Site compromised?
bev2009
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (7)
loisflan
4 years agoKaren S. (7b, NYC)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
iso good diy landscaping advice site(s)
Comments (45)A tall fescue lawn in a northern California winter is going to look a bit bedraggled, and hardly grow much. The thinning of the grass is probably due to lack of sufficient irrigation suitable for best growth in the hotter months, in combination with insufficient top soil with organic content added before you sodded it, and not fertilizing often enough to encourage better health and growth of grass. How many inches of topsoil did you add before rototilling, and how often and which months do you fertilize, and what is the N-P-K ratio of the fertilizer you are using? As to whether 20 minutes of spray irrigation is sufficient for a lawn in northern California conditions, especially if applied 4 times a week on a flat site, if anything this is overwatering, even with heavy root competition from the redwoods and oaks across the fence. It looks to me that you need to build up soil fertility in both the lawn, and particularly for the citrus tree, which shows signs of nitrogen deficiency in particular, and is probably also not getting water in summer sufficient to get rooting deeper. Just adding a mulch with chicken manure in it, or mushroom compost or similar as a 4 inch mulch, ought to help the citrus tremendously. I'd also suggest adding some time release fertilizer such as osmocote and work into the soil in March, for longer term/slow release of nutrients, and check with a soil auger how deep your irrigation is penetrating with the irrigation you are giving it. The lawn can also be top dressed with a light screened mulch after having it aerated with a core type aerator, and the top dressing raked in to help fill the holes, but it might be better to simply use a sod cutter to skim it all off, add a healthy 6 inches of organic compost to the lawn area, and resod. Lawns here typically benefit from several fertilizing periods, at least once in mid spring and again in summer and early fall, or refer to the web site referred to previously for recommendations. You might also consider using a mulching lawn mower that chops up the grass blades so that they return to the soil, and preserve the nitrogen that is otherwise thrown away with each clipping. As to Ink's complaint about "cliche" eyebrow plantings around the edge of the lawn, I don't think you are really looking at other solutions if you mean to keep the existing lawn size and layout, but I do second Ink's opinion that the narrowness of the planting areas against the fence is rather dull and static. Planting of vines to cover the fence, and widening the borders to allow at least some layering of shrubs and herbaceous plantings is entirely possible if borders were widened to minimum 4 to 8 feet wide if you can give up some lawn space. The proximity of those large redwoods and oaks across your fence is definitely tapping into the irrigation you are supplying. The vigor of the trees, and even some of the plants in your own backyard indicates to me that yours isn't so much a soil fertility problem, as it is poorly timed fertilizing and no ongoing attempts to increase organic content of your clay soils via mulching with compost, as well as not checking to see if your irrigation schedule is adequately wetting the soil to sufficient depth to encourage better growth and plant health under drought/heat stress of summer. Having dealt with many California gardens under or adjacent to redwoods and live oaks, the soil ph is unlikely to be the problem, as I am willing to bet your soil is only mildly acidic or even close to neutral. We just don't have moist enough conditions year round to create acidic soils from dropped leaves in a suburban garden setting. The problem is the root competition of water, and any plantings you add will greatly benefit from adding tons of organic component, mulching with compost on a yearly basis, selecting plants that tolerate root competition with redwood tree roots, shade and constant debris, and closely monitoring your irrigation cycles to see that the plants are getting what they need. Beyond a soils test and a landscape design, you need some help from a good horticulturist who can advise you what you are doing wrong/right in your particular circumstances. I'd also make darn sure the natives you have on your plans are compatible with redwood tree competition, as well as potential overspray from the lawn irrigation. Fertilizing more frequently for plantings below/adjacent redwoods is extremely helpful, and if you prefer the organic route, stick with a good organic mulch that has some manure in it, and reapply a couple of inches every year....See More'perfect' hood compromise
Comments (4)The larger ducting recommendations are to lower pressure loss and hence increase flow rate for a given blower. The velocity in the ducting will be lower with a larger diameter, thereby reducing noise. Depending on whether the ducting is generally warm, or cold, to minimize grease deposits the diameter should enable the velocity in the ducting to be around 500 ft/min (at full power) to 1500 ft/min for warm and cold ducting, respectively. The trapezoidal shape not only provides a zone for transition from capture to containment, but also can direct the rising effluent to the duct with minimal "reflections" in the wrong direction and with low pressure loss. Whatever actual flow rate you think you need given your cooking style should be increased when specifying the blower due to pressure losses in the system. A factor of 1.5 should be in the ball park. And what you think you need should account for the nature of the hood. An island hood is open on four sides so it is easier for rising effluent to escape. Don't forget that to get air out of the house, one has to allow air back in. For low flow rates, this make up air (MUA) is generally obtained via building leakage. At higher rates, one has to use open windows or a dedicated passive or active, conditioned or not, make-up air system. Furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and other combustion devices can back-flow their exhaust if the pressure in the house becomes too negative. And too negative can in some cases be as small as -0.02 inches of water column. I know experimentally that at -0.065 inches I could back-flow my oil-fired furnace and set off a near-by smoke alarm. I did not determine the threshold pressure for this; it was likely lower. I have since added a separate MUA for the furnace. kas...See MoreCabinets installed before site finished hardwood floors - opinion
Comments (19)It's not difficult to saw out flooring at the toekick if it needs to be removed. And any water event that damages flooring will certainly damage the subfloor, or the plywood that the cabinets should be sitting on. Standard counter heights and cabinet alignment heights in kitchen design are all designed to begin at 0 as the finished floor height. Depending on the design, this can be an issue with tall cabinetry not being tall enough for the ceiling and needing to add a horizontal filler for the molding planned for it and the other cabinets. It all starts at the finished floor level. Appliances like DW's need the full 34.5 height or you may be restricted to only models that can adjust to much shorter heights. Slide in ranges are especially problematical because they aren't very adjustable and depend on the cabinets being the standard 34.5 above the finished floor. That's why plywood has to go under the cabinets and you have to know the thickness of the flooring being used during the design phase. Any other issues with doing the cabinets first mostly amount to the amount of damage that the flooring guys can inflict on the cabinets. Which can be considerable if a sander gets away from them. It's much easier to repair a hole in the drywall than it is one in the side of a cabinet. That has to actually be replaced....See MoreCompromising your own privacy, Twitter, Facebook.
Comments (60)Birthing photos are now a big thing on Facebook. I'm talking babies covered in yuck. Some even show crowning shots, with the mother's anatomy up close and personal. These aren't a few extreme cases either; it's a trend. And the photos are widely shared, not private. They get lots of Likes. What's especially disturbing--besides the obvious--is the way these posters don't recognize any right to react to their photos with anything except admiration. No one ever dares to object, because they know what would happen. "Don't be a hater. What's wrong with you? No one is offended by this!" So the poster thinks everybody approves. And the trend spreads. This is a classic characteristic of narcissists: the inability to recognize that other people and their viewpoints even exist as part of objective, independent reality. But we do exist. And we judge. Good luck getting a job from me in the future after I've seen your business in all its glory....See MoreUser
4 years agogrammyp
4 years agonannykins
4 years agoChar
4 years ago
Related Stories
HOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: Modern 'Pods' Offer a Log Cabin Compromise
Two generations enjoy togetherness and privacy too, in this cleverly designed lakefront vacation home in Idaho
Full StoryTREESGreat Design Plant: Sabal Palm Enchants in Balmy Sites
Towering and tolerant, this tree blends in, stands out and happily stars in vacation photos
Full StoryARCHITECTUREDesign Workshop: How a Site Can Shape a Home
Create architectural poetry by looking to a site's topography, climate, trees and more to inform the home's design
Full StoryLIFETips for Moving Into a Smaller Space
Downsize with less compromise: Celebrate the positive, pare down thoughtfully and get the most from your new home
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN6 Ways You Can Save on Your Garden Renovation
Find out how to spend wisely without compromising on style — and what to splurge on for big impact
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN9 Fresh Design Ideas From Wildlife-Friendly Gardens
Set up your garden to provide food, water and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies and more without compromising style
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDES5 Trade-Offs to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen
A kitchen designer asks big-picture questions to help you decide where to invest and where to compromise in your remodel
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: From Overgrown Weeds to Picturesque Farmhouse Expanse
This once-neglected 100-acre South Carolina site now features a lake, a wood-filled farmhouse and a far-reaching view
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNWhat the Heck Is a Ha-Ha, and How Can It Help Your Garden?
Take cues from a historical garden feature to create security and borders without compromising a view
Full StoryHOMES AROUND THE WORLDHouzz Tour: A Father and Son’s Compact Design for a Family Home
The new house in New Zealand makes the most of a tight site and a tight budget
Full StoryColumbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!
More Discussions
bev2009Original Author