New Grass - Seeding, seeding, and seeding some more

It's that time of year when kids are back to school, leafs are falling and Speedos are now on sale! I put that last comment in there to see if you are really paying attention. If you didn't catch that I mentioned a banana hammock in the first sentence of a landscaping blog, you might as well go play Candy Crush. C'mon, it's probably what you are looking to do anyways. But for all you landscaping nerds out there looking for info, read on! I'm going to fill your brain so much stuff your going to forget that before you came across my blog you too were actually intending on playing Candy Crush as well! I can't blame you but I'm just still holding out from playing that game monopoly (pun intended) #GoingAgainstTheGrain

But really, now is a great time to seed for a great looking lawn. So here is a plan I have enacted out many times in growing new grass and found it to be quite successful:

 - For seeding large bare areas, I have always chosen to not to rent a tiller but instead make all the adjustments above the existing soil. Meaning that instead of tilling up the existing soil, I make the necessary steps above the current soil. I simply spread the grass seed on top of the soil, add top soil on top of the seed (enough to where you cannot see anymore seeds on the ground) and then cover with straw. By doing this I'm basically doing the same process as someone who tills their soil first but get these added benefits:
        - I'm modifying my existing lawn with enriched soil by using top soil on top off of existing soil. Over time, the top soil and existing soil will mix together and make the resulting soil stronger/healthier in the long-term.
       - I'm saving quite a bit of money. It can be anywhere from $50 - $150 for tiller, ramps for loading tiller or delivery of tiller. Bags of offbrand top soil at Lowes runs about $1.50 - $2. With 10 bags of top soil your only running $20.

Fertilizer can be added to promote healthier grass. I have grown grass very well without any fertilizer but have also seen the amazing results of new grass with fertilizer so it's up to you want to do it. I've also heard many ideas of when to apply a fertilizer and have seen grass grow no matter when fertilizer is applied. Keeping the seed hydrated until sprout is the most important thing to remember. This is probably why 90% of seeds never germinate. They can run out of moisture in warm weather very quickly and once they do, they are done and can will never germinate. You don't need to pull a Bobby Boucher and give them some "high quality H2O," faucet water will do. Just give them a good soaking at least twice a day.

Comment with any questions. Thanks for reading!

Common causes of diseases, growth stunt, and death of plants

During my first growing season at my house, I had relatively no problems with insects or diseases with my plants. Now that I'm in my 2nd season, I'm finding that some of my plants are becoming victims of natural plant problems. Three plants are specifically having trouble: Rose Bush, Rhododendron and Burning Bush. You'll notice that in one of my earlier blogs, I discuss my newly loved Rhode with much delight at how much it is thriving so it irks me now to have to bear the current status. But there is hope, as I have found solutions to the problems that I am having with my plants. So I hope the knowledge I found can also bring you good fortune.

Rhododendron

After my Rhode bloomed magnificently late this spring, I began the process of deadheading the expended blooms and cutting back the plant in preparation for its bloom next spring. Side note, I realized that Rhodes don't "vine" or grow back as much as I hoped, unlike other shrubs like the rose bush or butterfly bush. From what I can tell, it seems to grow more like a tree in that it grows slowly by lengthening it's "branches." So anyways, it has been pruned and is ready to replenish its flower pods for next season. I began to notice that about a month after this, a large percentage of its leaves began to not only brown along its edges but actually began dying. It was has been unusually hot here in Indiana (many days of 100+ heat) but other plants seemed to be surviving like usual on my normal watering plan. So I took to researching it and came across a Cornell University Horticulture article. The article goes into great depths as the possible cause of my leaf dying problem. One point, that later is revealed to be spot on, is that Rhodes have adapted a pretty cool way of minimizing water loss. This allows Rhode's to hold there leaves year round. But because of this, "moisture is first lost along the edge of the leaf blade." If enough moisture is lost, the entire leaf can wilt and die. Even though the article primarily traces this back to its winter growing process, I have found that my Rhode is experiencing this same problem due to the unusually hot weather. So I began increasing the amount of water given to the Rhode and it seems to be bouncing back, also in part due to the cooling of temperatures. Thank the Lord! Read the article further for more explanation of Rhode problems by clicking here. Another article, published in the Seattle Times, that was not discussed here but provides more insight can be found here. The first picture below is of an unhealthy loss of water resulting in leaf browning. The second picture is of leaves "curling." See first article for more insight.

Burning Bush

Ah, the infamous burning bush. Possibly one of the most adaptable bushes out there! Personally, the burning bushes in my yard have been moved more in the span of a year than should be alloted. But even in all of this, my five burning bushes came back stronger than ever this spring. Then came this and it was only spring, not fall!

 

Upon talking to my dad and doing my own research, I have found that the most likely culprit is the Spidermite. As I am out of town at the moment and cannot test for certainty, I cannot say that this is for sure. But if your bush looks like the picture above, here is the test to do according to the University of Illinois Extension, link here (bottom of page). Take a white sheet of paper and hold underneath a branch while vigorously shaking that same branch. If you see slow moving mites that when crushed leave a greenish stain, then that is a Spidermite. If you see fast moving mites and when crushed leave a red stain, then do not spray for mites just yet as these mites are good for the plant. For other insights of what could be causing your burning bush to "burn" early, see this Iowa State University Extension article here. 

Rose Bush

Unfortunately my first, most thriving rose bush is literally getting eaten alive. I initially put it off hoping that the bugs would go away but word must have gotten out that this was now the hot new bug hangout! This is what my rose bush leaves looks like, but all over:

Since I've already gone into much detail on the first two plants, I'll just share the two articles: Rose Magazine and Berkeley Horticulture, 

Feel free to comment with any questions and if I don't know, I would be more than happy to research. Thanks for reading!

Roses are red, violets are blue...

 What is one (of the many) things every woman wants from their man on valentines day? What is handed to every woman that makes it into the next round in the Bachelor? What is the one item that enchants the beast, drawing his doom ever closer with each pedal that drops? Last question, got it yet? Phheww, good... I was one feminine question away from losing my man card!!

Well on the off chance your not a hopeless romantic or a seven year old girl or maybe you're one of those people that doesn't read titles,what I'm referring to in the above paragraph is the one and only rose. Quite possible the most sought after, most commonly sold flower in the world. You have probably either given or received roses from someone. And I'm guessing at least once, you have probably thrown roses in the trash due to irreconcilable differences between you and the dude that is about as committed as a atheist saying he'll see you at church on Sunday.

 Why
So what is it about the rose that makes it so popular? Depending on who you talk to, you may end up getting a hundred different answers. But if you asked me, the answer is simple. It's stunning. From the number of rose pedals on some varieties counting towards four or five dozen, or the fact that its one of the best cut flowers either individually or joined with friends, or that there are over 15,000 varieties grown across the world, it's amazing!

Where
"Hey Clark, where can I get one of them rose plant thingy s at?" you ask. Well drunk cousin Eddie, if you want the traditional rose, a.k.a Knockout Rose, you can go down to your local Lowe's or Home D-POT. "But I'm better than that, I want something different!" says Cher from Clueless, nose turned up . Well then you should try... the internet. When you search on the line you might come across a website, Heirloom Roses, where you can find all sorts of varieties. I sought after Heirloom Roses because they sell "own-root roses" vs "bare-root roses." This is a selling point to me because I know when I find a rose that I like on their website and purchase it, I'm going to get that rose plant; not one that has been grafted onto another plant. They also tend to live longer and are virus-resistant.

Type
When you check out Heirloom Roses, you'll find out all sorts of varieties: climbing, miniature, shrub, old garden roses and many more. The type of landscape and garden that you have or want to have will determine the rose(s) you will be looking for. Yours truly threw a blind dart and purchased four miniature roses. What does throwing a dart have to do with purchasing a rose plant, you ask? When the joke has gone past the point of being funny, that's when. Honestly though, I purchased four miniature rose plants because it works purrr-fect with my landscaping plans. I don't have room for the traditional rose plant that can grow ridiculously tall. I need a rose bush that will grow 16"-24," that's about it.

Get him off the stage
So anyways, I hope at the very least you know now after reading my blog that cousin Eddie from Christmas vacation doesn't own a rose bush, but is interested. But mostly, I hope you were convinced enough to put at least one rose in landscaping beds, either from a big box store or specialty one. Because who doesn't want to be the envy of their neighbors? Double deuces 'til next time!

Projects

As I was reading this newly found book, "She Calls Me Daddy", that my wife suggested I read, the author Robert Wolgemuth makes a very compelling statement. He states that the greatest challenge for a dad is to "keep from being distracted by the day-to-day stuff... that can easily capture a dad's full-time attention." He goes on to say that you need to keep this fully completed picture of the finished project so that you are not to get lost in the minutia and forget the reason of why you began this project in the first place. Or as the saying goes, you don't want to miss the forest for the trees. Now that I've been a father for eight months, I can understand what he is getting at. He has come to find out that in all the tiny details of a normal day of being a parent, that seems like it can fill two days, that the true joy of being a father is realizing that this itty bitty person is your daughter. She was created for a purpose and a life filled with so many joys and happiness and as the father, I get to mold that. He says that many people can mold her but no one else will ever be her daddy. This role of being a daddy is a gift, every day.

So as I sat there reading this while sitting in my chair, on my patio, I began to think of the process it was to create this paver patio I sit upon. If anyone has ever done a DIY paver patio project, you know the extent of the details it takes to complete. First there's the questions of, what size do I want it to be? What color pavers? What design should make for the lay of the pavers? Then after that's done your next thoughts are, what exactly do I need to do this? What is the estimated cost? time? And after all the purchases, truckloads of sand, and calculations you begin to build the patio. And you do everything by the book. You put down the base of several inches, then the sand, then the leveling and you complete the project and it looks amazing. You've never felt better. Sure this was hard. Harder than expected but you completed it and now you're done. Now you can sit back and relax in this new-found haven. But time goes by - the seasons come, many rainstorms and unrelenting snow come through. One day you walk out onto your patio and you see that some moss is growing in some cracks or a few bricks have shifted and you think man, what happened? Well like Robert states about being a daddy, "doing the right thing with your daughter won't guarantee success, but it will increase your chances."

So I encourage you to not get discouraged because the beautiful result you once had with your project now seems to be changing and slipping a little. You being a DIY-er, probably just like me, started this project because you love working outside and you wanted to enjoy it in your own way. Well you certainly have that. It may not be this pristine paver patio with three levels and was made with such perfection that even after 10 years not a paver has moved. No, you have a patio that was made with your bare hands, your hard work, and your discipline. You have a patio that will last you for years to come and those small imperfections won't take that away from you. So go on and take pride in what you made and sit out on your patio for hours. For do you remember that picture you had in your head when you first dreamed of it? Your seeing it firsthand, you just got to see the forest through the trees...