Landscaping/Gardening Thread.

[Shazam]

Fresh potatoes are amazing.

[surferguy]

I fired up my irrigation and planted potatoes! Nice little weekend

[RichieRich]

mulching a 6" deep covered full yard of leaves and almost all disappears is very satisfying. Except the odd rock. Just need our "usual" early May mega-snowfall (since we really didn't see much mid-late April) to really kick start the garden season.

[Flames_Gimp]

I just started some plants inside, sunflowers (Mongolian giants) and tobacco and cannabis (of course) inside on Thursday. Starting snap pees and cucumbers on about may 15th. Lots of sprouts already. I have a 10x10 garden. I love spring!

Last year we cut out the grass, rototilled and I mixed gypsum, blood and bone meal, worm castings, seeweed fertilizer and the secret rock dust, (glacial rock dust i believe ) and peat moss or coco coir.

A lot of gardening videos swear by rock dust, and I was impressed with last years spaghetti squash, cucumber and beets harvest.

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by surferguy

I fired up my irrigation and planted potatoes! Nice little weekend

what kind of irrigation setup you do? drip emitters? im just setting up a bucket irrigation system using pex and solenoid valves.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

what kind of irrigation setup you do? drip emitters? im just setting up a bucket irrigation system using pex and solenoid valves.

I have an underground system that does my lawn, a few shrub clusters and all my raised garden beds. It’s set up to a hose bib and a four way splitter/timer.

It’s been fun tinkering with it.

[Ferarri]

Any good recommendations for underground sprinkler company?

[Flames_Gimp]

Anyone else having issues with birds or something killing seedlings? had to move baby sunflowers and corn back inside under the lights.

Best way to protect them?

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

Anyone else having issues with birds or something killing seedlings? had to move baby sunflowers and corn back inside under the lights.

Best way to protect them?

Probably ####ing squirrels. They #### with my seedlings all the time, especially edible stuff. You can try some cayenne or red pepper flakes around the plant but you’d have to repeat it often.

[Fuzz]

Ya, we use bird netting until they get going a bit.

[calgarygeologist]

If anyone has been to the various Costco garden centres around Calgary recently can you tell me if they have any ornamental/dwarf cherry trees. I was at Crossiron Mills and they only had various apple and pear trees and I think a few plum trees. I bought a cherry tree, Juliet I think, about 4 years ago and it died over the winter so I am looking to replace it. I checked at Blue Grass and they are $200+ whereas Costco is around $50.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

If anyone has been to the various Costco garden centres around Calgary recently can you tell me if they have any ornamental/dwarf cherry trees. I was at Crossiron Mills and they only had various apple and pear trees and I think a few plum trees. I bought a cherry tree, Juliet I think, about 4 years ago and it died over the winter so I am looking to replace it. I checked at Blue Grass and they are $200+ whereas Costco is around $50.

That's a question for the YYC Costco deals group.

Those people are kinda crazy, but I think they'd be helpful and nice for this type of question.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

That's a question for the YYC Costco deals group.

Those people are kinda crazy, but I think they'd be helpful and nice for this type of question.

They are too crazy for me.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

They are too crazy for me.

Then the next best thing is to give each store a call. I've had luck with that before when searching for stuff that isn't in all stores.

[kcin]

Any recommendations for a broadleaf herbicide? Getting slowly but surely invaded by Manitoba Maple seedlings or something similar.

Thanks in advance

[jar_e]

Anyone have any good recommendations for someone to clean gutters?

[Titan2]

Hey. I wonder if anyone knows dirt. I am fixing the grade around my house. I have removed the sod and plan to put screened loam down to increase the slope from the house toward the front yard. My question is how much compaction should I be shooting for? Is a yard roller filled with water adequate? Is a vibrating plate compactor overkill?

I need to add about 18 inches near the house down to about level about 16 feet out. We will not be replacing the grass but just have black mulch on top.

Thanks for any advice.

[Fuzz]

Vibrating compactor is overkill. I used a hand tamper(~$50 to buy) to do mine. Do it in lifts(depth of material added) of maybe 4". You can also water in between to promote settling, just add enough dirt after that it will be dry and not stick to the tamper during the next round.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Vibrating compactor is overkill. I used a hand tamper(~$50 to buy) to do mine. Do it in lifts(depth of material added) of maybe 4". You can also water in between to promote settling, just add enough dirt after that it will be dry and not stick to the tamper during the next round.

Came for the reference to a lot of clay. Left somewhat disappointed.

Thanks.

[Fuzz]

You can start with clay, but drainage will suffer. Check Kijiji for "free clay", I'm sure someone must have excess...