Sowing winter rye is a pretty nice idea. Even if it takes a bit of preparation, it doesn’t take a lot of maintenance. Remember how terrible the lawn was back in August? Now, the lawn is lush and healthy. The irrigation system can be shut down for the winter for the most part. Farmer MacGregor fertilizes and mows so I don’t have to do a ding dong thing but to sit back and enjoy the emerald green carpet.
I’m not alone in the enjoyment.
Planting Rye Grass isn’t exactly the most water wise thing to do in the thirsty southern San Joaquin Valley; but it gives a nice, cool pop of color to the garden with a soft, brushy texture. The summer lawn has to get put to bed before the seed is thrown. Farmer MacGregor buzzed the Hybrid Bermuda lawn down like an Marine haircut. Amendments were applied to enhance the soil’s permeability. The seeds are cast and kept moist. This requires the sprinklers to be turned on about 2 or 3 times a day. Not for long. The seeds will sprout in about a week if the Mourning Doves don’t eat your work. Once the seed is up the irrigating can be cut back because the temperatures are usually on the way down with the occasional rain. If the weather turns rainy and foggy, the irrigation system needs to be cut completely and that’s a good thing.
People used to top the seeds with steer manure years ago; but a problem with salts and junk has pretty much made that practice extinct. As a kid, you could tell when Trick or Treat time was approaching by the stink of the manure. Farmer MacGregor has finally been convinced to mulch the lawn clippings back into the lawn this winter to help build the soil. January will signal the time to start the pre-emergent schedule. Maybe the summer of 2011 will be the year of a healthier lawn unlike the weed infested junk from 2010.
Yes. Crabgrass is in the mix of lawn weeds that I pull each evening. Thank goodness for the radio. Tonight I listened to Valley Public Radio’s Valley Writer’s Read. Each Wednesday evening a story authored and read by a Central San Joaquin writer is featured. Tonight, Jim Ashford reads his piece about meeting Harry Truman when Ashford was a young man in the early 1960’s. It was a nicely written/read story that helped me pass the time laboring on the lawn.
I’m starting to feel like Truman though with an urge to drop a bomb on my lawn and start all over again.
Click on the Valley Writer’s Read link to enjoy a nice story from a local writer.
My name is Maybelline and I have spurge. Spotted spurge. It’s in my lawn. The gardener has spread it around. It grows low to the turf and grows on stressed turf. Fertilization and irrigation alterations will not help. My choices to remove the junk are chemicals or manually pulling these boogers.
Each evening as the sun is setting I gather my mat, a Mason jar of ice water, gloves, a weeding trowel, and my radio. Yes, I listen to Michael Savage. Surprised? I also listen to the Thomas Jefferson Hour so back off if you want to pick on me. The garden kitties join me in exploring the front yard until there is no more light to operate. I pull out spurge and various other weeds until I fill my weed box. I do my best to pull the entire trespasser from tip to root.
Spurge exudes a milky, sticky sap that is supposed to be poisonous. Carrots Love Tomatoes suggests that the sap of some spurge can be used against warts. Terrific. I have some of those. I have applied a little of the sap to some flat warts on my ankle. The warts have started to darken. Each evening when I’m weeding I apply a bit more. I will not post pictures here but will report if the toad like bits drop off.
In the meantime, I estimate with my current rate of progress that the front lawn should be spurge free in about three months. This is not encouraging. My goal is to have a healthy lawn. It’s not a big lawn and it’s not a healthy lawn. Any advice for a chemical free healthy lawn will be greatly appreciated.
Maybe I should consider a weeding party where each participant receives an equal amount of produce for the amount of weeds pulled. Napalm is sounding better and better.
DBE gals: Yesterday you tackled a lesson learning how to follow links within Maybelline’s garden. Here are a few web sites you might enjoy by following these links. They should open in a separate window.
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree! Spring is busting out all over the garden. The espalier trees are all performing better than expected. Buds are bursting out on all of the 6 trees (plum, peach, apple, pear, nectarine, and apricot). 