Gardening thread

Started digging a hole for the gravel base of my shed, fuck me digging holes sucks. I’ve also realized that those tv shows where people dig a hole in the woods 6 feet deep for bodies over the course of a couple of hours? Basically bullshit. 

Hey. Does anyone know anything about grass??

We moved into our house in January and didn’t cut the grass for a month or two and it was pretty wild and long. Actually I loved the way it looked, especially on a windy day. 
At some point, I figured I needed to cut it, so I bought a reel mower. It was a real bitch to do that first pass but now I mow one every couple weeks. 
 

My issue...

Now that I have my grass at a manageable length (about 2-3 inches), it’s seeding like crazy, even though it is fairly short. I can’t walk in my backyard without all of these damn sharp/spiky grass seeds getting stuck in my socks and shoes. 
I have no idea what kind of grass I have. The only thing I know is that it doesn’t rain much here and it’s fairly hot. 
Now, whenever I mow, It basically clipping seeds off the top of the short grass and the seeds just go fucking everywhere. I’ve googled it and found zero info. 

Anyone have any idea what’s up?? 

  On 6/5/2020 at 2:43 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

Hey. Does anyone know anything about grass??

We moved into our house in January and didn’t cut the grass for a month or two and it was pretty wild and long. Actually I loved the way it looked, especially on a windy day. 
At some point, I figured I needed to cut it, so I bought a reel mower. It was a real bitch to do that first pass but now I mow one every couple weeks. 
 

My issue...

Now that I have my grass at a manageable length (about 2-3 inches), it’s seeding like crazy, even though it is fairly short. I can’t walk in my backyard without all of these damn sharp/spiky grass seeds getting stuck in my socks and shoes. 
I have no idea what kind of grass I have. The only thing I know is that it doesn’t rain much here and it’s fairly hot. 
Now, whenever I mow, It basically clipping seeds off the top of the short grass and the seeds just go fucking everywhere. I’ve googled it and found zero info. 

Anyone have any idea what’s up?? 

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ask neighbors with similar grass species, ask your local garden center, seed rich grass seems like a non-issue since it is more resilient

i suggest you convert your lawn into a food forest and let the grass be a living mulch

  On 6/5/2020 at 2:43 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

Hey. Does anyone know anything about grass??

We moved into our house in January and didn’t cut the grass for a month or two and it was pretty wild and long. Actually I loved the way it looked, especially on a windy day. 
At some point, I figured I needed to cut it, so I bought a reel mower. It was a real bitch to do that first pass but now I mow one every couple weeks. 
 

My issue...

Now that I have my grass at a manageable length (about 2-3 inches), it’s seeding like crazy, even though it is fairly short. I can’t walk in my backyard without all of these damn sharp/spiky grass seeds getting stuck in my socks and shoes. 
I have no idea what kind of grass I have. The only thing I know is that it doesn’t rain much here and it’s fairly hot. 
Now, whenever I mow, It basically clipping seeds off the top of the short grass and the seeds just go fucking everywhere. I’ve googled it and found zero info. 

Anyone have any idea what’s up?? 

Expand  

take some pics. i wouldn't be able to identify it but some sources online (reddit maybe?) likely would if you had a good pic

Not sure about your specific kind of grass, but if you need to re-seed with something else I know it's best to seed in the fall so that the grass can develop roots for as long as possible before the summer heat kills it.  Sounds like you live in a hotter climate, so your local gardening shops may have some better advice.

  On 5/19/2020 at 3:15 AM, Goiter Sanchez said:

 The main consideration when you are choosing what type of bamboo to plant is whether you are purchasing a “clumping“ or “running“ species.  Most of the bamboo plants you’ll see at nurseries are of the running variety, usually in the genus Phyllostachys. Golden and Black bamboos fall under this umbrella. Running means the subterranean stems can spread far from the original plants and invade relatively distant areas. This can be controlled by burying a three foot deep hard plastic barrier on the property line to impede its spread.

With this in mind, the bamboo I purchased is a ‘clumping’ variety which is to say that its horizontal spread is much slower, occurring in concentric circles from the original growth point, therein much easier to control. If a clumper interests you species in the genus ‘Bambusa’ are the easiest to find in stores. Mine is called Graceful Weaver’s Bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘gracilis’) and is considered one  of the most beautiful bamboos available.

Clumpers tend to be less cold hardy compared to runners. Where do you live? Do you know what kind of cold you’ll likely experience in winter?

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Sorry for the late reply and thanks for the info. I'm in north Texas, Dallas area. It's growing zone 8a, so we usually have mild winters with a few freezes. I ended up not going with the bamboo as it was pretty expensive. I did recently get some horsetail reed for a certain part of the fence line, which has a lot of the same properties as bamboo. I know it won't get more than 4-6 feet, so no privacy fence, but I needed something that would grow in a wet area of the yard. It grows super fast and within a week I've already seen new shoots grow almost to a foot. If I see it start spreading under the fence then I'll have to do the plastic barrier.

@J3FF3R00 sounds like it could be Bermuda or Zoysia grass? If it was long and was wavy during a windy day, could be that. The other pretty common grass at least here in Texas is St. Augustine, which is the real thick blade grass. But that doesn't move much in the wind.

  On 5/11/2020 at 9:45 PM, joshuatxuk said:

Mine's weird this year - peppers have been stunted, think they got too much rain too many days in a row with little sun to help it drain. Edit: Basil's Parsley has exploded in size like usual. Basil's been meh this year. Tomatoes, parsley, dill and mint are kicking ass. Had to rip out some cabbage that went bad so my kid and I planted two more pepper plants in it's place. 

 

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update

I planted a young black mission fig tree 2 years ago in direct sun and it lasted about a year but got nuked in a horrible heat wave. Luckily I got 2 rounds of figs before it died but it was a tragic loss. 
I finally got a new fig tree (Violette de Bordeaux… dwarf fig tree) to replace it but was wondering if I should plant it in a shadier spot (between our house and the neighbor’s). I’ve read they need full sun but the new spot is a gamble. Thoughts, anyone??

  On 1/26/2022 at 5:16 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

I planted a young black mission fig tree 2 years ago in direct sun and it lasted about a year but got nuked in a horrible heat wave. Luckily I got 2 rounds of figs before it died but it was a tragic loss. 
I finally got a new fig tree (Violette de Bordeaux… dwarf fig tree) to replace it but was wondering if I should plant it in a shadier spot (between our house and the neighbor’s). I’ve read they need full sun but the new spot is a gamble. Thoughts, anyone??

you could plant it in a full sun area but use a shade tarp during heat waves until maturity, ive seen it done to plant tropicals in extreme desert

we are getting involved ie. starting a field in the local vicinity next month. lots of gardening incoming ...

  Quote

If we were to divide the total global surface area of arable land by the number of people living on the planet, each person would get 2000m² (half an acre). Everything we need, must grow on this field

https://www.2000m2.eu/story/

  On 1/26/2022 at 10:23 AM, iococoi said:

  Quote

If we were to divide the total global surface area of arable land by the number of people living on the planet, each person would get 2000m² (half an acre).

there are far, far, far too many humans on the planet.

  On 1/26/2022 at 5:16 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

I finally got a new fig tree (Violette de Bordeaux… dwarf fig tree) to replace it but was wondering if I should plant it in a shadier spot (between our house and the neighbor’s). I’ve read they need full sun but the new spot is a gamble. Thoughts, anyone??

our neighbor has a fig tree planted along their back fence line in a pretty shady spot and it does fine. well, did fine, until that crazy freeze hit Texas/the south last year, and totally nuked a bunch of the landscaping. that fig got toasted. but they left it alone, and I saw it started to grow some new branches by end of last summer. not sure how much that helps, but if you live in a hot place, then shade for some of the plants/trees is a good thing when its like 100 outside.

  On 1/26/2022 at 5:16 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

I planted a young black mission fig tree 2 years ago in direct sun and it lasted about a year but got nuked in a horrible heat wave. Luckily I got 2 rounds of figs before it died but it was a tragic loss. 
I finally got a new fig tree (Violette de Bordeaux… dwarf fig tree) to replace it but was wondering if I should plant it in a shadier spot (between our house and the neighbor’s). I’ve read they need full sun but the new spot is a gamble. Thoughts, anyone??

Have you considered potting it? That way it is technically movable to more suitable climate during heat waves (i.e. you can move indoors).

  On 1/26/2022 at 4:47 PM, chenGOD said:

Have you considered potting it? That way it is technically movable to more suitable climate during heat waves (i.e. you can move indoors).

good idea, except when they get too big and become a major PITA to lug around. I've just been through that recently and am tired of moving stuff in and out due to our just barely freezing winters we get here. it'll be in the high 60's one day, then down to the upper 20s at night the next, which is usually enough to kill potted stuff. I dragged a bunch of large potted plants into our kitchen, then got yelled at by the wife for the bugs starting to crawl out of the dirt. yeah I could keep them in the garage, but that's a lot more work and it'll usually only be a few days when I have to bring them in. oh the trials and tribulations of gardening...

  On 1/26/2022 at 5:16 AM, J3FF3R00 said:

I planted a young black mission fig tree 2 years ago in direct sun and it lasted about a year but got nuked in a horrible heat wave. Luckily I got 2 rounds of figs before it died but it was a tragic loss. 
I finally got a new fig tree (Violette de Bordeaux… dwarf fig tree) to replace it but was wondering if I should plant it in a shadier spot (between our house and the neighbor’s). I’ve read they need full sun but the new spot is a gamble. Thoughts, anyone??

Ive never heard of a fig dying from too much heat.  That sounds unusual.  They originate in the middle east.  Are you sure it wasnt fungal?

  On 1/26/2022 at 6:42 PM, zero said:

good idea, except when they get too big and become a major PITA to lug around. I've just been through that recently and am tired of moving stuff in and out due to our just barely freezing winters we get here. it'll be in the high 60's one day, then down to the upper 20s at night the next, which is usually enough to kill potted stuff. I dragged a bunch of large potted plants into our kitchen, then got yelled at by the wife for the bugs starting to crawl out of the dirt. yeah I could keep them in the garage, but that's a lot more work and it'll usually only be a few days when I have to bring them in. oh the trials and tribulations of gardening...

His is a dwarf though, so I think can get away with a 10 gallon pot, just need to make sure you trim the plant (branches and roots) once a year or so once it's hit full size for the pot.

Our winters here are brutal, I'm really worried about our fig tree (not a dwarf) once we put it in the ground in the spring.

  On 1/26/2022 at 7:04 PM, drillkicker said:

Ive never heard of a fig dying from too much heat.  That sounds unusual.  They originate in the middle east.  Are you sure it wasnt fungal?

Not entirely sure about that. It was a young tree and I assumed that it was either too much or too little water. Could have been fungus tho. 

  On 1/26/2022 at 9:53 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

Not entirely sure about that. It was a young tree and I assumed that it was either too much or too little water. Could have been fungus tho. 

Did it get enough compost?

  On 1/26/2022 at 8:27 PM, chenGOD said:

Our winters here are brutal, I'm really worried about our fig tree (not a dwarf) once we put it in the ground in the spring.

yeah I wouldn't think it would make it up there. I'm sure there are some cold hardy varieties of fig that could take super low temps from time to time, but not the consistent low temps that happen roughly Nov - Mar where you are. I mentioned above about one of our neighbors figs getting wrecked last year when it got briefly as low as 0f / -17c here. it was already fairly mature, meaning root system was hardened, and those temps killed all its branches. 

  On 1/26/2022 at 8:27 PM, chenGOD said:

Our winters here are brutal, I'm really worried about our fig tree (not a dwarf) once we put it in the ground in the spring.

At the farm where i worked we wrapped our figs in reemay when it got really cold.  It was a bitch on the bigger trees but it kept them alive.

  On 1/26/2022 at 10:35 PM, drillkicker said:

At the farm where i worked we wrapped our figs in reemay when it got really cold.  It was a bitch on the bigger trees but it kept them alive.

Interesting, I may consider lining some burlap with that and wrapping with that combination.

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cultivating-subtropical-plants-in-freezing-temperatures.html

  On 1/27/2022 at 12:36 AM, ilqx hermolia xpli said:

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cultivating-subtropical-plants-in-freezing-temperatures.html

That's a hell of a project though.  All that soil has to go somewhere and it's a lot more than it looks like it is.

  On 1/27/2022 at 1:36 AM, drillkicker said:

That's a hell of a project though.  All that soil has to go somewhere and it's a lot more than it looks like it is.

ya its more of an interesting gardening related article than a response to previous replies.  its an industrial process that if you rented heavy machinery for a day you could terraform a personal property nicely. the differences in landscape would make interesting ecological niches once the dirt goes somewhere.  you could create water drainage pathways, trenches that herbs grow in, etc

Yeah figs come from really hot places and generally yield their best crops where there is a long hot growing season. Mature trees have better tolerance for extreme heat (100 f +) and freezes (15 f) than young ones which will require more protection until they put on some size. Anything below 15 f will necessitate protection even for mature fig trees.