The House Plants Thread

AngryGerbil · Sep 1, 2017

Mint flower:

Sunflower... looking a little rough:

Dahlias popping like crazy. They took a while to flower but they were worth it:

Caladium mix pot:

Elephant Ear is huge and happy:

Lanx · Sep 1, 2017

One week and compost still looks relatively the same. It gets daily coffee, egg shells and veggie scraps, and soon grass and leaves in a few days.

Serpens · Sep 1, 2017

Lanx said:
One week and compost still looks relatively the same. It gets daily coffee, egg shells and veggie scraps, and soon grass and leaves in a few days.

I think you'll need the leaves to get things really going, and lots of them relative to the other stuff. I've read that too much grass tends to make for slimy and not too good compost.

AngryGerbil · Sep 1, 2017

Monty Don said that the core of a compost pile should be grass, twigs, cuttings, and leaves. Kitchen scraps are either entirely unnecessary or should only be about %10 of the total pile.

Lanx · Sep 1, 2017

Fiskars Deluxe Stand-up Weeder

holy shit this thing is amazing, pulls out crab grass in a second, with minimal effort, (just had to wet lawn a little to soften up some areas) comes out like a big floppy toupee.

I think my neighbor thinks i'm a hippee,. He was saying i should just goto home depot and buy some weed be gone, then i was asking him about the chemicals going into the ground (like what Bungle was warning me about), then he was like oh yea your with the electric mower and compost bin, now this.

next i plan to fill in the dead spots, from what i gather i need to

buy a dethach rake and get rid of thach
ether get an aerator or those spiky shoes and air up the dead area
spread grass in, i'm zone 6a so i think kentucky bluegrass will work
buy some fertilizer and spread it on top and then top it off with grass clipping mulch.

then i guess learn how to grade my lawn, already got some string and line levels.

fuck, apt living is so much easier.

Mr_Bungle · Sep 1, 2017

Lanx , Gerbil and Serpens bring up some good points about compost. Leaves and twigs really help the process along. And about your neighbor don't let him give you too much shit, he sounds like the slash and burn/ take the easy way out kinda type. Doing this lawn stuff with your own hands will definitely prove to be more rewarding than just pouring a bottle with no further thought, keep it up!

Dandain · Sep 1, 2017

Lanx Don't forget the aesthetics of what you are creating for yourself in all the details/hard work of doing the job. Enjoy your Stardew Valley: Ironman/Hardmode edition.

Lanx · Sep 1, 2017

Mr_Bungle said:
Lanx , Gerbil and Serpens bring up some good points about compost. Leaves and twigs really help the process along. And about your neighbor don't let him give you too much shit, he sounds like the slash and burn/ take the easy way out kinda type. Doing this lawn stuff with your own hands will definitely prove to be more rewarding than just pouring a bottle with no further thought, keep it up!

Yup, I have two trees on my property with leaves on the ground. I was gonna mow it today, but my other neighbor decide to lay on her driveway...

Dandain said:
Lanx Don't forget the aesthetics of what you are creating for yourself in all the details/hard work of doing the job. Enjoy your Stardew Valley: Ironman/Hardmode edition.

Ha, too bad I have the worst lawn on the block. I'm not worried, last week I had the worst driveway with weeds coming out of every which cracks. Then I vinegared and salted all this weeds and power washed half my driveway (so ppl can see the difference!). Now the other guy across the street where we get out mail from, (it's a cul da sac, so we have the post office lock boxes) has the worst driveway.

AngryGerbil · Sep 1, 2017

Lanx said:
Yup, I have two trees on my property with leaves on the ground. I was gonna mow it today, but my other neighbor decide to lay on her driveway...

Ha, too bad I have the worst lawn on the block. I'm not worried, last week I had the worst driveway with weeds coming out of every which cracks. Then I vinegared and salted all this weeds and power washed half my driveway (so ppl can see the difference!). Now the other guy across the street where we get out mail from, (it's a cul da sac, so we have the post office lock boxes) has the worst driveway.

You've got it. The competition.

You have the inner desire to DOMINATE!

Lanx · Sep 3, 2017

I got 6 bags of top soil, wow this shit is like 1.50, but it is dirt. Should I fill out the pot holes first or reseed the dead patches? Also figured out I need to buy a leaf blower, apparently you got blow this trimmings away, thought nature would just take care of it.

I got a blower/vac, might as well vac up those leaves and mulch em for the compost then.

I have a sprinkler system, looks like one or two dead heads, any brand I should get over another?

Serpens · Sep 4, 2017

Mr_Bungle when do you start withdrawing water from your desert rose plant?

Voyce · Sep 4, 2017

The Flytrap has thrived

Mr_Bungle · Sep 4, 2017

Lanx said:
I got 6 bags of top soil, wow this shit is like 1.50, but it is dirt. Should I fill out the pot holes first or reseed the dead patches? Also figured out I need to buy a leaf blower, apparently you got blow this trimmings away, thought nature would just take care of it.

I got a blower/vac, might as well vac up those leaves and mulch em for the compost then.

I have a sprinkler system, looks like one or two dead heads, any brand I should get over another?

The leaves will help a substantial amount.

Lanx said:
So looks like I'm zone 6a
View attachment 152067
Then I got this dead area where a tree used to be(neighbors told me)

Concerning the pot holes, I see no problem re-filling them now. As for the larger patch in the photo it appears to me that the soil is as dry as a desert. I found this from a website talking about Kentucky Blue Grass (I believe you mentioned that was your choice).

" Annual or bi-annual (fall / spring) reseeding can also help to improve the existing grass variety and thicken areas that have been worn, eroded or killed out due to disease or insect damage. "

I would replace that soil as soon as possible, just stir and stab with a shovel until the top 3 -5 inches becomes loose. Remove it and add the new soil in its place, make sure the soil is not too compact or else the seeds may not be able to grow properly.

Mr_Bungle · Sep 4, 2017

Serpens said:
Mr_Bungle when do you start withdrawing water from your desert rose plant?

Online I have read that some people do not water from October to April.

However, depending on the indoor conditions you may need to water once every few months. Last winter my heat was on more than usual (my room never dropped below 65) so my desert rose did not go completely dormant and was still using more water to survive. Unfortunately because it did not fully go dormant I did not get any blooms this year. During this time I would do a pinch test, when the caudex is full of water it feels hard as a rock and is in no need of water. When it starts to give slightly under pressure that is when you may want to consider watering it.

Here the bottom is fairly hard but I keep an eye on the weather to judge when/if to water.

I generally slow down the watering schedule when my plant begins to defoliate and as the temperature drops. Desert Roses need about 4-7 hours of light a day if they are continue active growth. Cold, wet, poor draining soil is the #1 cause of dessert rose deaths among growers caused by improper watering. In zone 6 where I am, this has already started happening to a large degree. This defoliation was due to a few weeks of cloudy weather and with the lower light levels my plant decided to drop some leaves. I still water generously if the sun is out for the next day or two and I know the soil will dry quickly.

AngryGerbil · Sep 4, 2017

Lanx said:
I got 6 bags of top soil, wow this shit is like 1.50, but it is dirt. Should I fill out the pot holes first or reseed the dead patches? Also figured out I need to buy a leaf blower, apparently you got blow this trimmings away, thought nature would just take care of it.

I got a blower/vac, might as well vac up those leaves and mulch em for the compost then.

I have a sprinkler system, looks like one or two dead heads, any brand I should get over another?

I would do it all at once. Fill holes, cover blank spots, seed everything, water the fuck out of it. Make it one big garden overhaul. Your lawn is a monoculture garden.

As far as lawn trimmings go, the common wisdom is that mulching them is best. This requires a mulch mower however. If you have a mower that simply side-shoots the clippings, then yes you want to blow or rake them up because the clippings are too big and will only sit atop your lawn and shade it out.. You don't have to be a surgeon about it, just get up most of it.

Mulching mowers have a different blade and deck that is designed to chop the clippings up into something like 1/4 to 1/3 inch pieces. These work their way down into the thatch layer and become fertilizer. The clippings are nitrogen. There is no reason to throw that nitrogen away if you don't have to. Over time the nitrogen is recycled back into the soil. Eventually this will lead to some build-up of the thatch layer so occasional thatch-raking needs to be done in the spring. Small price to pay for free fertilizer imo. Plus mulching is easier on a week to week basis than is bagging or blowing/raking.

YouTube is a good source for sprinkler stuff if you're willing to listen to a few rednecks explain a few things. I don't know them well myself.

Serpens · Sep 4, 2017

Mr_Bungle said:
Online I have read that some people do not water from October to April.

However, depending on the indoor conditions you may need to water once every few months. Last winter my heat was on more than usual (my room never dropped below 65) so my desert rose did not go completely dormant and was still using more water to survive. Unfortunately because it did not fully go dormant I did not get any blooms this year. During this time I would do a pinch test, when the caudex is full of water it feels hard as a rock and is in no need of water. When it starts to give slightly under pressure that is when you may want to consider watering it.

I generally slow down the watering schedule when my plant begins to defoliate and as the temperature drops. Desert Roses need about 4-7 hours of light a day if they are continue active growth. Cold, wet, poor draining soil is the #1 cause of dessert rose deaths among growers caused by improper watering. In zone 6 where I am, this has already started happening to a large degree. This defoliation was due to a few weeks of cloudy weather and with the lower light levels my plant decided to drop some leaves. I still water generously if the sun is out for the next day or two and I know the soil will dry quickly.

Thanks. Mine will be staying indoors. Southern California in winter is the rainy season so they wouldn't do well outdoors here. I usually let it get down to 60 at night indoors - maybe that will be cold enough. It will be tough for me not to water as I generally worry a lot about underwatering. I've ruined a couple cacti and some living stones by watering them too much, so hopefully I have the willpower to resist this time.

AngryGerbil · Sep 4, 2017

Dandain said:
Lanx Don't forget the aesthetics of what you are creating for yourself in all the details/hard work of doing the job. Enjoy your Stardew Valley: Ironman/Hardmode edition.

Fuck yeah. That is almost exactly how I see it! Life is a video game, only on ultra-hard mode. But us nerds can still share cheat codes!

Lanx · Sep 4, 2017

Store was selling scrap wood for. 55c, bought 6 pieces and fashioned some type of pulling level thing.

Oh I'm also mapping out the yard and where the sprinklers are at, jeez there are like 50 of em.

Lanx · Sep 7, 2017

Da fuq kind of weed is growing in my yard?

I have buckets of them

Also that dead spot has standing water near it

Looks like I really gotta regrade it and it away to the right, which is east towards a trench.

Also what landscaping plants should I buy? And do I literally just go buy the plant, dig a hole and stick it in that garden bed?

AngryGerbil · Sep 8, 2017

Take that last picture to your local nursery. Tell them which way that wall is facing, and they should be able to make lots of good recommendations for your area. You'll have to think about what size plants you want, do you want small garden perennials or hedges or trees? If you go for a cottage garden, will you do any annuals or do you want permanent perennials? High maintenance ones or low maintenance? If you want low maintenance and you tell the local nursery, they can make good suggestions.

That grass weed looks like crab or goose grass. The problem with weed grasses is that they are annual. They die off in winter and leave a bald spot on the lawn where it also drops its seeds. It's an aggressive plant that will expand the edges of the bald spot bit by bit every year as it dies off, drops seeds, and comes back in spring year after year. You want to kill it and stop this process and replace that spot with goof thick perennial turf grass. Pre-emergents in the last days of winter are the best way to deal with it. It creates a small chemical barrier that kill the sprouts as they begin to germinate. Once this process is halted, and the pre-emergent has done its work, then you can overseed and fertilize and push turf grass growth. Some seeds will still break through and you might have to pull or spray them. It's a multiyear process but if you keep at it, you'll begin to win the fight and it gets easier each year.

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The House Plants Thread

AngryGerbil

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Lanx

Serpens

AngryGerbil

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Lanx

Mr_Bungle

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Dandain

Trakanon Raider

Lanx

AngryGerbil

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Lanx

Serpens

Voyce

Shit Lord Supreme

Mr_Bungle

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Mr_Bungle

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AngryGerbil

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Serpens

AngryGerbil

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Lanx

Lanx

AngryGerbil

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