A novice lawn question!

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by Keith Elliott, May 2, 2021.

  1. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Understood Keith, I'm not too many years behind you, so I know how you feel. But small sections at a time is fine, as long as you don't go over the same area too much. I always carried out my raking in March before any new young shoots start to form. Perhaps a note in your diary for 2022...
     
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  2. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    OK...March would probably be a bit early here, well early March anyway. The snow is usually gone by March, but not always. Winters seem to be starting and finishing later as the years go by it seems. About five years ago we didn't get our first snowfall until December 26th. That was most unusual.
     
  3. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Yes silly me, April would be ideal for you then Keith. (I must remember where you are). It's not sunny Sussex, lol.
     
  4. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    I tried to order one of these yesterday, but trying to get anything done online during this pandemic is getting progressively worse by the day. Couldn't make it work yesterday, and certainly couldn't get through by phone. And the AI lady online wasn't quite that helpful either. I finally gave up.

    So I made another attempt before they opened for business this morning and it was successful. So, with a little bit of luck our new scarifier should be at the Kamloops store between next Tuesday and Thursday. I will be sure to let you know how it works here.

    I think in the mean time that I will make certain that the ground is kept very moist, as that definitely makes it easier to dig the weeds out. Possible showers here later today, but sunny Saturday and Sunday.
     
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  5. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    That's brilliant Keith, now you will look forward to raking your lawn next Spring. Do post a photo of your new garden gadget.... we men do love our toys, lol.
     
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  6. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Oh, you know I will! Of course I'll use both the scarifier and the dethatcher, that way I should have quite a pile of stuff for the compost.

    Speaking of compost, all we have here right now is one of those rotating drum affairs. I am really quite surprised at how well it works. Not great in the dead of winter of course, but now it's doing well. The limitation is the small size. I turn it every day and it doesn't seem to take long to produce results.

    I'm contemplating making a simple box affair outside somewhere...any suggestions for this?
     
  7. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Can you get hold of pallets Keith? The type used for deliveries of large items. These are perfect and allow air to circulate, plus you can construct whatever size you want. And later when they do rot down, you just replace like for like. Another thing that is usually free also..
     
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  8. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    That might be a possibility. We have one here at the moment that the Allen blocks came on. I do see them around at different places up here. Perhaps I will get Val to check on the local Shuswap exchange to see if anyone has some.

    IMG_4494.JPG

    Looks like that pallet is still in use, but I do believe that Val wanted these blocks put somewhere as use for some sort of border.
     
  9. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    That type would be perfect for a compost heap. You might only need three tbh. Then if you need extra, then add two next to it and so on and so on. Brilliant home made compost that you know 'where it came from'.
    I'm sure you will be able to get a couple more. People over here put them in the free adds as they want to get rid of them after a delivery.
    If it were me Keith, I would go for it. And it doesn't look unsightly.
     
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  10. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Now I just need to find a place to locate it. Better check with the missus on that one.
     
  11. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Further to your post of last Tuesday, it seems that the netting is doing the trick so far. No more nuggets!
     
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  12. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Good news indeed Keith.
     
  13. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    I keep looking at the lowermost part of that lawn, and more and more I think that we should just dig up about a 3 foot wide strip and put cedar mulch there, which would be OK as a walkway. Ron's idea is sounding better by the day. The ground is really hard there, doubtless because that's where we walk to tend the narrow strip of garden at the top of the lower rock retaining wall. The grass isn't doing well there and I see there is more crabgrass there now. I will have a chat with Val to see what she thinks.
     
  14. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    Hello Anglemont BC - @Keith Elliott

    Your photos are really interesting

    Viewing the green patches really reminds me of spring grass growth where there is “spot nitrogen” as in - as our UK correspondent suggests - grass eating animal waste - urine etc

    Stores usually can’t wait to give away pallets and they often end up at the rowdy logging road party leaving the metal connector staples to inflict Damage

    I bet any of your stores would allow you to pick up some if not already
     
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  15. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Glad you like the photos.

    Well, we have decided on two things. Yes we will remove a 3' wide section at the bottom of the lawn and put cedar mulch there for a walkway. Haven't decided what we might use as a border of sorts for the cedar. And secondly, Val has given me a spot where I can build a 3 section set of compost bins. We have a couple of garden sheds which are conveniently 10' by 10', so will put the compost bins there. I will leave at least a foot of space between the bins and the shed, maybe a little more, just in case we need to re-stain them in future. We haven't decided if we will use pallets, or just cut up some of the wood that we already have here. And we were considering using something like galvanized chicken wire on the bins in order to keep the compost inside, but still allow lots of airflow.
     
  16. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Another deer story today to show you how brazen they are here. Our neighbours' grandson, age 12, wanted to come up and "help" Val in the garden this morning. Well, it turns out that he thinks the greenhouse with all the plants inside is just the cats' meow and he's going to ask his dad to build him one!

    Anyway, Jackson and Val were doing some transplanting on the greenhouse level, when one of the young deer decided to pay a visit. We didn't have anything of substance blocking the entrance to the fenced off area of the lawn, so Donna the deer just wandered right in. Val wasn't thrilled about that so she asked Jackson if he would run up and scare the deer away. Eventually the deer got out of the fenced area by jumping over the lowest part, and hopefully it won't bother to get back in again.

    Val has now ordered an arbor to be constructed there at the entrance, so just another job for me. Started on it today, but I think it will take until at least the weekend before it's finished.
     
  17. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Once they get used to people they are very happy to stroll around you. But the problem is even though they're lovely to see, they will still cause a lot of damage. So it's outside of the fence for them.
    Another project then Keith re the arbor. You are a very busy man.
     
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  18. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    What's the old story Acerholic? No rest for the wicked or something like that.

    I did get a very small start on the arbor yesterday, but you should know that I run out of energy within just a very short time when I try to do physical work. But I will persevere.

    I got two chunks of pressure treated 4 x 4 in as a base to hold the arbor in place. I drilled a couple of holes in each and drove some re-bar in through said holes at an angle. I hope it will be sufficient to keep things from moving.

    We have a beautiful day in the making here so with a little luck, and no doubt some prompting from Val, I should get a bit more done today.

    We did give the lawn a lengthy sprinkling a couple of days ago, and I will say that it seems to have forced considerable increase in growth. Maybe the water and warmth is doing the trick. It looks better from a distance, but the south part of it is still terrible. Once I get the arbor done, next up will be getting rid of the 3' wide strip of grass and adding the bark mulch as a walkway.

    Finally received an email from HD yesterday, letting me know that the scarifier had been shipped to the Kamloops store. Gee, that only took them a week. Hope it gets there this weekend so we can go in and pick it up.

    Just thought of a question here, it's about our water. The source of our domestic water supply is the Shuswap Lake. About 6 or 7 years ago, a new water system was installed at Anglemont and the first thing I noticed was a delicious taste of chlorine. Yecch.

    I remember reading donkey's years ago about that, and apparently if you shoot the chlorinated water through the air, as with a lawn sprinkler, it gets rid of the majority of that chlorine. Can anyone confirm that? Maybe I should just catch some in a glass and drink it to see what it's like.
     
  19. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    I've never heard of that theory Keith. I will be interested to hear from anyone that knows about this. We have highly chlorinated hard water here in Hampshire and have never been told that this is something you can do.
     
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  20. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Another small thing I remember about that, is that the aerator type fittings you can use at your kitchen sink - or elsewhere I suppose - also helps diminish the chlorine. I will try catching a glass of water next time we give the lawn a bath and see if there's much difference.
     
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  21. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    I have visions of your neighbours looking on watching you run around with a glass in hand catching some water. LOL. We gardeners eh!!!
     
  22. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    ....fortunately, they can't see me when I get up to these insane antics! It's fairly private here, especially on the lower lawn and down by the greenhouse. Those big rock retaining walls make a very effective screen from the road.
     
  23. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Then you can be as eccentric as you want then Keith. Lol. I can't hide from my neighbours, but tbh you get to an age where you just don't care.
     
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  24. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    Regarding chlorine in the water, using aerators and lawn sprinklers should reduce the chlorine content a bit, but probably not significantly. Storing the water in an open container overnight or longer usually does the trick. We have chlorinated water in Burnaby, BC; and I water the garden regularly using an oscillating sprinkler without any signs of damage. However, the chlorine content of our water is low enough that I don't notice the smell these days. I used to notice it years ago, before they built the new water treatment plant; but I was younger then.
     
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  25. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I have no doubt that it is the water treatment plant that has made the difference, not your mature nose.
     
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