What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Status
Not open for further replies.
You can't kill it with herbicides? This summer has been brutal on my yard. It rained all of april and may and then hasn't really rained since. My irrigation system is the only thing keeping it remotely green.

I have to spray it with herbicide about once a month as well, just to clear the stupid broadleaf garbage (the field violets, various garbage grasses, and the bamboo that some wretched shitbag introduced many years ago). This weekend I'm going to put down some weed n feed, as I sprayed last week and don't need to do that again. It's so frustrating because I actually sprayed a pre-emergent this spring (some expensive one that everyone says is the best).
 
Quack grass, like DGF Said, is almost impossible to get rid of short of scorched earth or roundup.

We've been thinking of doing more and more clover and landscaping as certain patches of grass die. I've had to water maybe twice this year. Backyard just once.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
Quack grass, like DGF Said, is almost impossible to get rid of short of scorched earth or roundup.

We've been thinking of doing more and more clover and landscaping as certain patches of grass die. I've had to water maybe twice this year. Backyard just once.
Click to expand...

Honestly I may have left this to grow if it was clover or something that looked ok. Quack grass sucks. So, can expand a garden by digging this shit out and heading to Gertens
 
Deutsche Gopher Fan said:
Fucking quack grass. I don’t want to use round up so I need to dig it all out. 12 inches out from any, and six inches deep needs to be removed.

I don’t need to call 811 for that depth, do I? What would be buried less than 6 inches? Cable and telecom are above ground because that’s just the dumb fucking way this part of Edina is
Click to expand...

Depends on Minnesota's law. In Iowa you wouldn't have to because normal gardening activities are exempt. But that's not true everywhere.

It's a free service, though, so if in doubt it's never a bad idea to call.
 
unofan said:
Depends on Minnesota's law. In Iowa you wouldn't have to because normal gardening activities are exempt. But that's not true everywhere.

It's a free service, though, so if in doubt it's never a bad idea to call.
Click to expand...

That's how the Utility Marking stuff works here in the Chicago area... It's no cost and they openly push you to call any time you dig.
 
Swansong said:
You can't kill it with herbicides? This summer has been brutal on my yard. It rained all of april and may and then hasn't really rained since. My irrigation system is the only thing keeping it remotely green.

I have to spray it with herbicide about once a month as well, just to clear the stupid broadleaf garbage (the field violets, various garbage grasses, and the bamboo that some wretched ****bag introduced many years ago). This weekend I'm going to put down some weed n feed, as I sprayed last week and don't need to do that again. It's so frustrating because I actually sprayed a pre-emergent this spring (some expensive one that everyone says is the best).
Click to expand...

Just what we need, more Roundup spread around so we can have 100% of the folks in the US with traces of Round up in their urine instead of just 80%
 
Swansong said:
You can't kill it with herbicides? This summer has been brutal on my yard. It rained all of april and may and then hasn't really rained since. My irrigation system is the only thing keeping it remotely green.

I have to spray it with herbicide about once a month as well, just to clear the stupid broadleaf garbage (the field violets, various garbage grasses, and the bamboo that some wretched ****bag introduced many years ago). This weekend I'm going to put down some weed n feed, as I sprayed last week and don't need to do that again. It's so frustrating because I actually sprayed a pre-emergent this spring (some expensive one that everyone says is the best).
Click to expand...

Not sure how big your yard is, but honestly, if you aerate and overseed well, that will help discourage weeds and lead to less poison needed. Takes some time but I’ve seen a huge difference in 3 years in my yard
 
I have a small yard. I haven't aerated it yet (tough to justify the money on a machine) and I'm a bit nervous to use one anyway with the installed irrigation system. Although I could just put flags up and avoid them. Perhaps this fall.
 
Swansong said:
I have... but haven't been able to convince the ol' lady that it's worth the cost. Yet.
Click to expand...

I think there are two things worth doing every year
1. Fall application of fertilizer (Get the generic brands. I use Menard's and it works great.)
2. Hiring out core aeration in the fall (this is a new one for me since my lawn has become so compacted w/ clay. If you don't have a severely compacted yard, you can probably make this an activity performed every other year or less).

This is my favorite resource for lawns:
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/minnesota-lawn-care-calendar

YMMV, but I suspect Rutgers' and/or Penn State's extension program is an excellent resource for the northeast. I have read articles from both over the years and they seem to match a lot of the guidance Minnesota's Extension program does, save for a few details that are specific to each region. I'd generally recommend any of the Big Ten's Extension programs. They're all major research institutions and do a hell of a lot of cooperative work on these topics.
 
I'd also recommend at least an occasional mulching and as such then at least every other year a de-thatching.
 
I do fertilize spring and fall (and the occasional augmenting, like I'll do this week) and then overseed spring and fall as well. This summer has been especially dry here so I want to make sure no area bakes too much so I've been mowing higher than normal. My mower has a perfectly adequate mulch function so I just use that. It gets de-thatched in the fall when I rake up the leaves... ha


That said, I just reached out to a lawn care company for aeration quote and tips. Most of what I know about lawncare I've learned via youtube videos... or the hard way.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top