nothing but a mass of roots that couldn't be untangled. So I planted it as it was. It was very weakened from being in that box for so long, and for the first two years the growth was stunted, but it is now doing fine. But if you buy a tree in a pot, and see enclicling roots, try to untangle them a bit, cutting a few roots here and there as needed to free up others. Cut any and all that are circling at the top of the pot--they could girdle the trunk. Then dig a big hole, much wider than the original pot size and spread at least some of the roots out as much as possible. Then don't worry--your trees will do just fine. Also, trees that have a mass of roots that grew in a pot, must be watered very carefully. The little soil that is around or in the root mass will hold almost no water, so these trees can dry our very badly is just a day or so in hot weather, and it can take three years, maybe four, before enough roots get far enough into the soil to do well on their own during dry spells. But, the bottom line with NS, at least, is that they are amazingly resiliant if given good care while they recover from whatever abuse they have suffered while cramped up in a pot. --Spruce...See MorePool barrier options-What has worked well for you?
Comments (8)The door alarm that we got at HD is 9V battery-operated. It has two magnets: one attaches to the door and one to the frame. The pain about it is if you have to go in and out often. You can silent the alarm by using the bypass button on your way out but then it sounds (very high pitch) when you open to get back in and you can't leave the door open longer than 15-20 seconds. Also, if a child can reach it, s/he can easily disconnect the alarm by pulling out the battery....See MoreBest/Cheapest/Tallest privacy fence?
Comments (22)Look for climbing roses, and the one in your photo likely has a rose obelisk under there providing support. No you cannot purchase one at this size. Gardening is a life lesson in patience, and most plants settle in better when smaller and within a few years surpass ones planted larger. Ask about disease resistant climbing roses for your area on the rose forum. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/roses Edited to add that I am sure that floral is correct. At the very least, wait to plant until you have figured out what and where you want to plant. It will save money and the need to redo mistakes. Even as a very experienced gardener, I typically spend the first season preparing the beds, mulching them to prevent weeds, and planning. Then I plant in early autumn when the weather is cooler, days are shorter, plants are often on sale, and rain is more regular so that plants settle in well. Figure out things such as, would a small flowering tree near the house provide a better view or would shrubs closer to the road? How much work and time do I want to spend in the front garden? Where is there sun and shade at different times of the year as the sun changes position with the seasons? Where will I store the trash cans and the lawn mower? Many of these are questions that won’t be answered until you have lived here for a bit. (so we are back to gardening being a life lesson in patience.). For instant gratification, get a couple of big pots and stuff them full of bright flowering annuals or get some seeds for scarlet runner beans and grow them up a teepee of poles to attract humming birds. In the long run, for appeal as you come home I would plan on at the very least planting a flowering large shrub or small tree diagonally off both house corners. Look up the expected size of the tree or shrub (not just the plant tag which often gives a 5 year size) and then divide in half and add a couple of feet to find how far from the building to plant. You don’t want a plant rubbing against the building at maturity. So a plant that will reach 14’ wide should be planted 7+2=9 feet from the building. That gives it room to get a bit bigger than expected if happy and room to move in the wind without damaging roof or siding. It will look sparse at first, so fill in with short lived perennials or annuals. Growing from seed can be a budget friendly way to get more plants to fill in. When you plant along the foundation, a few things to note about the planting in the photo above. -The bed is reasonably spacious, and because your house is tall and with high windows, you will want a bed that is at least 8’ deep front to back to look good. As with the trees plan to place plants with some space between their ultimate size and the wall so siding can dry out, so depending on what you plant, you may need to make the bed wider for plants that will grow large or have a couple rows of plants which are smaller. Choose plant heights that won’t grow up in front of the windows for the best appearance from outside. -The bed in the photo isn’t edged, so grass will grow in and it looks a bit ragged. A crisp edge cut with a deep V or else a mowing strip of brick or patio block inset to ground level and held in place with metal or plastic edging, also set with the top at ground level, will keep grass out and look tidy. - The bed pictured has a single lonely line of plants in a sea of mulch. A garden bed may start out looking sparse, and can be filled in temporarily with annuals as I mentioned above, but your ultimate goal for an attractive bed should have mostly plants with little mulch needed. Just be sure when planting you allow room for your plants to grow to their expected size....See Moretsmith2579
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