1) Is the emergence of crabgrass and more clovers a result of the fertilizer? Just the opposite. Clover usually indicates the soil is low in fertilizer. Crabgrass requires continual moisture and direct sunlight to sprout and take root. If you are watering every day, for example, you are sprouting your crabgrass seeds. If you are mowing the grass short, you are providing sunlight down low enough that the seedlings can take root. If you are going to fertilize this spring, try to wait until the grass has burst out in a rush and then slacked off again. Otherwise if you fertilize early, you'll be mowing twice a week to keep it under control. 2) How important is the middle number on the fertilizer package? What bpgreen said. You need your soil test. 3)Should we begin to areate the lawn as most of the soil is compacted as we wait on the soil analysis? I'm the one who uses a soaker hose to soften the soil. I could get into that but it takes weeks to complete the process. I don't think hard soil and compacted soil are the same thing. You can soften your soil by aerating like crazy and soaking it while the holes are open. If you are going to aerate, run the aerator in every compass point (so eight directions). You should have a dozen holes per square foot. Then water like crazy. I'm suggesting to water for a couple hours per zone to make sure the water soaks in deep from the aeration holes. 4)Will overseeding benefit the lawn? And if so will I have to cover the grass seeds to keep the birds away? If your turf is thin, then seeding will help it become more dense. Incorporating Kentucky bluegrass will help because it spreads without additional seeding. A better time of year to seed is in the fall. If you can wait you'll get better results that will last all through the summer. If you have no choice, then do it now. Most birds are omnivorous but that doesn't seem to stop the crabgrass. You should roll the seed down with a water roller to make good contact with the soil. Seed should be exposed to the sunlight to sprout and take root - just like crabgrass seed. 5) What do I need to do in the meantime before I receive the results from the lab? Is areation recommended? Usually if you are going to aerate it is done in the fall. You probably have a little vacation time saved up. Can you take a trip for a week or two to forget about the lawn? 6) Should I cut the lawn prior to aerating (if yes to previous question)? I don't think it matters.

bamboo does not like its feet kept wet...id drill a hole in the concrete for drainage and also enrich your soil first...clay can be ok as it is a rich soil but id add bulk to it with sand/compost/mulch and gupsum (it breaks up clay soil)after that id stick to fargesia's as there neat bamboo for that purpose you want..spectabilis i have and loves sun....fargesia love shade as i am growing them under my trees/forrest on my mtns Here is a link that might be useful: east cost bamboo group

The farmer's wife is market master and she called me about my insurance certificate, I asked about baling twine and they said it should last 1 season here outside. Didn't get started today, so will do it tomorrow AM (probably take me 3 AMs to get all the plants out, over 100 tomatoes and peppers). Then have to plant the seeds for other stuff - going to be a busy week! Off to TSC to get grounding rods for electric fence and check out baling twine (I don't know if I should ask my dad to take 800ft+ out of the baler when he still has 2 more fields to hay this month - might get 3 cuttings this year). I'm going with the natural instead of the poly since whatever I don't use, we can use in the baler later. Thanks for the link - I knew about no suckering above the top blossoms, but didn't know to look for a sucker *with* blossoms and main stem w/o them! I have already suckered (and taken blossoms off) the largest plants, hope I didn't do that by mistake - or sucker a det type (I don't know what my cousin gave me, but we'll see).

Ok, girls. I'll work on the first one to make it more as you wish. :) We'll see how it comes out in the long run. Heh. Dirt... THANK YOU for commenting on the box! I totally missed the groupings! They got buried under all the posts during my sleepy reading yesterday!!! Yes, my info sheet is correct from OBF. If you got the latest email where we updated our wants/likes then you'll have a better idea of where I'm at in my gardening life. If not, the old one is pretty accurate. Debbya... your box should probably go out this week. I've collected some goodies for you!