Rip out your lawn for nature.
Jay 6a Chicago
3 years ago
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Jay 6a Chicago
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Ripped out perennials -- now what?
Comments (10)Heather and heath are sun-loving. They come in all different sizes and shapes, as well as many foliage colors (some very odd indeed). Some change color with the seasons. Flowers are in the white-pink-rose-purplish range. I like them as a groundcover and filler. I also find the foliage attractive (some cultivars more than others), but I'm sure that doesn't appeal to everyone. Different cultivars bloom at very different times of the year; many put out buds months before blooming. I have four varieties of winter-blooming heath, all very low, and they didn't like being covered with snow for most of this past winter (very unusual for us here). The blooms fizzled. So if you have a lot of snow, cultivars that bloom at other times might be better. These sites will give you an idea of what's out there: http://www.heathsandheathers.com/hhweb_001.htm http://www.heathersociety.org.uk/index.html http://www.heathersociety.org.uk/handy_guide.html http://www.sylvannursery.com/hlist.html As far as hostas go, it might depend whether the sun is morning sun or afternoon sun. How about adding bulbs that bloom at different times of the year? Crocuses, daffodils, re-blooming or ever-blooming daylilies, Asian lilies, alliums, and so on. They'd add different foliage types as well as color. You'll have a lot more choice if you buy from catalogs or online. See the Daylily and Bulb forums. Now's the time to order for fall planting. We've had little rain all summer, and higher than usual temps. Parts of my lawn are dormant, and in other places, the weeds have taken over. I've learned to identify the two kinds of crabgrass, because one withstands the bone-dry soil better, while the other curls up and is near to death....See MorePlease help me! Need to rip out and start over!
Comments (12)I can't believe he has that much information either. He's the Lawn Whisperer. If you're really going to do Option 3, I would suggest watering daily after the first app of RoundUp. That will germinate any seeds in the grass. Then the next app of RU will take those new seedlings out. If you have full sun, you can use Kentucky bluegrass. If you have some shade you can mix fescue varieties in with the KBG seed. Fescues need to be overseeded annually in the fall. That's the main reason I asked about shade. After the second app of RU, then tend to the leveling. Give the RU a day to be sure it worked and then get after the leveling. Have you searched this forum for topics on leveling? It is very easy to do wrong, so do some research. As a start, NEVER ROTOTILL to prepare for grass. That is the biggest mistake people make. All of the leveling topics were for bermuda, but if you are using RU, the process would be the same. In a nutshell you scalp or kill off the grass, apply just enough sand to fill the holes and low spots, drag a drag over top to smooth it out, water it to settle the sand, add more sand if/where needed, drag, water, add, drag, water, etc., until you are happy with it. You can make it putting green smooth like this. After you seed, roll the seed down with a water fillable roller to ensure it makes good contact with the soil. Then you do not need to cover it with anything, but many landscapers do. Certainly if you do not roll it, then you will need something. It's just easier to roll it down. If the area is small, just walk over it all to press the seed into the soil. Here is a picture of a drag mat. It looks a lot like a chain link fence. I personally use...chain link fence. My fence was not heavy enough so I put some boards on top and a bag of topsoil. Your mileage will vary. This leaves an excellent surface, though. Drag from the lowest area to the highest area for proper drainage. The drag will not move much soil, but no sense fighting against what you're trying to do. Can you post a picture of the lawn so we can see what leveling issues you might be dealing with?...See MoreWas I ripped off on a used Craftsman lawn tractor?
Comments (9)"the owner swore he bought it new in 2007" Who knows? Maybe he did. While it would be a very rare thing for a Sears store to still have a 2002 tractor sitting around for five years, I suppose that it's not out of the realm of possibility. Sears does have huge distribution warehouses as well and maybe some items get misplaced. As such, it could be that he picked up a non-current tractor for a smokin' deal price in 2007. If I were you, I'd forget about it and just move on. The time to check it out was before you handed over the cash. If the year of the tractor was that important to you, then you should have insisted that he provide you with a bill of sale stating that he was selling you a 2007 tractor bearing serial number such and such. Only then, would have a reasonable expectation of success at trial. What really matters here is condition. If this is truly a super low hour 2002, then it will last you just as long as a 2007 with the same hours on it. And when you go to sell it five to seven years from now, overall condition will determine its value more so than the year....See Morefriend is ripping out shrubs b/c he hates the birds--help
Comments (2)Sometimes you have to accept the bad that goes along with the good. You can attempt to remove the nest if you find one and hope you can place it so the birds will find it and your friend will not spray. If you find and don't attempt you will hurt mentally for a long time because if you leave the bushes the nest will be sprayed and the babies killed anyway. Attempt to move or find a nursery that is willing to dig the plants up for the plants. I was just watching a show that moved a big roadie. They stated to dig a trench about 5 ft away from the trunk through the roots. Then use a trenching or they called it a transplanting shovel pointed inward toward the trunk to sever any roots that are attached to the under soil. They just moved to a different location on the property but you would need to wrap the roots in a couple of old bedsheets. I do hope this was not a special friend. If he is perhaps it is time that he WAS a special friend....See MoreJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoSkip1909
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agodandy_line (Z3b N Cent Mn)
3 years agoJay 6a Chicago
3 years ago
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ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado