Hello. Thanks for the great information! It'll really be nice to get the grass looking it's best. The dying "junk tree" in the corner will be coming down, and I'll be tearing down the concrete wall and putting up a nice 6' stockade fence (with metal poles; the best way to go, IMO). In the corner where the wall is, there's a concrete foundation of an old stone shed; I will be putting a shed there for the lawn care items to free up the 2nd garage stall. My tenants deserve more parking... The last thing I'd like to do is wrap a deck around the sunroom. Just enough for a good-sized table, the grilles, etc. In the middle of the stone wall, there's another (weirdly placed) concrete slab. To the left of it is where my garden is. I'll be building a better vegetable garden this year, too, with raised beds and watering pipes, and whatnot... I was REALLY depressed after de-thatching the grass; my yard had brown strips all over, and I could see the soil in some spots, even ant hills... I thought I did more damage than good. But, after reseeding, applying the fertilizer and Epsom salt mixture, and watering every single day for a few hours, (I've never once fertilized or watered the grass before!), everything turned out beautifully. I think I had it set in my mind to reseed just because I figured seeding twice would be better to get nice, thick turf... Perhaps it won't be necessary. The grass seed I use is University of Rhode Island Number Two Improved. It's a mixture of Kentucky Blue, Creeping Red Fescue, and Chewing Fescue. A couple questions. When mowing, what is the best method: Mulching and Discharge, or bagging the clippings? I've never had a bag for my old Cub Cadet mower, so, since I've owned the house, about 14 years now, I've always used the mulching blade and side discharge. I think this helped cause the thatching problem... Before reseeding the grass, however, a neighbor threw away a little 2-year old mower that they used twice... It has a bag, so since I've reseeded , I've been collecting the clippings. What's the best method? Also, what's the best watering schedule for "normal" times, ie. when not seeding? I know morning time is the best, but how often should one water their lawn? Hopefully, after everything is done, the grass will look even better this year than it did last fall.

Hi Scarlet - Thank you and I am very sorry that your veggies did not turn well, we all learn after we failed and try not to make more mistakes again. I grow some some veggies in pots, always the tomatoes but they have to have room to grow unless they are the dwarf size and can be grown in a smaller pot and of course the red mulch is a big no. I don't put any mulch in the containers because I like to test the soil for watering and also with the humidity here it can create problems, You have to look for veggies that can be grown in containers, I had success with Renee garden seeds for containers. You can do well with peppers, herbs, lettuce, dwarf kale, some zucchini and cucumber varieties will need a bigger containers. Growing in the ground or raised bed is easier but sometimes not possible due to space or in case with the tomatoes and the nematodes. Don't give up and try to find better containers. I have some inexpensive plastic tubs and growing celery, parsley and cilantro, sometimes I do lettuce in them or start seedlings, all my containers have multiple uses. Hope to see you on the forum more often and asking questions, that is why we are her for, don't give up! Hi Becca - I hope that you solve the problem with the tomatoes, that is the main reason that I plant more than I need, something happened or they get diseased, I have other ones. With the weather and the bugs here it is not the easiest thing to do to grow healthy plants unless we are very careful and spray if we have to. Good to know that you are getting beans and greens, the other veggies will follow, broccoli and cauliflower take a long time. Try to get some transplants of a different tomato variety and put them in a different place if you can, to see if you have better luck, I plant heirlooms and hybrids for the same reason, something has to do well. Eventually you will get to know what does better in your conditions. Silvia

Austin, TX Aug 2021. Quotes for a 300sf room mini-split not incl electric which I would guesstimate to add $500-800: 1) $4900, 2) $5000, 3) starting at $4800. The only more reasonable one was 4) $3400 which I MIGHT give up and just take, meaning paying about $4000. The thing is I would be HAPPY as hell to get the 2nd floor central AC to be exactly like our first floor central AC system and pay $5-7000 for it. The 1st floor's Sept 2020-installed 2-ton HVAC, despite being a single-stage, actually cools at 47 dB directly at the intake, 39dB 10 feet away, most of the time. Then it's like 63dB when it has to cool things down multiple degrees but that's not for very long. The 2nd floor's furnace was installed at the same time and is the same exact unit as the 1st floor's but the 2.5 ton outside is not same brand and not the same coils. When I asked the AC co. this summer to just make the 2nd floor like the first floor - replacing the coils and condenser, he hemmed and hawed and said I can't guarantee you the same situation and static pressure, blah blah blah. He couldn't explain why the 1st floor unit had two fan speeds. Isn't there a way to kind of estimate how the thing would work? Funny thing is the 2nd floor furnace is loud as hell all the time when running - I think 67dB with vibrating noises - and will cycle on and off A LOT at night - literally on for 5 minutes then off for 5, then on again for 5 minutes for part of the night, driving me crazy. It's louder than the previous 30-year system which ironically still worked. The first mini-split estimator to come to the house (the rest I just got ballparks on the phone to not waste anybody's time) - they mostly do full HVACs - when I asked about the 2nd floor, he stared at the grate and said "you need more duct board." Hilarious. Didn't even mention the fact that the intake is too small which I found out on my own but I still doubt that would help because pulling the grate off does nothing except maybe make it louder still. So I don't feel like these HVAC people know much about systems either. One of my installer AC's folks said it's the thermostat - you mean the fancy Honeywell? I called Honeywell without much luck. And when I called the manufacturer to supposedly find a compatible thermostat, the guy said X and it was their $800 thermostat. Um, why? I'm definitely looking at the Mr. Cool unit. Not crazy about learning yet a new skill and taking forever figuring things out which is how I am - I'm good, just slow but willing. I may also just install a Midea u-shaped inverter window AC - I bought my daughter one and it's remarkably quiet - crazy quiet. Luckily the window in question is on the side of the house far from the front. But I can't believe I have to resort to a window AC. $500 window AC vs $4000-$5000 Euro-style system vs $5-7000 new HVAC compressor and coils which may not do what I want and the guy really doesn't want to sell me. Geez.

I truly don't understand how or why anyone is offended at ma'am. It is a sign of respect to others. Weren't you raised to say yes/no ma'am and yes/no sir to others in response to questions? I was taught to say it to any command, reprimand from an adult, I.e. no running in the school as well as general questions from anyone I didn't know, I.e. waitress asking, are you done with that plate? Age has never been a factor. If the cashier who is clearly younger than I am in the store asks if their is anything else I need, I reply with, "no ma'am", if I need help from that clearly younger man in the store I don't say, "excuse me young man (to me, THAT is patronizing) I say, excuse me sir" Maybe it is regional? I've only ever had a few people get upset and say something to the effect of I'm no ma'am/sir!!! Which just makes me think, obviously or you wouldn't act that way.