Landscaping/Gardening Thread.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by Ducay

If you're adding some loam and then sodding, not sure you'll get much value from rototilling. I'd pick out the obvious large rocks before you loam when you even out the clay soil.

Originally Posted by Ace

^ I rototilled my backyard before seeding, it was great i had a nice broken up top soil to work with, shape and reform....

If I were to do it again i wouldn't rototill, i might add a little soil if i needed to, but i think all i did was stir up a bunch of weed seed. (can't say for sure though)

Hmmm... so not rototilling then eh. I dont want to make work but I'm torn now.

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I am building a fence right now. I have the posts in. My neighbour wants to only do the posts this summer and then complete the fence portion next summer due to budget reasons.

Pretty standard fence, 4X4 posts, got a bobcat to dig the holes (3 feet down) using post haste concrete.

My concern is once the freeze comes in that the posts may twist. My question is do you think I am good or should I just eat the cost now and get him to pay me next summer to avoid this? If he says no, do I at least just brace them with 2X4s? Or should I be okay?

You 100% want to get the fence up ASAP. My last fence was 4x4 post and they twisted terribly and that was with the whole fence constructed. The fence we just built a couple weekends ago was 4x6 posts and haven't noticed any twisting yet but we did the whole thing immediately.

[rohara66]

Whats the best product available for weed/grass/plant killer to wipe my mud pit yard clean before sod?


Total Wipe Out, Round Up, other?

[Ducay]

Roundup, there is a reason it is the number 1 enemy of hippies.

[Ducay]

Anyone use a good landscape designer? Want to get the ball rolling on a redo of my yard next summer and be good to get a designer out while it is still green and trees have leaves.

[btimbit]

So, I essentially inherited a dandelion farm when I bought this house (Bought in winter, never saw the lawn) and worked my arse off to get the lawn looking good, which it does now.

Now that cold weather is coming, is there anything I should know when it comes to prepping the lawn for winter so it comes out as best as possible in the Spring?

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by btimbit

So, I essentially inherited a dandelion farm when I bought this house (Bought in winter, never saw the lawn) and worked my arse off to get the lawn looking good, which it does now.

Now that cold weather is coming, is there anything I should know when it comes to prepping the lawn for winter so it comes out as best as possible in the Spring?

Fertilize and keep it watered until the cold arrives (since it seems to be winter already, so might be there). People sometimes let their lawns go into drought dormancy in the fall rather than the cold dormancy. Find doing so slows down the lawn in the spring.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by btimbit

So, I essentially inherited a dandelion farm when I bought this house (Bought in winter, never saw the lawn) and worked my arse off to get the lawn looking good, which it does now.

Now that cold weather is coming, is there anything I should know when it comes to prepping the lawn for winter so it comes out as best as possible in the Spring?

I cut mine a little shorter than normal just to make it less attractive to voles.

[Hockeyguy15]

Almost that time of the year, anyone have any recommendations for a spring clean up package?

Also looking to have a tree pruned so if you know a good tree guy let me know.

[OMG!WTF!]

A really good friend of mine was in a terrible car crash in January and is still in the hospital. She always plants a garden but obviously that's not going to happen this year. She hopes to be going home by September or October. Which I think because of Thanksgiving is about the time gardens are ready to be harvested. So it would be nice if she had something to eat when she gets home.


Until recently I thought my veggie delight toppings were 3d printed in the back of the Subway. Is there a good read or website that will tell me what to plant, when, how, where to buy the seeds or acorns or beans whatever? Can I hire this out? Right now there's a murky square of dirty muck with some sticks or little trees or something sticking out. There's a green house and a water tap. I think I saw a worm too.

[BsFaninCGY]

I installed some sod in the fall. What now? Fertilizer? Water? Anything else to ensure it comes in nice?

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

A really good friend of mine was in a terrible car crash in January and is still in the hospital. She always plants a garden but obviously that's not going to happen this year. She hopes to be going home by September or October. Which I think because of Thanksgiving is about the time gardens are ready to be harvested. So it would be nice if she had something to eat when she gets home.


Until recently I thought my veggie delight toppings were 3d printed in the back of the Subway. Is there a good read or website that will tell me what to plant, when, how, where to buy the seeds or acorns or beans whatever? Can I hire this out? Right now there's a murky square of dirty muck with some sticks or little trees or something sticking out. There's a green house and a water tap. I think I saw a worm too.

All I know is that my wife plants her seeds after may long weekend to avoid frost- but with a green-house, you can start sooner. You can pick up seeds at a lot of places - including home depot / lowes

Would be a very nice thing to do for your friend but keep in mind you will be tending to it all summer- apparently plants need a fairly regular supply of water to survive.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

A really good friend of mine was in a terrible car crash in January and is still in the hospital. She always plants a garden but obviously that's not going to happen this year. She hopes to be going home by September or October. Which I think because of Thanksgiving is about the time gardens are ready to be harvested. So it would be nice if she had something to eat when she gets home.


Until recently I thought my veggie delight toppings were 3d printed in the back of the Subway. Is there a good read or website that will tell me what to plant, when, how, where to buy the seeds or acorns or beans whatever? Can I hire this out? Right now there's a murky square of dirty muck with some sticks or little trees or something sticking out. There's a green house and a water tap. I think I saw a worm too.

Wouldn't your friend be a great source of information? Or is she still not able to relay that information to you because of the accident?

[Fuzz]

If she isn't home until September or October, about the only things I can think of that would be harvestable then would be potatoes, carrots, beets and squash.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by redforever

Wouldn't your friend be a great source of information? Or is she still not able to relay that information to you because of the accident?

I was thinking like a surprise. But this daily or every second day water thing might be tough. I live about 45 minutes away so that sucks.



So I get seeds from Home Depot (sorry steve earle)

Stick them in the ground (would the package have instructions on how deep etc?)

Water them every day or two
Pull all the bad weeds out
Profit?



I think Home Depot would sell stuff that grows well here. I also found a chart on line telling you when to plant stuff. So I guess I can do this. Maybe I'll recruit neighbors for watering duty.

[Hockeyguy15]

You could always pick up some soaker hoses and timers so you don't have to be there to water? Then you could pop by a little less for watering.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

You could always pick up some soaker hoses and timers so you don't have to be there to water? Then you could pop by a little less for watering.

They have those? That's a wicked idea.

[Fuzz]

I find McKenzie brand seeds to well here, which are in most places. You can get the seed tape ones which may be easier for you. They have proper spacing already, so you just put them to the depth they say. I have the most luck with Yukon gold potatoes. Stay away from any of the fancy sounding purple ones.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I was thinking like a surprise. But this daily or every second day water thing might be tough. I live about 45 minutes away so that sucks.



So I get seeds from Home Depot (sorry steve earle)

Stick them in the ground (would the package have instructions on how deep etc?)

Water them every day or two
Pull all the bad weeds out
Profit?


I think Home Depot would sell stuff that grows well here. I also found a chart on line telling you when to plant stuff. So I guess I can do this. Maybe I'll recruit neighbors for watering duty.

Go with root vegetables if she is still long term in the hospital, maybe corn if she has a south facing fence.

Potatoes, carrots, beets, maybe turnips. Beets will mature mid-season, the rest don't have to be dug out until fall. Corn is harvested late August to mid September.

Spaghetti squash grows well here and some pumpkin does...both mature in fall and require minimal watering...they like sun and heat. Don't plant zucchini as it grows too fast when producing and has to be picked daily.

Just plant something to keep the weeds down so in following years she won't be faced with pulling a gazillion weeds.

And pull the weeds)) there will be some.

[redforever]

Best places to get seeds for Calgary climate is from seed catalogues like Stokes, Veseys, or Dominion. They specify seeds for colder soils and shorter growing seasons, actually say days to mature.

Home Depot etc sell generic seeds, many of which won't grow as well here as other places.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by redforever

Best places to get seeds for Calgary climate is from seed catalogues like Stokes, Veseys, or Dominion. They specify seeds for colder soils and shorter growing seasons, actually say days to mature.

Home Depot etc sell generic seeds, many of which won't grow as well here as other places.

My wife has spent the past few years mail ordering all these fancy seeds, and you know what still works best? The Mackenzie ones you can get anywhere.