| Mar 22, 2007 @ 1:35 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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fuchia04
Posts: 953
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Spring is great for school carnivals!!!!  The weather is perfect for that.  It's also great for gardening. So, on special request, here are some gardening tips..
* Grab Mrs. Weediepie by ALL the root and let her rip!  (unless you wanna see her again next week)
* If that stubborn thorny fern that you are trying to pull out of the ground by hand just won't budge. Don't get mad. Get even!! Get the shiny new shears out and cut it out of the ground root by root! That'll show'em whose boss! 
* Dig the hole BEFORE planting the plant.  Trust me, it's better that way. 
* As you're digging the hole, try to avoid damaging any telephone wires in the area; the phone may be needed to call an ambulance, in case you happen to electrocute yourself poking your shovel mercilessly into some critter you "thought" was a snake, but which had an uncanny resemblance to an electrical wire. 
* While cutting the grass, please do not attempt to mow any pets. 
* Pick up the poop, before cutting the grass. Otherwise, it's like sh!t hitting the fan. 
* If the power to the electric trimmer sudden cuts off, it's probably because you've trimmed the cord!
* Don't trim yourself with the trimmer - or any associated body parts. Without the required limbs, you'll have a bit of a problem doing your other yard work.
* Don't plant plants in "the newspaper landing zone" (see my blog The Case of the Odd Flower).
* Machetes are great tools but they're probably not the best things to use for hacking out sections of lawn. (for that matter, neither are baseball bats and other blunt objects) (see a mid 2006 blog of mine Machetes Are For Brushing Your Teeth)
* Don't plant trees too close to the side walk, unless you like broken sidewalks with 6 inch roots breaking through it in a few years (and people tripping over them and suing you for it).
* If your driveway is at an incline and you find it is way too much of a hassle to set your parking brake every time you park your vehicle there, then to solve the problem, plant a tree sappling withing six inches of said driveway. In a few years, the roots that will eventually be sticking up out of the driveway, as the tree grows, will serve as excellent stops for the front and back wheels of your vehicle!
* It's a known fact that the neighborhood sprinkler system has been specifically programmed to go off at precisely the time you planned on doing your yard work (it's a secret conspiracy by the neighbors to get back at you for planting those unsightly hedges to obstruct the view of the even more unsightly fifty-foot yatch in their driveway).
* If their driveway is within a few feet of your property line, get back at them by planting ten oak tree seedlings as close to the property line as possible, and then sit back and watch as they grow. In time, your neighbors won't have a driveway to park that yatch in!!! 
(nah, just kidding, don't do that.)
Happy gardening everybody!!!
- the Fuchian 
[Edited on 3/22/2007 2:07 PM]
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 7:48 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Dovestreasure
Posts: 3,411
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That is so cool Fuchia I just loved it... I am green thumb impaired... my home owners association recently sent me a letter that I need to weed my lawn and re-sod the bald spots..I really should have put in a St. Augustine lawn when I built my house.. and my sprinkler system bit the dust. My lawn is not looking purty right now 
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 9:18 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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fuchia04
Posts: 953
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Ahh... those pesky home owner's associations... gotta love'em..
they keep me in business ya know 
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 10:17 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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jtnavy03
Posts: 1
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when is the best time to be planting a garden in florida? I started planting some things already...but then I realized it was still March, guess I was thinkin' it was late April already! I just moved here from Maryland a few months ago with the Navy, so Florida is a whole new place for me this year. Livin' on 5 acres...so I definately have plenty of yard work to keep me busy on my off days!
You forgot to mention, that working outside in sandals isn't the best idea...damn fire ants...(my first lesson learned about working outside in Florida!)
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 10:19 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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Kenn159
Posts: 2,744
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These homeowner associations need to get a clue ,all these lawn chemicals and fertilizers all end up in our rivers and oceans and polute the water we drink and the fish we eat.
Im all about a native self sustaining yard,since the plants are florida native they dont need chemical fertilizers or watering .
Ive owned my house in Pinellas Park since 1990 and have never put any chemicals on it ,and my soil is very hearthy with plenty of earthworms[the sign of healthy soil].
I hate to sound like a wacko,but the pollution of our planet is a real issue that isn't going way ,and if it takes making me look like a wacko to help make a small difference ,then so be it,we all need to rethink our common everyday behaviors that we take for granted and their effects on the planet
The homeowner associations need to wake up to the 21rst century.
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 11:22 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Dovestreasure
Posts: 3,411
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Ken.. very well stated..I think I may just use some of your arguments with confronting my home owners association.. Fuchia any ideas for making my lawn healthier without chemicals. Ken would greatly appreciate your input too.
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 11:30 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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witchietoo
Posts: 2,632
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I hate to sound like a wacko,but the pollution of our planet is a real issue that isn't going way
Ken your not a wacko....when I had my own house, my yard was 100% organic...I didn't use anything other then natural things. All my house plants and stuff only get natural fertilizers. Coffee grinds & ground up egg shells, among other things.
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 11:32 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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witchietoo
Posts: 2,632
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when is the best time to be planting a garden in florida?
Depending on what your planting, you can plant anytime of the year down here. I just got done planting a mess of Day Lilies today.
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| Mar 22, 2007 @ 11:41 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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fuchia04
Posts: 953
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I think what a good lawn needs the most is watering. I've never really seen any proof that chemicals are ever needed for grass, but that's just my humble observation. You could sort've take Ken's idea, and just let the natural grasses grow instead of putting in sod. The natural stuff would come all by itself - in fact, we are constantly fighting to get rid of it all the time (it's what most would consider "weeds" ). I don't see a problem with it though, JMHO. If it were my house and I didn't have a busybody hoa breathing down my neck, that's just what I'd do.
P.S. Homeowner associations aren't known for their eco-friendliness. It doesn't matter how much it benefits the environment, the economy, or helps out in some other important way; anything that is deemed by the hoa as not pretty enough, or being detrimental to their precious property values, is not allowed. No ands, ifs, or buts! Just try installing solar panels on the roof of your house, and you'll be reminded of this real quick. One reason solar hasn't quite taken off, probably has to do with the fact that hoa's make it so hard on anyone who wants to install them. The reason is simply the panels are not aesthetically pleasing enough to the neighbors.
[Edited on 3/22/2007 11:53 PM]
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| Mar 23, 2007 @ 12:50 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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honbee42
Posts: 352
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You forgot to mention, that working outside in sandals isn't the best idea...damn fire ants...(my first lesson learned about working outside in Florida!)
Working outside in shorts isn't too cool either when your working in a bed with bushes and tall plants. The doc's at the e.r. are real quick to make behind jokes when you visit them.
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| Mar 23, 2007 @ 11:14 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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Kenn159
Posts: 2,744
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Great points everyone.
Fuchia ,I agree with you about the grass,my grass is just native Bahia with some nice little clover weeds here and there, .to me the clover is just as welcome as the rest of the grass they are both green and look fine to me.
There are always weed grasses and weed trees like the australian pine that people are trying to eradicate ,I feel if they are alive ,they have a right to live,their all welcome in my yard.
I never have to water my grass ,since it is native it is used to florida's climate conditions and thrives.
Compare that to my niebor who just had his lawn soded with St Augustine last year .
He is always watering ,he has to pay for chemlawn to come every week ,give me my Florida native lawn anyday.
I do handyman work for a living and I have put in sod for customers requesting it ,but as time goes on we are all becoming more eco conscious and finding better ways of doing things ,I think today I would try to steer them towards Florida native ground cover or native Bahia grass ,both of which don't require watering beyond the first 4 weeks of initial root establishment.
Dove ,bahia or native ground cover may be good for your situation as well,if your HO association appoves it .
Way to go Witchie on your yard,although I would have expected it from your spiritual belief that teaches that the earth is sacred.
[Edited on 3/23/2007 11:34 AM]
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| Mar 23, 2007 @ 11:41 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Kenn159
Posts: 2,744
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I may have a bit of a different opinion on ants as they have been discussed in this thread .
I just let them be ,but if you just pay atention not to stand or step on them you will be fine .
Part of learning to live green is to find natural solutions and natural predators to control issues
Im actually glad when I see them in the yard ,they are really a asset because they eat termites and flees.
So if you have any wood in your home or own a pet ,they are there for your benefit.
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| Mar 25, 2007 @ 3:34 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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Dovestreasure
Posts: 3,411
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I have bahia now Ken.. my lawn was nice and healthy when I moved in. I have never been one to fuss with it. I have a lawn service that cuts it, and I had a sprinkler system that watered it. For the most part I just let nature take its course . My little trees that I planted are thriving and are now big trees, my plants I planted are doing well.. its just my grass. My front and back yard are more weeds then grass with lots of sad looking bald spots.. the green stuff is nice and green , but I guess it does not live up to neighborhood standards. Would sprinkling grass seed suffice?
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| Mar 25, 2007 @ 10:46 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Kenn159
Posts: 2,744
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Quote
Would sprinkling grass seed suffice
Reply
Not sure,maybe ,whats going on in the dead spots?
Is there alot of thatch build up there ,higher sun exposer,sprinkler doesn't spray there, grub worms or a car parked there and leaked oil?
Any idea why grass doesnt grow there?
How big of a area is dead?
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| Mar 26, 2007 @ 10:34 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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Dovestreasure
Posts: 3,411
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Lets see, my sprinkler system is not working so the only watering it gets is rain. A car has never parked there. I guess you could say it looks like a swiss cheese lawn.there are patches of green with patches of bald spots in between. My lawn is small front and back. I am at a loss why nothing grows in those spots. In the back yard there is a great big tree, and I thought maybe the trees shade effected the lawn back there. How can I tell if there are grub worms on my lawn? I know I have to do something soon before the Home owners association sends another notice.
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| Mar 26, 2007 @ 11:48 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Kenn159
Posts: 2,744
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Here is some info below I found on grub worms ,look in the orlando phone book and see if you have any natural pest control alternatives in your area that can treat the grubs if the turn out to be the problem .
Grubs! Grubs! You mean those grass worms. Yuck! These are common utterances of home owners and lawn care operators in Pinellas County. Their frustration stems from the devastation and failure to control two species of white grub, Plectris aliena and Ligyrus sp. in St Augustine lawn grass. These white grubs are voracious feeders. They are large, about 2-inch in length, and resistant to most pesticides. Once beautiful lawns are gradually receding, showing signs of gradual thinning, yellowing, wilting and death of the foliage. Over time, scattered, irregular, brown patches of grass appear and the area feels soft and spongy. Heavily infested grass rolls back like a carpet because the root system is gone, and could be easily be kicked around like hay. According to Dr. Eileen A. Buss, University of Florida, many home owners in Tampa have already re-sodded their St Augustine lawns twice in the last three years because of the damage, and are now questioning the ability of their pest management professionals to control these menacing creatures.
White grubs are not easy to control and many strategies have proven to be ineffective. However current research indicates effective management of these pests, could be directly linked to identification, knowledge of the life cycles and application of strategic control measures. There are many scarab beetles (grub adults) in Florida but all do not produce turf grass pests. The problematic, Plectris aliena and Ligyrus spp. are identified as creamy- white, C-shaped white larvae with characteristic brownish heads and six legs. Their distinct pattern of hairs (raster) on the tip of their abdomen facilitates identification.
White grubs can be effectively managed if the infestation is caught in time. Adults are present in May and June and lay eggs in small clusters within the top inch or two of the soil. During this period, grubs are very vulnerable to applications of curative insecticides such as Dylox (trichlorfon). Remember to irrigate after the application to keep grubs near the soil surface and to wash in the pesticide. Grubs may be vulnerable to treatment in late to mid August, but as the grow older, reaching the second instar, they become harder to control. At this period the weather gets colder and they move deeper into the soil, removing them from pesticide contact. They come up again in the spring to feed on the grass roots.
Again, sampling of potential infestation sites and early recognition of the problem can prevent turf loss and costly renovation. But, keep in mind grubs usually feed for several months before any turf damage becomes visible. If your turf had a serious grub problem last year, the adult beetles are likely to return and re-infest the same areas. To prevent extensive damage, examine all turf in April and again in August for grubs. Don’t wait for brown patches to appear before inspecting the soil. Take hole-cutter samples, or cut a 1 square foot flap in the sod with a knife or shovel and roll it back. Sift through the soil and roots or thatch in the top 3 or 4 inches. Repeat this process in several locations. After looking at the soil, tap the grass back into place and irrigate.
It is normal to find a few white grubs per square foot in turfgrass. The mere presence of grubs is not necessarily a problem. Healthy turf can easily outgrow the root loss caused by a couple of grubs. If you find an average of 5 or more grubs per square foot, an insecticide application may be warranted, especially when the grass is under heat and drought stress. When the weather is cooler and soil moisture adequate, turf can tolerate higher grub densities.
Sampling may also involve pulling up brown patches. If the turf does not pull up easily, the problem may be caused by something else, like a localized dry spot, dog urine damage, fertilizer burn, nematodes, or disease. If the turf does pull up easily, inspect the top 1 to 2 inches of soil for grubs. In addition, white grubs attract vertebrae animals, which can make an already damaged area look worse. However, these vertebrates may be interested in earthworms or other soil insects besides grubs. Large numbers of dark-colored, parasitic wasps hovering over the lawn in late summer to early fall is a sure sign of white grubs.
Proper timing and regulation of irrigation can also assist in grub management. White grub species need moist soil to hatch and larvae to survive. If the turf is lightly irrigated and fertilized in late summer or fall, grub infestations may be suppressed.
Natural enemies, ground beetles and ants, also attack white grubs. Although, these predators rarely completely control white grub populations, they do provide some natural suppression. Please conserve them.
Preventative treatments of timely applied conventional insecticides have been very reliable. Grubs are very vulnerable to insecticidal treatments when they are small and feeding damage is relatively light. Such treatment should be administered in mid to late August. The long residual soil activity of pesticides such as Merit, Grub Ex, Mach 2 and Grub-B-Gon give good control of newly hatched white grub eggs, when applied weeks or even months before grub hatch.
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| Jun 12 @ 9:01 PM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!!
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BlueCrush201
Posts: 1
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| Jun 15 @ 11:06 AM |
Gardening Tips a la The Fuchian!!! |
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Dovestreasure
Posts: 3,411
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Its nice to see this thread up and kicking again Fuchia would be proud. Just a foot note my yard is looking better this year, Those pesty bald spots are still there but less noticable. The surrounding grass hides them a bit. The sprinklers are working a bit and the rain has helped too.
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