Lawn Maintenance
- Thread starter ericgautier
- Start date
Even after the rain last week? Get an axe with a dove tail (pulaski) or pick on the back.
While it is easier to do the cardboard method the drawback is the soil is not prepped as well for plants using this method. (assuming you are going to put plants in this area).
The advantage of using a tiller before planting is that it aerates the soil, breaks up hard ground and allows you to remove rocks from the garden. Also tilling is a good idea to amend the exhisting soil with mushroom soil or peat moss. With a tiller it would do a nice job to make an improved soil, mixing the exhisting material with mushroom soil or peat moss.
Also if you are on a budget I would re-think the stone wall. Stone walls are necessary when there is a slope and you need to retain soil. Your front yard is flat, the only purpose of a stone wall would be is decorative. That being said if you are going to build a stone wall you would need the top of the soil bed to be the same height of the stone wall, for drainage purposes and so as not to conceal the plants.
IMO stone walls usually look artifiicial and out of scale with the space around it, it looks forced to me. But that just my opinion man. 🙂
Iggys foundation planting.
If its a small area to till and you want to save some money on a rental, then man up with a pick axe and loosen that ground up by hand. Once you break up ground with pick axe take a hoe and turn soil over.
Even with a tiller, unless its a heavy industrial model, the tiller will walk along the top of the ground if the surface is rock hard. You may need to break up the surface with a pick axe then till the chunks of soil up.
Even with a tiller, unless its a heavy industrial model, the tiller will walk along the top of the ground if the surface is rock hard. You may need to break up the surface with a pick axe then till the chunks of soil up.
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
Jack hammer
I remember helping a friend dig in his yard in your area... We started with shovels, then picks, then ended up renting a jack hammer. I wish we would've started with that.
Do you have six mile soil and tons of shale? If your soil is that hard, the tiller may just spin on top and beat the hell out of you.
You may think its silly but renting a small jack hammer to get started will save you tons of hours of labor and sore muscles and blisters. Plus, if you're like me, its fun to play with that kind of stuff.
Regarding your mulching with cardboard base - if you plan to put flowers or plants in eventually, that is a good approach to cut back on weeds. We've used fabrics in the past as well and we found that newspaper and a thick application of mulch cuts back on weed growth as well. However, when you do plant, you will want the soil below it to be real loose. Otherwise, the plants roots will struggle to dig in.
the key to a good landscape bed is a good base for plants to grow - Bust it up, add bags of menure and then till it, then add your cardboard & mulch.
Good luck!
I remember helping a friend dig in his yard in your area... We started with shovels, then picks, then ended up renting a jack hammer. I wish we would've started with that.
Do you have six mile soil and tons of shale? If your soil is that hard, the tiller may just spin on top and beat the hell out of you.
You may think its silly but renting a small jack hammer to get started will save you tons of hours of labor and sore muscles and blisters. Plus, if you're like me, its fun to play with that kind of stuff.
Regarding your mulching with cardboard base - if you plan to put flowers or plants in eventually, that is a good approach to cut back on weeds. We've used fabrics in the past as well and we found that newspaper and a thick application of mulch cuts back on weed growth as well. However, when you do plant, you will want the soil below it to be real loose. Otherwise, the plants roots will struggle to dig in.
the key to a good landscape bed is a good base for plants to grow - Bust it up, add bags of menure and then till it, then add your cardboard & mulch.
Good luck!
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
think i may be purchasing a axe and a hoe after twork
EDIT: jackhammer seems overkill in this situation, its not TOO bad but with the little shovel that could, its going to be tough.
What do I do with all this grass that was on top? should I just throw it in the backyard for now?
EDIT: jackhammer seems overkill in this situation, its not TOO bad but with the little shovel that could, its going to be tough.
What do I do with all this grass that was on top? should I just throw it in the backyard for now?
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If you have a spot, you can pile it up and start a small compost pile. If you turn if over every few days, the sod chunks will breakdown pretty quickly, even quicker if it rains or you spray with water. After it breaks down a bit and you continue to chop it up, you can use it for the beds at a later date.
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
Down spout pouring water into a plant bed is a bad idea. It looks like you can run the pipe parallel to your foundation and out onto the grass, like your neigbors.
Also I don't know what you plan on planting into this bed but take into account the size of the plant when mature. If you are planting a flowering perennial this area looks ok, if you are going with a shrub of some kind it looks too small of an area. You may have to go wider then 3' away from your house.
Also I don't know what you plan on planting into this bed but take into account the size of the plant when mature. If you are planting a flowering perennial this area looks ok, if you are going with a shrub of some kind it looks too small of an area. You may have to go wider then 3' away from your house.
The area closest to the stairs seems a little tight. Just make sure whatever you plant there has enough room to grow. When you buy plants they usually tell you how big they'll get when mature, use that as a guide.
Glenlivet12
Well-Known Member
If you can fit my tiller in your car you're more than welcome to borrow it.
As far as the lawn goes, I hand thatched like an idiot....but i don't believe the local rental shop (united rent all) has a slit seeder/thatcher combo. After thatching, throwing lime down and fertilizing i rented a slit seeder and halved the application rate on the bag. I applied in a vertical and horizontal pattern and it worked great. Make sure you check the area where the seeds fall out of the hopper. With all the new coated seeds people have been using all that coating gunks up the little holes the seed falls out of. i went through half the yard and barely put down any seed. After cleaning up the machine a bit it dropped seed like it should. Grass came in great. This year is going to be aeration and broadcast overseeding.
Has anyone tried that Somerset seeds the coop sells? I used stuff from lowes last year and it worked just fine but was interested in the local stuff.