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Lawn and Garden 2022

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p0rtia
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#26

Post by p0rtia »

Drainfield1.JPG
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W. Kevin Vicklund
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#27

Post by W. Kevin Vicklund »

Because I live at the end of a cul-de-sac, I have a double wide backyard, one of the largest lots in a subdivision that has rather large lot sizes to begin with. I decided to get an electric mower. Unfortunately, even with two high amp-hour batteries to swap, I can only get at most half the yard mowed in a single session before I have to recharge the batteries (takes a bit over three hours). If the grass is tall, it can take a lot more than just two sessions to mow. Late last summer, we got so much rain that I was unable to get the backyard mowed from the beginning of September until it snowed. I could just barely keep the front yard under the legal limit, but every time I tried to mow the back yard, rain. Several times it started raining as I wheeled the mower out of the garage. :brickwallsmall:

Today, I managed to get two sessions in before the rain hit. A quarter of the backyard is now mowed, and I didn't even touch the front yard. :crying:
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#28

Post by bill_g »

p0rtia wrote: Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:33 pmDrainfield1.JPG
Seems small for a septic drainfield.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#29

Post by bill_g »

Phoenix520 wrote: Sun Apr 24, 2022 4:09 pm My tomatoes are going gangbusters! The Early Girl has lots of clusters and will ripen soon. I dont expect great flavor but hope I’m surprised.

I have two Mr Stripey heirlooms next to each other; one plant is doing great, the other is half its size with no flowers.

The San Marzanos are also great. The rest are slow fruiters, about where I’d expect them to be.

The salvias I bought at the plant sale are Wendy’s Wish. I tried to look it up but couldn’t find anything about the program - a portion of each sale of Wendy’s Wish ( and other Wish’s) go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Okay. I'm jealous. I barely have the garden tilled and ready to plant much less to harvest.

The tater bed is doing well, but it generally takes care of itself.

The garlic stalks are looking like corn. Two feet tall with an inch or better diameter.

Strawberries are another self sufficient crop that is progressing right along. Lots of blooms.

I may have gotten the Canadian Thistle removed from the main bed (for now). It took several attempts tracing our new shoots to their roots back to the fence, and then hammering cedar boards in to block the path. If it buys me a year, I'm fine. The neighbor isn't interested in solving the problem on his side, though thats' were it started. So, I may end up trenching a line behind the fence and filling it with concrete. Dharama.
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p0rtia
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#30

Post by p0rtia »

bill_g wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:28 am
p0rtia wrote: Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:33 pmDrainfield1.JPG
Seems small for a septic drainfield.
1 shower, 1 sink, 1 toilet. If this doesn't work, I will tie the septic into the official system on the property. Time will tell.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#31

Post by bill_g »

p0rtia wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:43 am
1 shower, 1 sink, 1 toilet. If this doesn't work, I will tie the septic into the official system on the property. Time will tell.
Ah. Looks like your soil is quite sandy. So, it should work fairly well.
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p0rtia
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#32

Post by p0rtia »

bill_g wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 9:23 am
p0rtia wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:43 am
1 shower, 1 sink, 1 toilet. If this doesn't work, I will tie the septic into the official system on the property. Time will tell.
Ah. Looks like your soil is quite sandy. So, it should work fairly well.
Florida. All sand. My fingers are crossed!
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#33

Post by bill_g »

Well, Spring has finally arrived in the PNW. We went a whole two days so far without rain, and we even got a little sun. Things are popping out of the dirt. Flowers are blooming. The strawberries are here. And more importantly, the compost pile has awakened!
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#34

Post by AndyinPA »

Freshly picked strawberries are the absolute best. I rarely buy and eat any from the store, except for the grandkids. They like them, no matter what. They do like homegrown as their mom grows them, though, in her backyard.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#35

Post by Phoenix520 »

My tomatoes on day one of onerous watering restrictions - 8 minutes per week! Also one mystery dahlia from Trader Joes of all places.
Maters
Maters
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More maters
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San Marzano
San Marzano
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Dahlia!
Dahlia!
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Phoenix520
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#36

Post by Phoenix520 »

I mislabeled some of them. The ripe ones are the Early Girls and San Marzanos. We’ve been munching on the EG for a couple of weeks. They grow mid-to cherry-sized.

I have a thing for mocking birds. They’re my favorites around here. I don’t mind that they sing all night outside the window, I just don’t. Doesn’t wake me but I do love to wake to their song in the morning. In fact, that’s the alarm tone on my phone. But they’ve discovered the blueberry bushes… :mad: I don’t like bird netting. Birds get trapped in it. Any suggestion on how to protect them? They’re in pots.

ETA: two heirloom mr stripey plants are struggling. One has only one tomato, the other none. Both are dropping blossoms. Not sure why, they’re in same location as others, same treatment.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#37

Post by bill_g »

They're beautiful. Of course I'm jealous and hate your guts now. My maters just went into the ground a week ago and they're struggling from the night chills. The peas are loving it though. They jumped out of the dirt and started climbing about 3" a day.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#38

Post by MsDaisy »

Phoenix520 wrote: Wed Jun 01, 2022 11:50 am But they’ve discovered the blueberry bushes… :mad: I don’t like bird netting. Birds get trapped in it. Any suggestion on how to protect them? They’re in pots.
I hate bird netting, we built a wooden frame of a cage with a door about 6' x4', tall enough to walk into and covered it in chicken wire. Works great keeping out the birds :thumbsup:
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#39

Post by Phoenix520 »

:lol: That would work but it’s a bit more work than I’m willing to put in right now.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#40

Post by sugar magnolia »

Phoenix520 wrote: Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:59 pm :lol: That would work but it’s a bit more work than I’m willing to put in right now.
Maybe a teepee sort of thing suspended from a single point? Mosquito netting maybe? You can also buy rolls of wide mesh screening for cheap and attach it to a hula hoop with a piece over the top and hung over the blueberries. CDs suspended over the bushes help too. Our mockingbirds don't like shiny move-y things one little bit.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#41

Post by Phoenix520 »

Bill, I’m jealous and hate your guts every time you post about your garden. 😁

I wish I liked peas. They’re so fun in the garden. I love cukes, can’t get ‘em to grow to save my life.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#42

Post by keith »

W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:01 pm Because I live at the end of a cul-de-sac, I have a double wide backyard, one of the largest lots in a subdivision that has rather large lot sizes to begin with. I decided to get an electric mower. Unfortunately, even with two high amp-hour batteries to swap, I can only get at most half the yard mowed in a single session before I have to recharge the batteries (takes a bit over three hours). :snippity:
3 hours to mow or 3 hours to charge?

If 3 hours to charge you could get a second set of batteries. I went looking for replacement batteries for my battery tools (I pretty much invested in Ryobi One+) and discovered I could get factory originals for like 1/3rd the store price off eBay (I haven't figured in delivery yet, that might be outrageous). Also I discovered they have 9Ah now - but not in stores in Australia.

If it takes you 3 hours to mow that IS one helluva a back yard.

It takes me just over an hour to cut our two croquet club court lawns which are about the size of 4 tennis courts pushing a HEAVY reel greens mower that is a bitch and a half to turn, not a nice light wireless electric.

The club has a second mower, a normal rotary 4 stroke to cut the 'rough' around the edges of the courts. Its on its last legs, and I am hoping to get a couple of 9Ah batteries for my electric mower at home to see if that will give me enough cutting time to cut the rough at the club. Then I'll replace the club's mower with mine, and I'll get a really cheap replacement to cut my postage stamp size lawn.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#43

Post by humblescribe »

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Using my completely inept engineering skills, I juryrigged some rope in our patio to hang my onions out to dry and cure. These are 'Early Red Burger', a short-day onion that is sweet and crisp. There are about 20 still in the ground. The leaves on the Walla Wallas (a long-day onion) are just now starting to fall over. The garlic is about a week away. Temps hitting triple digits in about a week.

I hope our resident ME, currently basking on Long Island, might offer up a snazzy method for drying and curing onions and garlic that would avoid bruising during the fortnight it takes in our heat and lack of wind and humidity. (Just joking, Mr. V!)

After they have dried and cured sufficiently, I'll bake some dark rye bread, slather it with yellow prepared mustard, place about three 1/8" onion slices and top with a generous slab of Swiss cheese for a tasty onion sandwich. (Yeah, I'm weird that way!)
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#44

Post by Phoenix520 »

Man, that sounds delicious. I must be weird that way too.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#45

Post by W. Kevin Vicklund »

keith wrote: Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:05 pm
W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:01 pm Because I live at the end of a cul-de-sac, I have a double wide backyard, one of the largest lots in a subdivision that has rather large lot sizes to begin with. I decided to get an electric mower. Unfortunately, even with two high amp-hour batteries to swap, I can only get at most half the yard mowed in a single session before I have to recharge the batteries (takes a bit over three hours). :snippity:
3 hours to mow or 3 hours to charge?

If 3 hours to charge you could get a second set of batteries. I went looking for replacement batteries for my battery tools (I pretty much invested in Ryobi One+) and discovered I could get factory originals for like 1/3rd the store price off eBay (I haven't figured in delivery yet, that might be outrageous). Also I discovered they have 9Ah now - but not in stores in Australia.

If it takes you 3 hours to mow that IS one helluva a back yard.

It takes me just over an hour to cut our two croquet club court lawns which are about the size of 4 tennis courts pushing a HEAVY reel greens mower that is a bitch and a half to turn, not a nice light wireless electric.

The club has a second mower, a normal rotary 4 stroke to cut the 'rough' around the edges of the courts. Its on its last legs, and I am hoping to get a couple of 9Ah batteries for my electric mower at home to see if that will give me enough cutting time to cut the rough at the club. Then I'll replace the club's mower with mine, and I'll get a really cheap replacement to cut my postage stamp size lawn.
3 hours to recharge, but if the grass is really tall, it can take up to 3 hours to mow. Funny you should mention extra batteries. A week ago, I ordered a portable charging station. It uses the same battery system as my mower (Ryobi 40V, although I use Ryobi One+ for my indoor tools), up to four at a time, and can charge devices via USB (A or C) or a 120V AC inverter. We go camping for up to two weeks at a time and like to keep our electronic devices charged, plus we have an inflatable mattress that requires topping off every three days. During the rest of the year, it acts as a fast charger for the batteries. I got it on sale with two large batteries for less than the cost of the charger by itself.

Sounds great, right? I kill three birds with one stone with this purchase (charging station for camping, new batteries for mowing, fast charging for days that takes more charges). Slight problem. My current batteries are a Ryobi 5 Ah and an offbrand 6 Ah, and the new batteries are Ryobi 6 Ah. The offbrand is about the same dimensions as the Ryobi 5 Ah, so I didn't think to see if the new batteries would fit in the mower. :oopsy: Yeah, way too big. Also, the charger only charges one battery at a time, so I am still limited in the number of charges I can do in a set period of time.

I'll still get to use the new batteries for camping, and I have other yard equipment that they will fit, but they're a bit of overkill for those tools. However, getting a new mower without batteries costs about the same as getting two new batteries that will fit the old mower, so I'm seriously considering replacing the mower. Hoping I can find a local friend that wants it, if they buy the old batteries with it I'll get the model that comes with batteries at a steep discount. It helps that on Friday I was told I was getting a 5% pay increase!
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#46

Post by keith »

My Ryobi mower takes two One+ batteries. I use 5Ah batteries in it and have never run them down at home, but they won't do the 'rough' at the croquet club without running down.

The 9Ah batteries I will get look big. They may not fit the mower - we'll see.

I have 2 one battery chargers and one 6 battery charger.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#47

Post by humblescribe »

Dug the last of the onions over the weekend.
june 22 wallawalla.JPG
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This one weighed in at two pounds, two and one-half ounces, a personal best for me!
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#48

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

:winner:
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#49

Post by bill_g »

Nicely done. Hope it's tasty.
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Re: Lawn and Garden 2022

#50

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

My dad loved onion sandwiches. Maybe that's why he was an introvert. :think:
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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