***Official gardening, landscape and yardwork thread***

[lewdog]

We had a 2014 gardening thread and another planting trees thread. Figured it would be better just to have a general thread to share knowledge about all things yards.

I've learned stuff about growing things here in the desert from people all around the country. Post pictures and share your knowledge!

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by loochy

What kind of weeds? There are plenty of selective herbicides out there.

2,4-D took care of all of my broadleafs (dandelions, thistle, spurge, and henbit) this spring. I still have some Poa Annua and some Annual Rye since the 2,4-D doesn't kill grasses, but I'll just have to wait for the heat to kill them. I missed the window in which I can use roundup because the Bermuda is already greening.

To long term solve the weed problem, you need to spray and keep the weeds from coming to seed and keep a pre-emergent down year around for a few years.

Well I have a big rock planter that runs along the back of my house. Then I have a trellis and walk way that goes along the side of my house where I do not have grass on that entire side of the home. It's just a mixture of small trees, shrubs, and natural grasses. But last summer it started to get over run by weeds and I could not control it.

The rock planter seems like it would be the easiest thing to clean up, figured I would just put weed mat down and put in new rock since no plants are in there anyway, but i can't keep up with all the weeds elsewhere. No worry in my yard area though. Just put pre emergent down and have been all good there. I've tried roundup on the weeds but it doesn't seem to kill them very well and the stuff you buy at Lowes or Home Depot doesn't go very far.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Well I have a big rock planter that runs along the back of my house. Then I have a trellis and walk way that goes along the side of my house where I do not have grass on that entire side of the home. It's just a mixture of small trees, shrubs, and natural grasses. But last summer it started to get over run by weeds and I could not control it.

The rock planter seems like it would be the easiest thing to clean up, figured I would just put weed mat down and put in new rock since no plants are in there anyway, but i can't keep up with all the weeds elsewhere. No worry in my yard area though. Just put pre emergent down and have been all good there. I've tried roundup on the weeds but it doesn't seem to kill them very well and the stuff you buy at Lowes or Home Depot doesn't go very far.

Get some glysophate (generic Roundup) concentrate and use that. You are probably using the pre-mixed name brand Roundup. The generic concentrate isn't all that expensive. A 2.5 gallon jug will cost around $50 and will do 2 acres. Smaller containers can be had, and you can even buy it at Walmart.

https://www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Sav...lysophate&th=1

Make sure you use the roundup while the weeds are actively growing. If you don't, they die VERY slowly. Generally, the hotter it is the quicker it works.

I say get a backpack tank sprayer and nuke the hell out of the area with glysophate multiple times this year. After you have it all under control, explore some grass options that will grow in the shade area and keep the weeds crowded out. Maybe rye for winter and zoysia for summer?

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by loochy

Get some glysophate (generic Roundup) concentrate and use that. You are probably using the pre-mixed name brand Roundup. The generic concentrate isn't all that expensive. A 2.5 gallon jug will cost around $50 and will do 2 acres. Smaller containers can be had, and you can even buy it at Walmart.

Make sure you use the roundup while the weeds are actively growing. If you don't, they die VERY slowly. Generally, the hotter it is the quicker it works.

I say get a backpack tank sprayer and nuke the hell out of the area with glysophate multiple times this year. After you have it all under control, explore some grass options that will grow in the shade area and keep the weeds crowded out. Maybe rye for winter and zoysia for summer?

Good idea on the backpack tank, I'll look into it. I don't use it liberally enough may be my problem. I love zoysia grass, but I don't see much of it around KC. It feels like carpet when it's mature. Heard it's hard to get going though.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Good idea on the backpack tank, I'll look into it. I don't use it liberally enough may be my problem. I love zoysia grass, but I don't see much of it around KC. It feels like carpet when it's mature. Heard it's hard to get going though.

I'm not sure about the zoysia in KC since I'm in Texas. I do know that it is shade and drought tolerant and that's why I mentioned it for around your trees and shrubs.

Yeah, mix up your concentrate and be liberal with a good spray (not a stream). You can even use this stuff to help mark where you've sprayed:https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Harves...ndicator&psc=1

Just spray until everything is blue and you are covered.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Best way to kill weeds other than roundup, pulling them manually. ?

Not nutsedge! And the nutsedge spray can kill the grass too (and not the nutsedge, and me, my problem spots are because of just that.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk (so spelling be damned!!!)

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Well I have a big rock planter that runs along the back of my house. Then I have a trellis and walk way that goes along the side of my house where I do not have grass on that entire side of the home. It's just a mixture of small trees, shrubs, and natural grasses. But last summer it started to get over run by weeds and I could not control it.

The rock planter seems like it would be the easiest thing to clean up, figured I would just put weed mat down and put in new rock since no plants are in there anyway, but i can't keep up with all the weeds elsewhere. No worry in my yard area though. Just put pre emergent down and have been all good there. I've tried roundup on the weeds but it doesn't seem to kill them very well and the stuff you buy at Lowes or Home Depot doesn't go very far.

If you're going to leave it bare get primatol.

If not loochys solution is the way to go. Heat it up. Some phenoxy herbicides would help. Those are 2-4D or Dicamba. If you cant get those get weed b gone concentrate and add it to the mix. The phenoxy herbicides make it grow fast (faster than it can support and kills it). Don't use the full rate but supplementing glyphosate with a phenoxy will allow it to translocate to the roots faster.

Odds are the glyphosate you end up with will have the appropriate adjuvants but adding some non-ionic surfactant will help. If you can't get it add a little dish soap.

Early is better if you can nuke it before it gets established it will be easier to kill.

Glyphosate and phenoxy herbicides won't have any residual, meaning it won't stop new weeds from coming. Primatol will. But if you're going to plant anything else it will kill it too.

[cabletech94]

so i've got bermuda grass invading a large perennial garden. i don't want to kill the good stuff, but want to stop the bermuda.
suggestions?

SouthEastKansas.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Sorry for getting your gardening thread hijacked Lewdog, not intentional.

Don't you ever apologize to me you beautiful bastard!

This is totally related. That one of the coolest lawn ornaments I've ever seen. Lewdog doesn't discriminate. This thread is anything "yard" related.

I love the look of your property down the hill but I thought there were some Spruce trees in view along the driveway?

[loochy]

Originally Posted by cabletech94

so i've got bermuda grass invading a large perennial garden. i don't want to kill the good stuff, but want to stop the bermuda.
suggestions?

SouthEastKansas.

You can't stop the bermuda. The best bet is to get a spray bottle of roundup, set it to spray a jet, and hit the invading runners. You can try to pull the bermuda too, but the roots run deep and long. Either way, it'll creep back in a few weeks. It's tough stuff.

Also, maybe youcan try a plastic barrier buried around the edge. We have a 5 inch plastic edge around our flower beds and it does a reasonable job of slowing the bermuda runners.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by loochy

You can't stop the bermuda. The best bet is to get a spray bottle of roundup, set it to spray a jet, and hit the invading runners. You can try to pull the bermuda too, but the roots run deep and long. Either way, it'll creep back in a few weeks. It's tough stuff.

Also, maybe youcan try a plastic barrier buried around the edge. We have a 5 inch plastic edge around our flower beds and it does a reasonable job of slowing the bermuda runners.

This man knows.

You can get a paintbrush and paint it on.

Best bet is weed barrier.

[lewdog]

Cherry tomato plant is already massive and giving me 100+ tomatoes.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Don't you ever apologize to me you beautiful bastard!

This is totally related. That one of the coolest lawn ornaments I've ever seen. Lewdog doesn't discriminate. This thread is anything "yard" related.

I love the look of your property down the hill but I thought there were some Spruce trees in view along the driveway?

Your cherry tomatoes look fantastic!

Glad you like "patina," it is kind of growing on me. The Mrs. even likes it there which really shocked me.

Yes, from the other direction you can see the Colorado blue spruce trees and one of the Austrian pines. I lost three of the Colorado blue spruce last fall to some kind of weird disease, and the well drilling crew destroyed one but we still have eight of them along with three of the Austrian pine trees.

We got down to 24 the other night so I bundled all the fruit trees up. The first on in the picture is actually covered by a large car cover.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Cherry tomato plant is already massive and giving me 100+ tomatoes.

I planted a couple varieties of cherry tomatoes last year and that was my favorite. Can't remember the name though.

I put out my tomato plants a couple days ago after the 24 degree night. I started these from seeds in January and have had them in the south windows.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I planted a couple varieties of cherry tomatoes last year and that was my favorite. Can't remember the name though.

I put out my tomato plants a couple days ago after the 24 degree night. I started these from seeds in January and have had them in the south windows.

Looks great! That's one bad thing about being in suburbia, not a lot of space to do much here.

I am always just amazed at how big these cherry tomato plants get. Mine get 7' tall each year and really bush out, taking over much of the small garden I have.

Do you do the straight red cherry tomatoes or do you mix in some of the golden varieties?

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Looks great! That's one bad thing about being in suburbia, not a lot of space to do much here.

I am always just amazed at how big these cherry tomato plants get. Mine get 7' tall each year and really bush out, taking over much of the small garden I have.

Do you do the straight red cherry tomatoes or do you mix in some of the golden varieties?

Last year I just bought three different kinds of cherry tomatoes, two had an egg shape and one of them was round like yours. I want to find those round ones again this year, they were by far the best. I am not sure what you mean by the golden variety?

The six plants I put in are beef steak seeds . All of the seeds I planted came up, so I gave some to others. I don't want to make the same mistake I made the last two years of planting too many.