Yard Tips

[Lamb]

Many of us own lawns/landscaping so what are some good tips you can pass onto others?

 

[Stravinsk]

Probably depends on one's goals for one's yard.

I grow some of my own food so some tips are really only relevant to people who share that interest.

- Let the grass grow, then cut it and use it for ground covering for crops. Some veggies need to have room to sprout first. Others will sprout through the covering. The covering keeps moisture on the ground and saves you watering, especially during the hotter/drier times. The covering, if thick enough, can be used to stop weeds.

- If you have a snail problem, fill a bowl with beer and put it out where the problem is. They can't resist, and it will cut down their numbers.

- If you grow garlic, it needs a "winter period" first. 2 - 3 weeks in the fridge is sufficient to condition it to grow in the summer.

- Lambsquarters seed is super nutritious, contains all the essential amino acids and can be added to bread. It is considered a weed however, and can take over unless tightly controlled. The leaves are also healthy to eat, just watch the soil you grow it on.

- Radish leaves are edible and contain a large amount of vitamin C.

- When you cut the grass, don't waste it. Set the excess either for ground cover for crops or in places you don't want to cut any more grass for a while. A thick enough covering will stop growth.

Those are a few off the top of my head. Probably not too useful to the typical suburban gardener but it may interest someone.

 

[Fritz Kobus]

Don't water the grass and don't fertilize it. If you do, you are only making more work for yourself. The more water and fertilizer, the more it grows and the more you will have to mow. Don't kill weeds in the lawn, unless noxious, as it only wastes time and makes your lawn less diverse. A chemically dependent monoculture of grass is fine for golf, but not in my yard. Have not used lawn chemicals in nearly 30 years. If you plant shrubs arrange them in a way that you can sustain the wild habitat so that you don't have to continually manicure them--again, more work if you do manicure them. I am all for minimizing yard work!