Yard killer
MAO
my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
products?
Thanks.
MAO
Rod Speed
MAO <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass
> that are growing in my yard. I have what is called
> "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep coming up.
Its obviously not desert enough |-)
> I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in this
> yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
Can be a tad hot in the hottest summer.
> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think
> gasoline is legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years)
Viet War Napalm probably is too.
> yard/weed killer products?
You sure its actually legal to use anything that gung ho ?
Wouldnt be surprised if some stupid shinybum has banned that now.
Slinky
cj
> MAO <m...@not.here> wrote in message
> news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
>
>>I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass
>>that are growing in my yard. I have what is called
>>"desert landscaping" but the weeds keep coming up.
>
>
> Its obviously not desert enough |-)
Actually, this is typical of AZ. You're thinking of the Sahara.
>>I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in this
>>yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
Cement??
>>Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think
>>gasoline is legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years)
Try boiling water. Might also help kill any scorpions you may have
lurking around to?
Rod Speed
cj <c...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:V3Woc.29170$fE.904@fed1read02...
> Rod Speed wrote:
>> MAO <m...@not.here> wrote
>>> I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass
>>> that are growing in my yard. I have what is called
>>> "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep coming up.
>> Its obviously not desert enough |-)
> Actually, this is typical of AZ. You're thinking of the Sahara.
Thats was one of those funky joke thingos, Joyce.
>>> I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in this
>>> yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
> Cement??
>>> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think
>> gasoline is legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years)
> Try boiling water.
Dunno, thats likely to make things worse, just because of the water.
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Round Up
Nicole H
salt
boiling water
torching
are these weeds within the xeriscaping? or just around, out of the way?
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Rex Burkheimer
everything in the ground - weeds, seeds, spores, bugs, worms etc. You
typically mix it with water, wet the area, and cover with a tarp for a few
days.
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
SHARX
Get a life.
Arri London
It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
(which is porous) or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
under your gravel (or whatever you are using). Eliminates the weeds.
Very cheap solution. I did most of our front garden (some is under
cultivation) in one day all by my lonesome. The back is getting
landscape fabric with bark chips.
You are wasting time with any pesticide. And burning off the weeds in a
dry climate is only for someone who can control the inevitable drifting.
The weeds will come back the next year anyway.
suzn
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
I've always had good luck with Roundup weed and grass killer.
And anything that was too stubborn to die I simply pulled and or dug
up.
Arri London
Round Up (or any other glyphosate) is a real waste of time. Our one
neighbour uses it and uses it and uses it... until the frost. The weeds
just come right back.
suzn
"Arri London" <bio...@ic.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:40A4DB00...@ic.ac.uk...
> It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
> (which is porous)
I never had any luck with the fabric. Weeds just came right thru it.
>or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
When we first installed our above ground pool we used these huge sheets of
black plastic, then poured a thick layer of sand over it. We never had one
single
weed come thru our pool liner the entire time it was there (about 18 years).
After
the pool collapsed last year and we removed it, the black plastic is still
there under
that sand. Black plastic works much better than the fabric for weed control
IMO.
K. Reece
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
What you need is something you can apply once a year that kills the ground
not just the weeds. I doubt it's going to be cheap to purchase though.
Round-Up just kills the weeds and not the ground and if you have to use
application after application because you get blown in weed seeds it's not
going to be real frugal. Go to your favorite hardware/home improvement
place and ask for a ground killer.
Kathy
Bob
> Round Up (or any other glyphosate) is a real waste of time. Our
one
> neighbour uses it and uses it and uses it... until the frost.
The weeds
> just come right back.
Round up kills the plants it is sprayed on. It doesn't kill
seeds.
Bob
L. Maurer
wrote:
>Round Up (or any other glyphosate) is a real waste of time. Our one
>neighbour uses it and uses it and uses it... until the frost. The weeds
>just come right back.
Acutally Round Up, used correctly, does exactly what it is supposed to
do. It kills plants and their roots. It is not supposed to make ground
incompatible with all life for a million years. Saying it's a "waste
of time" is a bit misleading. Perhaps you and your neighbor need to
read the directions to determine what the purpose and appicaltion are
for the product.
mama
The Real Bev
>
> MAO wrote:
> >
> > I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> > my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> > coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> > this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
> >
> > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > products?
>
> (which is porous) or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
> under your gravel (or whatever you are using). Eliminates the weeds.
The neighbor put down black plastic (thicker than garbage bags) with
several inches of white gravel on top. Over the years the weeds have
spring up and the gravel has disappeared. We put plastic and then
asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
dark almost all the time.
I wanted to keep the poor struggling grass but get rid of the burclover,
so I did two applications of stuff that supposedly kills seeds. I may
have made the first application too late to catch already sprouted
seeds, but a lot have sprouted even after the second application.
Pulling weeds sucks. Hurts your back and your fingers -- there are some
pretty fluffy ones with really sharp stickers that reward carelessness
with a vicious stab.
I think we just need to rearrange our perceptions regarding the
desirability of various forms of plant life; if you can't beat 'em,
join 'em.
--
Cheers, Bev
==================================================================
"Don't sweat it -- it's not real life. It's only ones and zeroes."
-- spaf (1988?)
Arri London
It doesn't even kill the plants it is sprayed on. They are clearly
visible coming up from the same stem. It has been overused and the
desert weeds here (which are tough anyway) are simply resistant. Maybe
it works better on wimpy MidWestern weeds :)(
I don't mind when my gardening clients ask me to spray their weeds (with
their own supply). It *always* means I need to come back :) When I
explain that pulling them up works much better, they are usually happy
to have me do that and stop spraying.
Arri London
ROTFL! Of course the directions have been read and of course it is used
according to those directions.
But it's overused and the weeds are resistant. They just grow back from
the same stem after all the leaves have died down. The root clearly
hasn't died.
Pulling the weeds for a home gardener makes much more sense and works
much better.
Arri London
suzn wrote:
>
> "Arri London" <bio...@ic.ac.uk> wrote in message
> news:40A4DB00...@ic.ac.uk...
> > It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
> > (which is porous)
>
> I never had any luck with the fabric. Weeds just came right thru it.
We haven't had any trouble with weeds. Because there are bark chips on
it, I need the water to run through. If it pools, the bark would rot too
quickly.
>
> >or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
>
> When we first installed our above ground pool we used these huge sheets of
> black plastic, then poured a thick layer of sand over it. We never had one
> single
> weed come thru our pool liner the entire time it was there (about 18 years).
> After
> the pool collapsed last year and we removed it, the black plastic is still
> there under
> that sand. Black plastic works much better than the fabric for weed control
> IMO.
Depends on the landscape fabric of course. The sort we use doesn't allow
any weeds through; or at least it hasn't for the last three years. Some
of the ones for sale locally have holes that are indeed too large. I
choose the one with the smallest mesh.
The Real Bev
>
> MAO wrote:
>
> > I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> > my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> > coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> > this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
Check out used carpet from dumpsters. With enough water grass
eventually grows up through it (or down through it), but if you can keep
it dry you might get lucky. If it's ugly enough, your neighbors might
be willing to chip in on a truck full of blacktop.
> > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > products?
> Drink some cheap beer and pee on them. No shit.
No pee either. Pee --> nitrogen = fertilizer, which plants love.
That's why they call it fertilizer
--
Cheers, Bev
=======================================================================
"Windows Freedom Day: a holiday that moves each year, the date of which
is calculated by adding up the total amount of time a typical person
must spend restarting windows and then determining how many work weeks
that would correspond to." -- Trygve Lode
SHARX
Round Up is only supposed to work for the relative short term. You need soil
sterilant...something like Agent whatever.
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > MAO wrote:
> > >
> > > I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> > > my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> > > coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> > > this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
> > >
> > > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > > products?
> >
> > It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
> > (which is porous) or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
> > under your gravel (or whatever you are using). Eliminates the weeds.
>
> The neighbor put down black plastic (thicker than garbage bags) with
> several inches of white gravel on top. Over the years the weeds have
> spring up and the gravel has disappeared.
Poor maintenance. Weeds can grow in the gravel as soil particles
accumulate. I rake our gravel periodically to prevent that.
We put plastic and then
> asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
> dark almost all the time.
Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
>
> I wanted to keep the poor struggling grass but get rid of the burclover,
> so I did two applications of stuff that supposedly kills seeds. I may
> have made the first application too late to catch already sprouted
> seeds, but a lot have sprouted even after the second application.
In many areas, the weeds are just resistant from overuse of those
herbicides. Our desert weeds are exceptionally tough anyway. Back when I
had serious weed-pulling to do, when I first moved here, some of the
taproots were extremely long.
>
> Pulling weeds sucks. Hurts your back and your fingers -- there are some
> pretty fluffy ones with really sharp stickers that reward carelessness
> with a vicious stab.
Ah, doesn't hurt my back; I work on my padded knees and I do wear
gloves. The back garden was very weed infested when I moved in, but
repeated pulling has eliminated most of them. We get a small flush of
growth in the spring from seeds blown in of course. But once that is
gone, not much else comes back.
>
> I think we just need to rearrange our perceptions regarding the
> desirability of various forms of plant life; if you can't beat 'em,
> join 'em.
>
> --
> Cheers, Bev
It makes me laugh that a common weed here appears in a 'native' plant
catalogue I get. Going to go to the empty lot across the main road and
dig some up. However, most of the weeds that have appeared aren't native
species, so I root them out.
SHARX
Precisely. We do not put one drop of chemicals on our lawn. No fertilizer.
No herbicide. No pesticides. No aeration. No dethatching. One annual raking
in the spring. We do bag the clippings, though, and use them as mulch
between the rows of vegetables in the garden. Great for weed suppression.
The Real Bev
> Pulling the weeds for a home gardener makes much more sense and works
> much better.
Perhaps, but pulling thousands of them for 2 hours/day for several weeks
in a SMALL lawn 10'x20') gets real old real fast, especially if the
weeds have defenses. I'm going to try the seed-killer stuff just before
the rainy season (November, maybe even October), which is when a lot of
the little nasties start sprouting.
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev wrote:
> >
> > Arri London wrote:
> > >
> > > MAO wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> > > > my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> > > > coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> > > > this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
> > > >
> > > > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > > > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > > > products?
> > >
> > > It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
> > > (which is porous) or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
> > > under your gravel (or whatever you are using). Eliminates the weeds.
> >
> > The neighbor put down black plastic (thicker than garbage bags) with
> > several inches of white gravel on top. Over the years the weeds have
> > spring up and the gravel has disappeared.
>
> Poor maintenance. Weeds can grow in the gravel as soil particles
> accumulate. I rake our gravel periodically to prevent that.
In attractive patterns, right? With large attractive rocks placed
EXACTLY right...
> > We put plastic and then
> > asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> > while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
> > dark almost all the time.
>
> Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
Better than bare dirt. Those pretty oxalis weeds with the yellow
flowers on long stems that turn brown and die as soon as warm weather
hits are amazingly strong.
> > I wanted to keep the poor struggling grass but get rid of the burclover,
> > so I did two applications of stuff that supposedly kills seeds. I may
> > have made the first application too late to catch already sprouted
> > seeds, but a lot have sprouted even after the second application.
>
> In many areas, the weeds are just resistant from overuse of those
> herbicides. Our desert weeds are exceptionally tough anyway. Back when I
> had serious weed-pulling to do, when I first moved here, some of the
> taproots were extremely long.
I doubt it. This stuff was really hard to find and the OSH guy didn't
know anything about it. A lot of people install grass by the yard and
then just apply weed-killing fertilizer from then on. I just realized
that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
don't inflict pain.
> > Pulling weeds sucks. Hurts your back and your fingers -- there are some
> > pretty fluffy ones with really sharp stickers that reward carelessness
> > with a vicious stab.
>
> Ah, doesn't hurt my back; I work on my padded knees
Even thinking about that hurts. The reason I'm pulling the damn things
is that they inflict pain to skin!
> and I do wear gloves.
Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
points.
> The back garden was very weed infested when I moved in, but
> repeated pulling has eliminated most of them. We get a small flush of
> growth in the spring from seeds blown in of course. But once that is
> gone, not much else comes back.
> >
> > I think we just need to rearrange our perceptions regarding the
> > desirability of various forms of plant life; if you can't beat 'em,
> > join 'em.
>
> It makes me laugh that a common weed here appears in a 'native' plant
> catalogue I get. Going to go to the empty lot across the main road and
> dig some up. However, most of the weeds that have appeared aren't native
> species, so I root them out.
I planted gaillardia (blanket flower) seeds one year, and they came up
for years afterward before eventually dying of neglect. Nice
red/orange/brown daisy-flowers. Drought-resistant, and prolific
seed-producers. I was really surprised to find that they grow wild in
the Pacific Northwest, along with foxglove and rhododendron.
New Leaf
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed
killer
> products?
>
>
>
> MAO
>
>
A plastic tarp left over for a few days in the heat will cook them.
Viv
Bill 2
"MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote in message
news:cWUoc.53848$Ut1.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed
killer
> products?
>
I've found gasoline to be both effective and cheap (even with current
prices)
Doesn't take much and seems to last for a couple years. I use it to get the
grass / weeds that grows in the cracks on the driveway.
moto
The problem with most weed killers is they don't really 'kill' the
weeds.
Weed killers bought OTC are not strong enough when used as directed.
If you use a small container with a squirt top on it, and use (like)
double the recommended product, and get that mixture right down into the
base of each and every plant/weed, that's about the only way you're
going to kill those plants/ weeds for good.
With an almost perfect lawn, when a dandelion or other weed shows
itself, I dig it out, then place that strong mixture of weed killer
into/on the roots in the ground. I end up with a very small brown spot
which goes away very quickly, and that weed is gone for good.
It's a little work, but it pays off in the long run.
mtm
Bill 2
"The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:40A56F29...@myrealbox.com...
> > Drink some cheap beer and pee on them. No shit.
>
> No pee either. Pee --> nitrogen = fertilizer, which plants love.
> That's why they call it fertilizer
True, but if you over fertilize it, it won't be able to sustain life.
I should show you my neighbours otherwise well kept lawn. There is one spot,
right where the dog it tied up that's dead. Guess why? overfertilization.
cj...@yahoo.com
> I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> products?
Best odds are something like this:
1) don't water all of May and June
2) spray Roundup or equivalent
3) cover with black plastic
4) wait through July and August
5) relandscape as necessary
Since you've got desert landscaping and probably no drip emitters
you'll just want to do this where the weeds are popping up, and you'll
probably get to skip step 1 because you probably haven't been
irrigating. Don't bother with black plastic underlayment; it just
gets enough exposure to rot within 5 years, at which point you get to
dig up a whole bunch of little pieces of black plastic.
Overseeding with desert marigold for step 5 will ensure that the
majority of your weeds are outcompeted by native flowers, if you like.
Weed control companies have told me that they will *not* be
responsible for return Bermuda grass, so there's not much point in
calling them even if you weren't trying to be frugal. FWIW, I'm in
Chandler, and do reveg and landscape architecture as part of one of my
jobs.
--
C
SHARX
People who obsess about the so-called "perfect lawn" lack lives and need
mental health counselling.
Rod Speed
"SHARX" <SHA...@SHAARXTANKSnospam.com> wrote in message news:V2jpc.9613$RM.7857@edtnps89...
> moto wrote:
> || Mao ...
> || The problem with most weed killers is they don't really 'kill' the
> || weeds.
> || Weed killers bought OTC are not strong enough when used as directed.
> || If you use a small container with a squirt top on it, and use (like)
> || double the recommended product, and get that mixture right down into
> || the base of each and every plant/weed, that's about the only way
> || you're going to kill those plants/ weeds for good.
> ||
> || With an almost perfect lawn, when a dandelion or other weed shows
> || itself, I dig it out, then place that strong mixture of weed killer
> || into/on the roots in the ground. I end up with a very small brown
> || spot which goes away very quickly, and that weed is gone for good.
> ||
> || It's a little work, but it pays off in the long run.
> People who obsess about the so-called "perfect lawn"
> lack lives and need mental health counselling.
Nope, summary execution is much more frugal.
SHARX
Followed by sprinkling of the cremains on the lawn......
Anthony Matonak
> Rod Speed wrote:
> || "SHARX" <SHA...@SHAARXTANKSnospam.com> wrote in message
> ||| lack lives and need mental health counselling.
> ||
> || Nope, summary execution is much more frugal.
>
> Followed by sprinkling of the cremains on the lawn......
Wouldn't composting be better or is this one of those "never compost
animal products" kinds of things?
Anthony
suzn
> Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
Now I know what to do with left over shingles....might work
better than the treated plywood under my shed that is now 50% gone.
> Ah, doesn't hurt my back; I work on my padded knees and I do wear
> gloves.
I don't notice any pain in my back till I try to stand.
THEN it hurts.
suzn
> Even thinking about that hurts.
I dont notice the back pain till I start to stand then it hurts like hell.
I'm sure I look really silly crawling around in my front yard....
But hey, its weed free.
> Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> points.
I have some cotton garden gloves that have rubber coated fingers.
They work really great. No dirt, mud, stickers or water comes thru.
I found them at Eckerd drugs last fall when they cleared out the summer
stuff.
They were like 25 cents a pair. I have enough to last a few seasons....
suzn
>
> We haven't had any trouble with weeds. Because there are bark chips on
> it, I need the water to run through. If it pools, the bark would rot too
> quickly.
I basically use the fabric for flower beds that I use the wood chips in
to prevent the chips and dirt from mixing together. but I still end up
having to pull weeds in it.
Which is something I have planned for this morning while the ground is still
nice and wet
from the rain we had the other day.
suzn
"SHARX" <SHA...@SHAARXTANKSnospam.com> wrote in message
> People who obsess about the so-called "perfect lawn" lack lives and need
> mental health counselling.
Nah... I find that yard and/or garden work to be very
frugal therapy. I do my best deep thought thinking while working outdoors.
Must be why my yard looks so good :)
Albert
"suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
<snip>
> I basically use the fabric for flower beds that I use the wood chips
> in to prevent the chips and dirt from mixing together. but I still end
> up having to pull weeds in it.
> Which is something I have planned for this morning while the ground is
> still nice and wet
> from the rain we had the other day.
I have had little luck with making the fabric do all the work, with
just enough mulch on top if it to serve as decoration. The mulch has to
be at least 4-6 inches deep to keep weeds from coming through. It is
OK, even desirable, to let the bottom of the rotting mulch mix with the
dirt. It becomes humus, enriching the soil. It even gives the earth
worms an escape path when the ground is flooded from rain. The idea is
to continually add new mulch to the top to compensate for what rots off
of the bottom. Hopefully, you don't have to buy mulch, which is always
expensive due to packaging and shipping. Ideally, you have a
chipper/shredder and enough trees to supply adequate sticks, dead limbs
and leaves.
--
"Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is good to maintain and
further life; it is bad to damage and destroy life."
-- Albert Schweitzer
Albert
"SHARX" <SHA...@SHAARXTANKSnospam.com> wrote:
<snip>
> People who obsess about the so-called "perfect lawn" lack lives and
> need mental health counselling.
People who obsess about money and making lots of it are the ones in need
of lives and mental health counselling. Working in a yard and/or garden
is the best therapy for any kind of obsession.
suzn
"Albert" <alwa...@tcac.net> wrote in message
news:20040515100...@lfs.mydomain.com...
> . Ideally, you have a
> chipper/shredder and enough trees to supply adequate sticks, dead limbs
> and leaves.
I wish I had one.
That's next on my must have/ need to buy list
when I have some extra $$ laying around.
Albert
"suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
<snip>
> I wish I had one.
> That's next on my must have/ need to buy list
> when I have some extra $$ laying around.
I hear that. I didn't have one until my 50's when a friend sold us hers
real cheap. It's a noisy, vicious machine that I hate to run; but I
*love* all of mulch it makes. The back of our lot is heavily wooded and
makes an excellent source of mulch.
The Real Bev
>
> I dont notice the back pain till I start to stand then it hurts like hell.
> I'm sure I look really silly crawling around in my front yard....
> But hey, its weed free.
>
> > Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> > points.
>
> I have some cotton garden gloves that have rubber coated fingers.
> They work really great. No dirt, mud, stickers or water comes thru.
> I found them at Eckerd drugs last fall when they cleared out the summer
> stuff.
> They were like 25 cents a pair. I have enough to last a few seasons....
There is approximately 1/8" of clearance between the dirt and the 1/4"
diameter rosette of outward-pointing sharp things(tm) that stab your
fingers if you dont get beneath them. You have to get beneath the
rosette or you can't pull it out. I tried a fork, but it just didn't
work. Cotton gloves just wouldn't work because they're too thick.
I think I got almost all of them. If any come up next year I'll yank
them out before they form those vicious little rosettes. I thought they
were pretty and green and soft, so I let them live. Next year will be
different.
I should find out what they are so I can curse them properly.
--
Cheers,
Bev
====================================================================
"My parents just came back from a planet where the dominant lifeform
had no bilateral symmetry, and all I got was this stupid F-Shirt."
The Real Bev
> With an almost perfect lawn, when a dandelion or other weed shows
> itself, I dig it out...
I LIKE dandelions. The real ones, the ones with short stems on the
yellow flowers. The phony ones, the ones that grow as high as 6 feet if
you let them, are a form of thistle with a dandelion-like flower and
should be shot on sight.
Arri London
Albert wrote:
>
> On Sat, 15 May 2004 15:38:31 GMT
> "suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
> <snip>
> > I basically use the fabric for flower beds that I use the wood chips
> > in to prevent the chips and dirt from mixing together. but I still end
> > up having to pull weeds in it.
> > Which is something I have planned for this morning while the ground is
> > still nice and wet
> > from the rain we had the other day.
>
> I have had little luck with making the fabric do all the work, with
> just enough mulch on top if it to serve as decoration. The mulch has to
> be at least 4-6 inches deep to keep weeds from coming through. It is
> OK, even desirable, to let the bottom of the rotting mulch mix with the
> dirt. It becomes humus, enriching the soil. It even gives the earth
> worms an escape path when the ground is flooded from rain. The idea is
> to continually add new mulch to the top to compensate for what rots off
> of the bottom. Hopefully, you don't have to buy mulch, which is always
> expensive due to packaging and shipping. Ideally, you have a
> chipper/shredder and enough trees to supply adequate sticks, dead limbs
> and leaves.
>
>
We don't seem to have small chipper/shredders for sale around here. I
see nice ones in the UK, but getting one here isn't practical :)
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > The Real Bev wrote:
> > >
> > > Arri London wrote:
> > > >
> > > > MAO wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I live in Arizona and want to kill the weeds and grass that are growing in
> > > > > my yard. I have what is called "desert landscaping" but the weeds keep
> > > > > coming up. I have absolutely *no* intention of ever growing anything in
> > > > > this yard -- if I could afford it, I swear I'd asphalt the entire thing.
> > > > >
> > > > > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > > > > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > > > > products?
> > > >
> > > > It makes more sense to do the landscaping properly. Put landscape fabric
> > > > (which is porous) or even black plastic rubbish bags (which is not)
> > > > under your gravel (or whatever you are using). Eliminates the weeds.
> > >
> > > The neighbor put down black plastic (thicker than garbage bags) with
> > > several inches of white gravel on top. Over the years the weeds have
> > > spring up and the gravel has disappeared.
> >
> > Poor maintenance. Weeds can grow in the gravel as soil particles
> > accumulate. I rake our gravel periodically to prevent that.
>
> In attractive patterns, right? With large attractive rocks placed
> EXACTLY right...
LOL! I did try that, but the gravel is too large for the patterns to be
visible. We do have the large rocks (one of which was stolen the night
after they were put down).
But raking does get rid of the blown-in dirt and leaves. Keeps the bugs
down too.
> > > We put plastic and then
> > > asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> > > while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
> > > dark almost all the time.
> >
> > Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
>
> Better than bare dirt. Those pretty oxalis weeds with the yellow
> flowers on long stems that turn brown and die as soon as warm weather
> hits are amazingly strong.
Of course. I just hadn't heard of using shingles.
>
> > > I wanted to keep the poor struggling grass but get rid of the burclover,
> > > so I did two applications of stuff that supposedly kills seeds. I may
> > > have made the first application too late to catch already sprouted
> > > seeds, but a lot have sprouted even after the second application.
> >
> > In many areas, the weeds are just resistant from overuse of those
> > herbicides. Our desert weeds are exceptionally tough anyway. Back when I
> > had serious weed-pulling to do, when I first moved here, some of the
> > taproots were extremely long.
>
> I doubt it. This stuff was really hard to find and the OSH guy didn't
> know anything about it. A lot of people install grass by the yard and
> then just apply weed-killing fertilizer from then on. I just realized
> that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
> it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
> don't inflict pain.
LOL! That I won't do; at least not with the nonnative species.
>
> > > Pulling weeds sucks. Hurts your back and your fingers -- there are some
> > > pretty fluffy ones with really sharp stickers that reward carelessness
> > > with a vicious stab.
> >
> > Ah, doesn't hurt my back; I work on my padded knees
>
> Even thinking about that hurts. The reason I'm pulling the damn things
> is that they inflict pain to skin!
LOL the pad(s) are over an inch thick.
>
> > and I do wear gloves.
>
> Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> points.
Why surgical gloves? I use gloves designed for working with roses; quite
thorn proof and plenty flexible.
.
>
> > The back garden was very weed infested when I moved in, but
> > repeated pulling has eliminated most of them. We get a small flush of
> > growth in the spring from seeds blown in of course. But once that is
> > gone, not much else comes back.
> > >
> > > I think we just need to rearrange our perceptions regarding the
> > > desirability of various forms of plant life; if you can't beat 'em,
> > > join 'em.
> >
> > It makes me laugh that a common weed here appears in a 'native' plant
> > catalogue I get. Going to go to the empty lot across the main road and
> > dig some up. However, most of the weeds that have appeared aren't native
> > species, so I root them out.
>
> I planted gaillardia (blanket flower) seeds one year, and they came up
> for years afterward before eventually dying of neglect. Nice
> red/orange/brown daisy-flowers. Drought-resistant, and prolific
> seed-producers. I was really surprised to find that they grow wild in
> the Pacific Northwest, along with foxglove and rhododendron.
>
> --
> Cheers, Bev
Maybe not so surprising. Even the PN has dry spells. Foxglove is also a
'weed' in English gardens, being so easy to grow. And remember that
rhododenron grows quite happily in the Himalayas.
My nicest 'weeds' right now are the Siberian wallflower and the
hollyhock. Got several hollyhocks whose colours will be a nice surprise
when they bloom.
Arri London
LOL! There is such a thing as taking a break periodically!
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> suzn wrote:
> >
> > "The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
> >
> > > Even thinking about that hurts.
> >
> > I dont notice the back pain till I start to stand then it hurts like hell.
> > I'm sure I look really silly crawling around in my front yard....
> > But hey, its weed free.
> >
> > > Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> > > points.
> >
> > I have some cotton garden gloves that have rubber coated fingers.
> > They work really great. No dirt, mud, stickers or water comes thru.
> > I found them at Eckerd drugs last fall when they cleared out the summer
> > stuff.
> > They were like 25 cents a pair. I have enough to last a few seasons....
>
> There is approximately 1/8" of clearance between the dirt and the 1/4"
> diameter rosette of outward-pointing sharp things(tm) that stab your
> fingers if you dont get beneath them. You have to get beneath the
> rosette or you can't pull it out. I tried a fork, but it just didn't
> work. Cotton gloves just wouldn't work because they're too thick.
LOL at the TM. Try the narrow long-stemmed thing (also TM) that has a
single notch at the bottom. Not certain what it's really meant for, but
works a treat on rooting out weeds.
>
> I think I got almost all of them. If any come up next year I'll yank
> them out before they form those vicious little rosettes. I thought they
> were pretty and green and soft, so I let them live. Next year will be
> different.
Ah can't be soft in this business! Ruthless rules!
>
> I should find out what they are so I can curse them properly.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
LOL! Yes, that's where my gardening books come in handy.
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> moto wrote:
>
> > With an almost perfect lawn, when a dandelion or other weed shows
> > itself, I dig it out...
>
> I LIKE dandelions. The real ones, the ones with short stems on the
> yellow flowers. The phony ones, the ones that grow as high as 6 feet if
> you let them, are a form of thistle with a dandelion-like flower and
> should be shot on sight.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
LOL! Real dandelions are taller than what most people find in their
lawns. However, they have adapted to being mown and the shortest ones
survive to produce seeds.
suzn
>
> LOL! I did try that, but the gravel is too large for the patterns to be
> visible. We do have the large rocks (one of which was stolen the night
> after they were put down).
Apparently not large enough to be carted away.....:)
Albert
With patience, you can mimic the action of a chipper/shredder by
building and tending a mulch pile. Leave the big sticks and limbs on
the bottom. They take longer to rot, but they will in time. Also a
neat place to put kitchen waste (vegetables only). For leaves and small
sticks, use a lawnmower back and forth until pieces are small enough to
suit you. Tending a mulch pile can be as complicated or as simple as
your time and enthusiasm allow.
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev wrote:
> >
> > suzn wrote:
> > >
> > > "The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
> > >
> > > > Even thinking about that hurts.
> > >
> > > I dont notice the back pain till I start to stand then it hurts like hell.
> > > I'm sure I look really silly crawling around in my front yard....
> > > But hey, its weed free.
> > >
> > > > Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> > > > points.
> > >
> > > I have some cotton garden gloves that have rubber coated fingers.
> > > They work really great. No dirt, mud, stickers or water comes thru.
> > > I found them at Eckerd drugs last fall when they cleared out the summer
> > > stuff.
> > > They were like 25 cents a pair. I have enough to last a few seasons....
> >
> > There is approximately 1/8" of clearance between the dirt and the 1/4"
> > diameter rosette of outward-pointing sharp things(tm) that stab your
> > fingers if you dont get beneath them. You have to get beneath the
> > rosette or you can't pull it out. I tried a fork, but it just didn't
> > work. Cotton gloves just wouldn't work because they're too thick.
>
> LOL at the TM. Try the narrow long-stemmed thing (also TM) that has a
> single notch at the bottom. Not certain what it's really meant for, but
> works a treat on rooting out weeds.
Dandelion fork. Too big, but good for its intended purpose. I'm
beginning to sound like FMG, finding fault with everything.
> > I think I got almost all of them. If any come up next year I'll yank
> > them out before they form those vicious little rosettes. I thought they
> > were pretty and green and soft, so I let them live. Next year will be
> > different.
>
> Ah can't be soft in this business! Ruthless rules!
>
> > I should find out what they are so I can curse them properly.
>
> LOL! Yes, that's where my gardening books come in handy.
I love Google. It's BURWEED, to match the burclover. Also known as
spurweed and stickweed, with good reason. They're so delicate: "Seed,
when formed, appears in a small, spined bur that you can feel readily
when you press a clump with your hand. The flower heads are
inconspicuous in the leaf axil and have small spines." Sound of a
person walking barefoot across a lawn containing this stuff: "OW! OW!
OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!..."
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/lawn_burweed.html Further
investigation indicates that they're susceptible to 2-4-D and/or
Weed-B-Gone. Easy to find and it will get rid of the other weeds
too... Additional further indicates that in some areas my kikuyu grass
is a noxious weed. Figures.
--
Cheers, Bev
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of
mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."
--Gene Spafford (1992)
suzn
> I love Google. It's BURWEED, to match the burclover. Also known as
> spurweed and stickweed, with good reason. They're so delicate: "Seed,
> when formed, appears in a small, spined bur that you can feel readily
> when you press a clump with your hand. The flower heads are
> inconspicuous in the leaf axil and have small spines." Sound of a
> person walking barefoot across a lawn containing this stuff: "OW! OW!
> OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!..."
LOL
Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them anyhow
and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially the barefoot
walk thru the
lawn....
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev wrote:
> >
> > Arri London wrote:
> > > Weeds can grow in the gravel as soil particles
> > > accumulate. I rake our gravel periodically to prevent that.
> >
> > In attractive patterns, right? With large attractive rocks placed
> > EXACTLY right...
>
> LOL! I did try that, but the gravel is too large for the patterns to be
> visible. We do have the large rocks (one of which was stolen the night
> after they were put down).
> But raking does get rid of the blown-in dirt and leaves. Keeps the bugs
> down too.
You just need a bigger rake and bigger rocks. The gravel in the zen
garden at the Huntington Library seems to be 3/4"-1" or so, but I didn't
really look that closely last week.
> > > > We put plastic and then
> > > > asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> > > > while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
> > > > dark almost all the time.
> > >
> > > Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
> >
> > Better than bare dirt. Those pretty oxalis weeds with the yellow
> > flowers on long stems that turn brown and die as soon as warm weather
> > hits are amazingly strong.
>
> Of course. I just hadn't heard of using shingles.
Work better than landscape cloth. One more thing that's cheap at yard
sales. Roll roofing can be used too, but shingles are easier to
manipulate.
> > I just realized
> > that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
> > it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
> > don't inflict pain.
>
> LOL! That I won't do; at least not with the nonnative species.
What, they show you their passports? Mine won't even look at me!
> > > and I do wear gloves.
> >
> > Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> > points.
>
> Why surgical gloves? I use gloves designed for working with roses; quite
> thorn proof and plenty flexible.
> > >
> > > It makes me laugh that a common weed here appears in a 'native' plant
> > > catalogue I get. Going to go to the empty lot across the main road and
> > > dig some up. However, most of the weeds that have appeared aren't native
> > > species, so I root them out.
Hmph. Immigrant-intolerant snob!
> My nicest 'weeds' right now are the Siberian wallflower and the
> hollyhock. Got several hollyhocks whose colours will be a nice surprise
> when they bloom.
I guess the oxalis qualifies as "nice." It comes up nice and green, has
cheerful yellow flowers, dies, gets raked up and thrown away, and comes
back the next year.
--
Cheers,
Bev
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I remember when everybody posted to Usenet with their real, deliverable
e-mail address. Of all the sins committed by the spammers, destroying
the viability of the open Internet was the worst.
(Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, news.admin.net-abuse.email)
The Real Bev
>
> "The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>
> > I love Google. It's BURWEED, to match the burclover. Also known as
> > spurweed and stickweed, with good reason. They're so delicate: "Seed,
> > when formed, appears in a small, spined bur that you can feel readily
> > when you press a clump with your hand. The flower heads are
> > inconspicuous in the leaf axil and have small spines." Sound of a
> > person walking barefoot across a lawn containing this stuff: "OW! OW!
> > OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!..."
>
> LOL
> Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them anyhow
> and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially the barefoot
> walk thru the
> lawn....
Could be. Was the picture clear enough? I found a better one later,
but didn't bookmark it. At some point in its nasty little lifecycle
it's really easy to pull up if you grasp it correctly and pull it gently
sideways.
--
Cheers,
Bev
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
If it weren't for pain, we wouldn't have any fun at all.
Albert
"suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
<snip>
> LOL
> Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them anyhow
> and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially the
> barefoot walk thru the
> lawn....
No. Stickerburr's can actually be fatal. Or at least seem that way.
1/4" to 1/2" across with hard spines that easily pierce the thick skin
on your heel. You don't take more than one step after a stickerburr.
The Real Bev
>
> On Sun, 16 May 2004 02:42:30 GMT
> "suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
> <snip>
> > LOL
> > Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them anyhow
> > and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially the
> > barefoot walk thru the
> > lawn....
>
> No. Stickerburr's can actually be fatal. Or at least seem that way.
> 1/4" to 1/2" across with hard spines that easily pierce the thick skin
> on your heel. You don't take more than one step after a stickerburr.
Could they also be known as goatheads? They look tiny little skulls
with long straight horns. They're the reason thornproof tubes, Mr.
Tuffy and Slime were invented.
SHARX
|| On Sat, 15 May 2004 06:48:21 GMT
|| "SHARX" <SHA...@SHAARXTANKSnospam.com> wrote:
|| <snip>
||| People who obsess about the so-called "perfect lawn" lack lives and
||| need mental health counselling.
||
|| People who obsess about money and making lots of it are the ones in
|| need of lives and mental health counselling. Working in a yard
|| and/or garden is the best therapy for any kind of obsession.
||
Better to focus all that energy on those who NEED it.
SHARX
Where's hubby...time for you to find a handy man to give you a super back
rub.
SHARX
So, what do you daydream about when you are pulling weeds?
SHARX
|| On Sun, 16 May 2004 02:42:30 GMT
|| "suzn" <donteve...@clowncast.net> wrote:
|| <snip>
||| LOL
||| Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them
||| anyhow and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially
||| the barefoot walk thru the
||| lawn....
||
|| No. Stickerburr's can actually be fatal. Or at least seem that way.
|| 1/4" to 1/2" across with hard spines that easily pierce the thick
|| skin on your heel. You don't take more than one step after a
|| stickerburr.
Fatal? Yeah, right.
Pete C
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>Arri London wrote:
>
>> Pulling the weeds for a home gardener makes much more sense and works
>> much better.
>
>Perhaps, but pulling thousands of them for 2 hours/day for several weeks
>in a SMALL lawn 10'x20') gets real old real fast, especially if the
>weeds have defenses. I'm going to try the seed-killer stuff just before
>the rainy season (November, maybe even October), which is when a lot of
>the little nasties start sprouting.
Hi,
Has anyone tried burning them with a torch?
cheers,
Pete.
Don K
news:rqhea0l5pltttkns0...@4ax.com...
I've never come across a weed that my lawnmower couldn't cut
down when I mow the lawn.
I don't see what the problem is. I'm no botanist, but AFAIK,
grass is green and weeds are green, and either one will keep the
soil from washing away. In fact weeds are probably more desirable
because they are hardier and less trouble to cultivate.
Don
MAO
"Don K" <dk@dont_bother_me.com> wrote in message
news:_Z6dnS8lotJ...@comcast.com...
In my case (I'm the original poster) I'm mostly concerned with the stuff in
the back yard, behind the 6 foot tall brick fence (I'm only 5'1") that has
been growing for a while since I positively, emphatically, really really
really hate the "great outdoors" and care even less about yardwork. Since
we get so little rain, I've deceived myself into thinking that there
shouldn't be too much of a problem with weeds and I can ignore those parts
of the yard that I can't see.
:-(
The torch idea might work, but it's 8 a.m. and probably in the mid-80's to
90 degrees already and only about 8-10% humidity. Not to mention that
burning stuff is illegal -- I really don't want to have to explain to my
neighbors how the fire got into their yards! Plus, I don't have a torch and
don't want to spend money for one.
I don't own a lawnmower -- the 'desert landscaping' idea is to put black
fabric down (done about 8 years ago when the house was built) and put rocks
on top of it. Kind of hard to push a lawnmower over those without expecting
to be stoned yourself, much less being able to guarantee you won't kill
someone else or break a window. The problem seems to be that, unlike the
front yard which I can see and take care of on a weed-by-weed basis, I have
ignored the back yard to a large extent. Most particularly the side yard,
where the black fabric is allowing the weeds to come through (not much lasts
in 105-120 degree weather that can last for weeks at a time. Even if we
averaged 90 degrees in the summer -- which I think would be considered cool
by most of us living here during the summer -- most manmade products are
going to degrade over time.)
Another poster mentioned putting black tarp down for a couple of months -- I
did that for the majority of the back yard a couple of years ago (not the
side yard, one reason I have the problem I have now) and it killed most of
the yard just fine. Unfortunately, it's not free and, during our wind
storms in the summer, sounded like I was sitting on the deck of an ocean
liner out at sea. I had a heck of a time putting it down and keeping it
from flying away! It, too, has since disintegrated in the heat. I now have
areas that were dead that have received new seed and are now being watered
by the wind sending over the wall the water from my neighbors' misting
system around their patio. So, killing it once is not enough.
I did purchase and use some Roundup on the side yard last Friday that seems
to have mostly killed off the current plants. I hope to pull those and
throw them away over the next couple of weeks (we only have one trash pickup
a week, with a limit of one trash can, and I'm still in pain from what I did
last Thursday!) and then I'll try the "kill everything" stuff from Home
Depot.
And, by the way, there is a reason for at least *some* weed removal -- I
discovered that some of the weeds had grown up into the side of the house
and, I believe, are responsible for the cracks I have in my foundation and
that have occurred in the walls on that side of the house.
But I do appreciate the help I've received from this group. And, hey, I
also found a couple more posters to put in my killfile!
:-)
MAO
Gary Heston
>> "The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>> > I love Google. It's BURWEED, to match the burclover.
[ ... ]
>> LOL
>> Is that the same as a "stickerburr" ? That's what we call them anyhow
>> and it sounds really similar to what you have. Especially the barefoot
>> walk thru the
>> lawn....
>Could be. Was the picture clear enough? I found a better one later,
>but didn't bookmark it. At some point in its nasty little lifecycle
>it's really easy to pull up if you grasp it correctly and pull it gently
>sideways.
There's a nice picture of burweed at:
http://www.allspc.com/broadleaf_lawnburweed.htm
The stickerburr suzn has to deal with is probably sandbur:
http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/grasshtml/CommonSandbur.html
which is different from the goatshead someone mentioned:
http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=TRTE
and none of which are quite as annoying as the local cockleburr we
"enjoy" locally:
http://kaweahoaks.com/html/cockleburr.html
which I've seen produce burrs nearly 2" long. We also have sandburs
here, and other assorted things to clutter up the place.
Gary
--
Gary Heston ghe...@hiwaay.net
Contrary to popular opinion, _not_ everyone loves Raymond.
cj...@yahoo.com
> news:rqhea0l5pltttkns0...@4ax.com...
> > On Fri, 14 May 2004 18:27:02 -0700, The Real Bev
> > <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
> > >Perhaps, but pulling thousands of them for 2 hours/day for several weeks
> > >in a SMALL lawn 10'x20') gets real old real fast, especially if the
> > >weeds have defenses. I'm going to try the seed-killer stuff just before
> > >the rainy season (November, maybe even October), which is when a lot of
> > >the little nasties start sprouting.
Preemergent works well. It's not so compatible with a desert
wildflower yard in the spring, but then if you use preemergent in
October 2002, and put down wildflower seeds the following summer,
they'll germinate in October 2003 and you'll have flowers in February
2004...
<snip>
> I don't see what the problem is. I'm no botanist, but AFAIK,
> grass is green and weeds are green, and either one will keep the
> soil from washing away. In fact weeds are probably more desirable
> because they are hardier and less trouble to cultivate.
The OP didn't have grass. Probably he had decomposed granite and
hardscaping with a couple of trees and shrubs. The weeds are rather
noticeable.
--
C
Ned Flanders
> down when I mow the lawn.
>
> I don't see what the problem is. I'm no botanist, but AFAIK,
> grass is green and weeds are green, and either one will keep the
> soil from washing away. In fact weeds are probably more desirable
> because they are hardier and less trouble to cultivate.
>
> Don
The problem is that it isn't a lawn!
Albert
The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
<snip>
>
> Could they also be known as goatheads? They look tiny little skulls
> with long straight horns. They're the reason thornproof tubes, Mr.
> Tuffy and Slime were invented.
Could be. In Texas we just called them stickerburrs.
Ned Flanders
> Arri London wrote:
>
> > Pulling the weeds for a home gardener makes much more sense and works
> > much better.
>
> in a SMALL lawn 10'x20') gets real old real fast, especially if the
> weeds have defenses. I'm going to try the seed-killer stuff just before
> the rainy season (November, maybe even October), which is when a lot of
> the little nasties start sprouting.
Try raising the cutting height of your lawn mower. A cut lawn looks
nice due to the uniform height of the grass. Not due to it being
short. Most weed seeds need some degree of light to sprout. A longer
grass height will prevent sun from reaching the seeds. Also the
higher the grass, the deeper the roots will grow which helps to keep
it green in dry spells without watering. I have my mower set to the
highest cutting height.
Cheers,
Ned
Arri London
Albert wrote:
>
> On Sat, 15 May 2004 17:40:34 -0600
> Arri London <bio...@ic.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> >
<snip>
> > > shipping. Ideally, you have a chipper/shredder and enough trees to
> > > supply adequate sticks, dead limbs and leaves.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > We don't seem to have small chipper/shredders for sale around here. I
> > see nice ones in the UK, but getting one here isn't practical :)
>
> With patience, you can mimic the action of a chipper/shredder by
> building and tending a mulch pile. Leave the big sticks and limbs on
> the bottom. They take longer to rot, but they will in time. Also a
> neat place to put kitchen waste (vegetables only). For leaves and small
> sticks, use a lawnmower back and forth until pieces are small enough to
> suit you. Tending a mulch pile can be as complicated or as simple as
> your time and enthusiasm allow.
Not allowed to do such things here. I have a compost system made of a
plastic laundry hamper (due to be replaced soon) and two large rubbish
bins with holes drilled in them.
Another bin tucked behind the shed is for generating leaf mould. Because
they are small, they aren't 'hot' composters and it takes a full year to
rot down.
We don't have a lawnmower (not much point, as we don't have a lawn). It
seems silly that we can't buy a small chipper/shredder locally. I looked
into hiring one, as I wouldn't need it more than once a year anyway.
However, the ones at the hire place down the street are intended to take
large trees and I didn't think I could get it into the back garden
anyway LOL!
>
Arri London
Ah ty. They were in a bin at the cheapo place, unlabelled.
Too big, but good for its intended purpose. I'm
> beginning to sound like FMG, finding fault with everything.
Too big for what? I use it on all the weeds. It's slightly over 1 foot
long and the end is about half an inch between the widest points of the
notch. The tiniest weeds sit right in the 'v' of the notch and larger
ones fill the notch.
>
> > > I think I got almost all of them. If any come up next year I'll yank
> > > them out before they form those vicious little rosettes. I thought they
> > > were pretty and green and soft, so I let them live. Next year will be
> > > different.
> >
> > Ah can't be soft in this business! Ruthless rules!
> >
> > > I should find out what they are so I can curse them properly.
> >
> > LOL! Yes, that's where my gardening books come in handy.
>
> I love Google. It's BURWEED, to match the burclover. Also known as
> spurweed and stickweed, with good reason. They're so delicate: "Seed,
> when formed, appears in a small, spined bur that you can feel readily
> when you press a clump with your hand. The flower heads are
> inconspicuous in the leaf axil and have small spines." Sound of a
> person walking barefoot across a lawn containing this stuff: "OW! OW!
> OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!..."
ROTFL! We have a few prickly sorts as well, but maybe not burweed. In
the desert it's not such a good idea to walk barefoot anyway. If the
prickly things don't get you the scorpions or the ants could.
>
> http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/lawn_burweed.html Further
> investigation indicates that they're susceptible to 2-4-D and/or
> Weed-B-Gone. Easy to find and it will get rid of the other weeds
> too... Additional further indicates that in some areas my kikuyu grass
> is a noxious weed. Figures.
>
> --
> Cheers, Bev
No surprise there. Anything that doesn't have a bug or animal to eat it
is going to be a noxious weed. Our problems are also that nonnative
weeds suck up more water than the native sorts, going all the way up to
salt cedars.
Arri London
LOL the miscreant did leave a rock in its place, but it wasn't the same
shape or colour of course.
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > The Real Bev wrote:
> > >
> > > Arri London wrote:
> > > > Weeds can grow in the gravel as soil particles
> > > > accumulate. I rake our gravel periodically to prevent that.
> > >
> > > In attractive patterns, right? With large attractive rocks placed
> > > EXACTLY right...
> >
> > LOL! I did try that, but the gravel is too large for the patterns to be
> > visible. We do have the large rocks (one of which was stolen the night
> > after they were put down).
> > But raking does get rid of the blown-in dirt and leaves. Keeps the bugs
> > down too.
>
> You just need a bigger rake and bigger rocks. The gravel in the zen
> garden at the Huntington Library seems to be 3/4"-1" or so, but I didn't
> really look that closely last week.
Can't be bothered. The gravel is about 1/2 inch average. You are right
about needing a rake with longer tines. But then I'd rip the plastic
underneath. I can live without the zen aspect as long as the weeds stay
away.
>
> > > > > We put plastic and then
> > > > > asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> > > > > while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed is
> > > > > dark almost all the time.
> > > >
> > > > Shingles on the ground? Sounds novel. Our shed sits on a concrete pad.
> > >
> > > Better than bare dirt. Those pretty oxalis weeds with the yellow
> > > flowers on long stems that turn brown and die as soon as warm weather
> > > hits are amazingly strong.
> >
> > Of course. I just hadn't heard of using shingles.
>
> Work better than landscape cloth. One more thing that's cheap at yard
> sales. Roll roofing can be used too, but shingles are easier to
> manipulate.
Makes sense. I wouldn't put landscape cloth under a shed anyway. We have
to have them anchored to a cement pad, because of the winds.
>
> > > I just realized
> > > that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
> > > it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
> > > don't inflict pain.
> >
> > LOL! That I won't do; at least not with the nonnative species.
>
> What, they show you their passports? Mine won't even look at me!
LOL That's what the gardening books and xeriscaping web sites are for.
>
> > > > and I do wear gloves.
> > >
> > > Only surgical gloves would work, and they wouldn't keep out the sharp
> > > points.
> >
> > Why surgical gloves? I use gloves designed for working with roses; quite
> > thorn proof and plenty flexible.
> > > >
> > > > It makes me laugh that a common weed here appears in a 'native' plant
> > > > catalogue I get. Going to go to the empty lot across the main road and
> > > > dig some up. However, most of the weeds that have appeared aren't native
> > > > species, so I root them out.
>
> Hmph. Immigrant-intolerant snob!
Yah you got that right. We have plenty of nonnative plants in the
garden, courtesy of my parents. But the nonnative weeds must go.
>
> > My nicest 'weeds' right now are the Siberian wallflower and the
> > hollyhock. Got several hollyhocks whose colours will be a nice surprise
> > when they bloom.
>
> I guess the oxalis qualifies as "nice." It comes up nice and green, has
> cheerful yellow flowers, dies, gets raked up and thrown away, and comes
> back the next year.
Nods. The other one we get is the various forms of portaluca. Those also
flower nicely and the really wild form is edible.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
>
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev wrote:
> Makes sense. I wouldn't put landscape cloth under a shed anyway. We have
> to have them anchored to a cement pad, because of the winds.
Ours is right next to the garage and is stuffed to the brim with heavy
stuff. A wind that would blow it away would probably take the house and
the little dog too.
> > > > I just realized
> > > > that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
> > > > it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
> > > > don't inflict pain.
> > >
> > > LOL! That I won't do; at least not with the nonnative species.
> >
> > What, they show you their passports? Mine won't even look at me!
>
> LOL That's what the gardening books and xeriscaping web sites are for.
People on the northern coast are trying to eradicate the non-native ice
plant from the beach. I can see why purists might want to do that, but
it anchors the sand and looks nice. I guess some people have to have a
cause of some sort, and at least ELIMINATE THE ALIEN ICE PLANT isn't
likely to result in beatings or jailings.
> > Hmph. Immigrant-intolerant snob!
>
> Yah you got that right. We have plenty of nonnative plants in the
> garden, courtesy of my parents. But the nonnative weeds must go.
> >
> > > My nicest 'weeds' right now are the Siberian wallflower and the
> > > hollyhock. Got several hollyhocks whose colours will be a nice surprise
> > > when they bloom.
The SWs look nice. If those grow well, put in some gaillardia. You'll
be glad you did.
http://www.gardenguides.com/seedcatalog/flowers/gaillardia-bulk.htm
> > I guess the oxalis qualifies as "nice." It comes up nice and green, has
> > cheerful yellow flowers, dies, gets raked up and thrown away, and comes
> > back the next year.
>
> Nods. The other one we get is the various forms of portaluca. Those also
> flower nicely and the really wild form is edible.
I just planted a packet of portulaca seeds and they're maybe half an
inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize nicely,
that's very good.
--
Cheers,
Bev
=========================================================
"If you watch TV news, you know less about the world than
if you just drank gin straight from the bottle."
- Garrison Keillor
Albert
The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
<snip>
> We put plastic and then
> asphalt shingles on the ground under our steel shed. Every once in a
> while we see weeds poking up through the shingles, although the shed
> is dark almost all the time.
Thanks for the tip. I'm putting up a steel shed now and was debating
with myself over how to do the flooring. I just bought a roll of sheet
asphalt roofing for a vapor barrier and pressure treated lumber and
plywood for the floor.
Albert
> inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize
> nicely, that's very good.
I love portulaca. It's not perennial but it usually reseeds itself.
They make the most intense colors. And they seem to like heat and
drought.
The Real Bev
>
> On Sun, 16 May 2004 18:07:56 -0700
> The Real Bev <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
> <snip>
> > I just planted a packet of portulaca seeds and they're maybe half an
> > inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize
> > nicely, that's very good.
>
> I love portulaca. It's not perennial but it usually reseeds itself.
> They make the most intense colors. And they seem to like heat and
> drought.
It would be wonderful if the kinds of iceplant that put out a solid
blanket of color for a few weeks bloomed all year around. It probably
thinks we wouldn't appreciate it, but we would. Honest.
--
Cheers,
Bev
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look
of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs
think humans are nuts." -- John Steinbeck
SHARX
Precisely. Life is to short to worry about the perfect lawn.
SHARX
Excellent suggestions. It has also been YEARS since we wasted water on our
lawn, reserving water for the vegetable garden, instead.
Scorpio Chick
> Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> products?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> MAO
If you really want to kill everything so it never comes back, use
road/rock salt. It will kill ALL plants, and is much less toxic to
pets/kids/wildlife than gas or chemical weed killers. However, if your
yard get a lot of runoff in the wet season, it may not be a good idea,
as the salt will wash into the water table and contaminate it.
Aspahlt will be incredibly hot in the summer, and is quite
expensive/toxic, so I'd avoid it if you can. If you want to "pave" it
cheap, and have time/means to haul rocks, you might want to consider
creating a rock garden/landscape. You can get rocks/boulders free from
a lot of construction sites where they have been digging, or from
riverbeds. Much more environmentally friendly/frugal than paving, and
looks a lot better. I've seen some lovely desert rock gardens, and
there are lots of sites on the net about it. You can either lay the
rocks over landscape cloth, or just salt around them to keep the weeds
dead. Or you can plant rock plants - most of them are very drought
tolerant.
- ScorpioChick
The Real Bev
>
> "MAO" <m...@not.here> wrote:
>
> > Does anyone have suggestions on cheap and legal (I don't think gasoline is
> > legal, though I've seriously considered it over the years) yard/weed killer
> > products?
>
> road/rock salt. It will kill ALL plants, and is much less toxic to
> pets/kids/wildlife than gas or chemical weed killers. However, if your
> yard get a lot of runoff in the wet season, it may not be a good idea,
> as the salt will wash into the water table and contaminate it.
We spread rock salt around to kill the annual weed-grass (the
2-foot-high stuff with the seeds that stick in your socks and shoes) in
our far back yard. Didn't work, the grass apparently liked it. We did
kill some stumps by drilling 1/2" holes in them and filling the holes
with salt, but it took several years.
--
Cheers,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Screw the end users. If they want good software,
let them write it themselves." -- Anon.
suzn
>We did
> kill some stumps by drilling 1/2" holes in them and filling the holes
> with salt, but it took several years.
May have to try that on my stump.
I was pouring the syrup from canned fruit
on it because I read it attracts bugs that eat the decaying wood.
It has helped but is a very slow process. Luckily the stump is in
an area where its not a big problem.
SJF
> down when I mow the lawn.
>
> I don't see what the problem is. I'm no botanist, but AFAIK,
> grass is green and weeds are green, and either one will keep the
> soil from washing away. In fact weeds are probably more desirable
> because they are hardier and less trouble to cultivate.
>
> Don
>
ground cover".
SJF
The Real Bev
>
> "The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
> news:40A90EB6...@myrealbox.com...
>
> > We did
> > kill some stumps by drilling 1/2" holes in them and filling the holes
> > with salt, but it took several years.
>
> May have to try that on my stump.
As many and as deep as possible. If you don't have frequent rain, pour
a little water in whenever you think of it. The guy who cut the trees
down told us about it.
> I was pouring the syrup from canned fruit
> on it because I read it attracts bugs that eat the decaying wood.
You mean termites? I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to attract
termites to anything within a mile of my house.
> It has helped but is a very slow process. Luckily the stump is in
> an area where its not a big problem.
These are Chinese elm stumps. The intent was just to kill them so
they'd stop sending up shoots. They haven't decayed yet, and it's been
at least 5 years since we cut them down.
--
Cheers,
Bev
------------------------------------------------------------------
It doesn't matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > The Real Bev wrote:
>
> > Makes sense. I wouldn't put landscape cloth under a shed anyway. We have
> > to have them anchored to a cement pad, because of the winds.
>
> Ours is right next to the garage and is stuffed to the brim with heavy
> stuff. A wind that would blow it away would probably take the house and
> the little dog too.
The cement pad is the floor of our shed. And yes, small dogs certainly
have been blown around in the wind here.
>
> > > > > I just realized
> > > > > that I've been tending this stupid kikuyu grass for nearly 4 decades and
> > > > > it still looks like shit. I'm willing to tolerate weeds as long as they
> > > > > don't inflict pain.
> > > >
> > > > LOL! That I won't do; at least not with the nonnative species.
> > >
> > > What, they show you their passports? Mine won't even look at me!
> >
> > LOL That's what the gardening books and xeriscaping web sites are for.
>
> People on the northern coast are trying to eradicate the non-native ice
> plant from the beach. I can see why purists might want to do that, but
> it anchors the sand and looks nice. I guess some people have to have a
> cause of some sort, and at least ELIMINATE THE ALIEN ICE PLANT isn't
> likely to result in beatings or jailings.
If the ice plant hasn't replaced a native plant doing the same job, it
hardly matters. When I lived in San Diego, I enjoyed the ice plant along
embankments etc. There wasn't any on any of the beaches that I remember.
Those fluorescent flowers are nice in spring. Supposedly it will survive
the winter here, but the only colour I've seen planted is the purple
sort.
>
> > > Hmph. Immigrant-intolerant snob!
> >
> > Yah you got that right. We have plenty of nonnative plants in the
> > garden, courtesy of my parents. But the nonnative weeds must go.
> > >
> > > > My nicest 'weeds' right now are the Siberian wallflower and the
> > > > hollyhock. Got several hollyhocks whose colours will be a nice surprise
> > > > when they bloom.
>
> The SWs look nice. If those grow well, put in some gaillardia. You'll
> be glad you did.
>
> http://www.gardenguides.com/seedcatalog/flowers/gaillardia-bulk.htm
Lot of people grow them here, but I'm not keen. We have some other sort
of daisy-related thing that reseeds itself. That's enough.
>
> > > I guess the oxalis qualifies as "nice." It comes up nice and green, has
> > > cheerful yellow flowers, dies, gets raked up and thrown away, and comes
> > > back the next year.
> >
> > Nods. The other one we get is the various forms of portaluca. Those also
> > flower nicely and the really wild form is edible.
>
> I just planted a packet of portulaca seeds and they're maybe half an
> inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize nicely,
> that's very good.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
They do in our garden, although the yield is variable. The less
hybridised ones work better, so I try to collect seed from those.
The Real Bev
>
> The Real Bev wrote:
> > People on the northern coast are trying to eradicate the non-native ice
> > plant from the beach. I can see why purists might want to do that, but
> > it anchors the sand and looks nice. I guess some people have to have a
> > cause of some sort, and at least ELIMINATE THE ALIEN ICE PLANT isn't
> > likely to result in beatings or jailings.
>
> If the ice plant hasn't replaced a native plant doing the same job, it
> hardly matters.
I don't think so. There was a sign about how awful it was to have
iceplant on the beach and how much trouble and expense they were going
to to restore the, well, I guess it wouldn't be 'pristine' since there
was a nearby parking lot, original ecosystem. Sand, as far as I could
tell. Maybe some of that long skinny grass (saltgrass?)...
> When I lived in San Diego, I enjoyed the ice plant along
> embankments etc. There wasn't any on any of the beaches that I remember.
> Those fluorescent flowers are nice in spring. Supposedly it will survive
> the winter here, but the only colour I've seen planted is the purple
> sort.
The purple sort is the best color. There's also a soppy yellowish-cream
color which I don't understand planting when you can have purple for the
same price. If it just had more flowers... In a battle with Algerian
ivy I think the ivy would win, but not in a severe drought.
> > I just planted a packet of portulaca seeds and they're maybe half an
> > inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize nicely,
> > that's very good.
>
> They do in our garden, although the yield is variable. The less
> hybridised ones work better, so I try to collect seed from those.
How about California poppies? We're not anal, out-of-staters can grow
them too!
--
Cheers,
Bev
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala,
it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet." -- Anon.
Chotii
"SJF" <S...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:eh8qc.53484$Z%5.36319@okepread01...
>
> "Don K" <dk@dont_bother_me.com> wrote in message
> news:_Z6dnS8lotJ...@comcast.com...
> >
> > I've never come across a weed that my lawnmower couldn't cut
> > down when I mow the lawn.
> >
> > I don't see what the problem is. I'm no botanist, but AFAIK,
> > grass is green and weeds are green, and either one will keep the
> > soil from washing away. In fact weeds are probably more desirable
> > because they are hardier and less trouble to cultivate.
This may be so, however, the guy in the house behind me is a renter, and the
back yard hasn't been mown in at least 3 years. It is one solid dandelion.
This does not endear him to the rest of us, who put effort into keeping
dandelions out of our lawns...and there's his lawn, churning out millions of
seeds a year.
--angela
Anthony Matonak
...
> This may be so, however, the guy in the house behind me is a renter, and the
> back yard hasn't been mown in at least 3 years. It is one solid dandelion.
> This does not endear him to the rest of us, who put effort into keeping
> dandelions out of our lawns...and there's his lawn, churning out millions of
> seeds a year.
I feel for you. Clearly, unmaintained land should not be allowed within
the limits of cities or the range of windblown seeds. :)
You could get together with all the neighbors, form an organization and
either attempt to force him to comply with your standards of lawn care
or assist him and do the care yourselves. Most people favor the use of
force which is what Home Owner Associations are for.
Anthony
Chloe
news:40A9E41D...@gte.net...
Nah, I think most people favor living around people whose basic notion of
home maintenance is similar to their own. HOAs wouldn't exist--or wouldn't
exist in the numbers that they do--if they hadn't come about in response to
a problem. Houses are a pretty big investment for most middle class folks,
and don't think for a minute that having some nasty, run-down eyesore in the
neighborhood doesn't affect value when it comes time to sell your own house.
The Real Bev
Perhaps the people who find the dandelions a problem would volunteer to
take care of Damdelion Man's lawn themselves. A schedule could be
devised to ensure that none of the volunteers assumes more than his fair
share of the burden. The most diplomatic among them would have the task
of convincing Dandelion Man that their way of life is better than his
and that he should be grateful for their assistance. The strongest
among them would have the task of carrying off the dead body of the
diplomat after the meeting with Dandelion Man.
I think a totally-dandelion lawn would be pretty neat. Sort of like a
field of sunflowers, but short.
--
Cheers,
Bev
---------------------------------
aibohphobia - fear of palindromes
Ned Flanders
> "Anthony Matonak" <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message
> news:40A9E41D...@gte.net...
> > Chotii wrote:
> > ...
> > > This may be so, however, the guy in the house behind me is a renter, and
> the
> > > back yard hasn't been mown in at least 3 years. It is one solid
> dandelion.
> > > This does not endear him to the rest of us, who put effort into keeping
> > > dandelions out of our lawns...and there's his lawn, churning out
> millions of
> > > seeds a year.
Call you municipal offices of code enforcement, township offices, and
etcetera. Most communities have grass cutting requirements. You pay
taxes for services that you don't use, which is not frugal—start using
them.
Cheers,
Ned
Don K
news:lTiqc.4734607$iA2.5...@news.easynews.com...
If you're concerned about the kind of plants that are growing
near your house then you should either buy up enough land around
it so you can determine that yourself, or buy in with a group
of like-minded people who all agree on the type of vegetation
that will be cultivated, i.e. a homeowners association.
While there may be some municipal ordinance about the
maximum allowable height of grass, the type of grass grown
on someone else's property is none of your business, IMO.
Don
Arri London
The Real Bev wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > The Real Bev wrote:
> > > People on the northern coast are trying to eradicate the non-native ice
> > > plant from the beach. I can see why purists might want to do that, but
> > > it anchors the sand and looks nice. I guess some people have to have a
> > > cause of some sort, and at least ELIMINATE THE ALIEN ICE PLANT isn't
> > > likely to result in beatings or jailings.
> >
> > If the ice plant hasn't replaced a native plant doing the same job, it
> > hardly matters.
>
> I don't think so. There was a sign about how awful it was to have
> iceplant on the beach and how much trouble and expense they were going
> to to restore the, well, I guess it wouldn't be 'pristine' since there
> was a nearby parking lot, original ecosystem. Sand, as far as I could
> tell. Maybe some of that long skinny grass (saltgrass?)...
Most of the beaches in San Diego had cliffs coming off of them. The
'native' ecosystem clearly includes the multimillion dollar homes built
right on the sand :)
>
> > When I lived in San Diego, I enjoyed the ice plant along
> > embankments etc. There wasn't any on any of the beaches that I remember.
> > Those fluorescent flowers are nice in spring. Supposedly it will survive
> > the winter here, but the only colour I've seen planted is the purple
> > sort.
>
> The purple sort is the best color. There's also a soppy yellowish-cream
> color which I don't understand planting when you can have purple for the
> same price. If it just had more flowers... In a battle with Algerian
> ivy I think the ivy would win, but not in a severe drought.
I liked some of the other colours too, but no one around here seems to
have them. It's a plant I associate with So Cal, so don't mind if I
don't have any here.
>
> > > I just planted a packet of portulaca seeds and they're maybe half an
> > > inch high now. They have wonderful flowers. If they naturalize nicely,
> > > that's very good.
> >
> > They do in our garden, although the yield is variable. The less
> > hybridised ones work better, so I try to collect seed from those.
>
> How about California poppies? We're not anal, out-of-staters can grow
> them too!
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
>
LOL! I did have some, which reseeded themselves for three years, but
didn't come up this year. I did buy a packet of seeds but haven't
planted them yet. Those were nice all over the empty lots in San Diego.
Much of our small front garden is in shades of yellow and orange anyway.
Just worked out that way, not deliberate.
suzn
> You mean termites? I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to attract
> termites to anything within a mile of my house.
Nope no termites.
The Real Bev
> Bev wrote:
> > How about California poppies? We're not anal, out-of-staters can grow
> > them too!
>
> LOL! I did have some, which reseeded themselves for three years, but
> didn't come up this year.
It's dependent on rain at some critical point in their life cycle. They
bloom as early as January sometimes. I've got a packet of seeds I
forgot to plant last year which I think I will plant among the
sparsely-flowering ice plant out in the parking strip. I should
probably toss them out now, since the poppies are currently setting
seed.
> I did buy a packet of seeds but haven't
> planted them yet. Those were nice all over the empty lots in San Diego.
> Much of our small front garden is in shades of yellow and orange anyway.
> Just worked out that way, not deliberate.
Orange lantana is nice, as are African daisies. Yellow and orange AND
PURPLE! Petunias or something...
--
Cheers,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rule 18: Always tip your hat before striking a lady.
SHARX
Life's too short to obsess about trivia like dandelions. GAL!