Try using red or white clover in your garden I have observed that grass wasn't growing near a part of our yard where we grew melons and watermelon so this year as an experiment we our going to thow white organic cloverseeds in our vegetable garden It is supposed to also fix nitrogen in the soil just as beas when planted with corn as Squash shades and protects of what's known as The Three Sisters.Oh White clover is supposed to be a good grass suppressor prevents grass from growing just whats needed in our garden.First we did a layer of 3 layers of the white ink less news paper wet it all down with our iltered garden hose then put cardboard around the whole garden fence then wet that down too alk done o a non windy day topoed with cow manure and some chicken manure then we put 3 inches of woodchips or woodchip mulch last year in the Spring but all that should have been done in the Fall! This year we are not planting plants but Only Organic Heirloom seeds and some Organic plants howeveryou need to keep tge woodchips away from the stems and keep around the drip area only! Put Toilet paper rolks around seedlings to prevent cutworms thise white cabbage montths lay.Spray aroundfir ticks aunts red yes and fleas Use Garlic online stuff I'll get back you thx medicine

PVA primer: Yes...some of them are AMAZINGLY poor at "filling" porous drywall paper & seams. It's funny...many painters think using a high-end primer like 123 or C2-One on new sheetrock is overkill! Dirtex: Hmmmm...some groceries might have it?! It's in most Hdwr. stores product catalogues I believe. I've been ordering it thru ACE for years. Spray-Tex: >>> Determine if your walls are "Granite countertop" smooth, OR "Orange-peel" texture smooth...meaning...the slightly rounded bumps that are sprayed on a wall. >>> No, don't use it on smooth walls. Orange-peel wall texture is so common up here. Just feather-sand your repair flush, and with a lightly damp sponge, clean dust from the area. Smooth-wall spot repair: * This can get a little tricky to be "near-perfect"! * MY way to do it...since the wall is smooth, pretend you're putting on blush! (I'm not talkin' KISS-heavy makeup though!!) * Use an artist-brush, small sponge, wadded-up clean t-shirt or nylons rag...whatever...and just apply HAZY-THIN layers of paint. * Use just light pouncing motions...barely apply ANY paint! * Since so little paint is being applied each time, it'll dry fast. Repeat 3 or 4 times, maybe more..., until color/sheen look even with rest of wall. 3/4" roller...YIKES! * I wouldn't use that! Waaaaay too much nap and roller-texture for a smooth wall. * Get either a Corona, Purdy White-Dove, or Wooster PRO-Dooz......3/8" cover! * Let roller get saturated, and apply paint evenly. Finish a column of paint with a LIGHT/CONTINUOUS CEILING-TO-FLOOR stroke. Then move onto your next "column" of paint. Keep these columns NO wider than 3'. Use 4 roller-loads per column. * You COULD even use a 1/4" Mohair roller, but you'd be reloading constantly. Unless you're practiced at this, stick with a 3/8". Faron

I've been one of the big-time proponents of POWDERED Dirtex wall-washing. Learned this big pearl of wisdom from a formerly regular member here....Brushworks. Powdered cleaners and regular "liquid" cleaners are two different things!!!!! I'm no chemist, but there are ingredients in liquids to keep the cleaning-agents in suspension, that aren't required in powders. Those added ingredients are most of the reason the shouldn't be used b4 painting. >>> They can leave residues of their own that interfere with new paints' adhesion. >>> TSP is a great cleaner....BUT....has to be rinsed multiple times, or a haze can be left behind that...guess what...interferes with a new paints' grip. I'm glad you double-checked the HD's off-the-cuff/mistaken instructions!!! Faron

The question of, "why do I need to clean if I'm going to sand" hit me last night. The steps are pretty clean. I was at SW yesterday and the only Dirtex they had was the spray kind. That's all I'm finding anywhere here. I saw some other cleaning stuff like Krud Kutter etc. but didn't look at them too close. I have a hand sander I'm going to use. Have all my sandpaper etc. you recommended in my last thread about my stairs ready to go. I really like that Ready Patch stuff. Tried it on a different project and it was much easier to work with than stuff I've used in the past. So as long as I sand well and clean off all the dust (use tack cloth?) I should be ok without the powdered Dirtex? I'm going to pass on the TSP and water idea.