mostman

How does the install work on those? Did you just take off your old controller and swap in the Rachio? Did you also add the flow meter?

Tip for anyone in MA - Shaker Hills is back to its old glory and they are often running deals to try to get people back in. If you played there within the last few years and were put off by the course conditions, make sure to schedule a visit out there this year. The place is in near pristine condition, like it used to be a decade ago. One warning. It’s very difficult. I’m about a 5 index and I can’t break 80 from the middle tees. Recent course modifications have really made it a demanding track.

What do you folks think? Sawyer Beetle? Doesn’t look shiny enough to be an Asian Longhorned.

I get that second one where my grass is struggling. Edges of the patio, edges of the driveway, places like that. If you have good grass coverage and apply a general weed killer, it'll be gone. So kill it or pull it, then overseed in the fall in that spot to try to crowd it out next year.

It could be worse. (Note: This is actually rubber. But still...)

I do pine here. I did hemlock for a while - switched to the pine this year. I think it fades better than hemlock. The red dyed stuff is wild. But the reason people use it is that its cheap. Its just wood chips and paint.

Yeah we had our fertilizer company use fungicide last year because it was red thread and dollar spot. No surprise, a billion inches of rain and 90 dews. This year I’m hoping we can just let nature take its course.

Red thread here. Big time. Probably 10 percent of my lawn. Irrigation is being turned off for a couple cycles until it bakes out.

Wow that’s incredible in only two years.

Yeah I’d also like to know. That’s good stuff. What’s the plan for weeds, just let them grow too? Clear cut it in the fall?

Wow. 100x more functional. Doggo seems pleased.

The worst. I try really hard to plant things they don’t like but if they are hungry enough, they will eat anything.

That’s my thinking exactly. But a lot of people don’t see it that way. They say “I’ll just apply spring and fall and be fine.” Once you have a service and you see how much actually goes into a comprehensive treatment, you quickly realize how much work it is. And yeah, it frees you up to do other stuff. I like working on the perennials and the trees and all my planting beds. That stuff is fun. Spreading nitrogen is not. Btw - I used the hell out of the “call us with issues” service last year with the company I use. All that rain and humidity created all sorts of new problems. They were all over it. I may have also called them once because I saw about 5 little clovers in my lawn

Looks awesome. Hiring a company to handle all my fertilizing (including trees and shrubs) was the best call I ever made. It’s expensive (vs doing it yourself) but entirely worth it if you are into keeping your lawn healthy.

Not much. They grow mostly upright and have branches near the ground

River birch might be the right choice, depending on the spot you want to put it in.

I just now realized where you are. The comment about the temperature is right. Give it another month as things warm up. It’ll fill in. When it starts getting weedy, just pull the large ones and wait until next year to apply a pre emergent over the area. As for water, you need about an inch and a half a week. Ideally in two long sessions, not 7 little ones. Deep watering will help make the grass more resilient. If you are getting that much rain still, then you are fine. I know in my area we are actually below normal water. My irrigation will be on starting next week.

In my experience hydro seed will fill in but it takes some time. It’ll quickly look like what you have but take months to really get going. It’ll also be full of weeds. How much are you watering it?

Thanks! Btw - my phlox has just started blooming. Very late this year.

Patio planters deployed.

I looked at it and thought about it. Looks like the top housing screws right off so you don’t have to mess with the piping. But it’s pretty buried in the box. I called my local irrigation guy. He’s going to come out and fix it for me. I told him to take his time since, at this rate, I won’t need water until June. But I do need some rain before the next mow. I tried to run the other zones with that zone stuck on and the pressure wasn’t high enough to pop all the heads.

If I seeded right now I promise you the pattern would suddenly flip and we would torch for weeks. Found out today one of my irrigation zones is stuck on. I was doing a test run to water in some weed control. Looks like the bleeder screw on the valve sheered right off (somehow) and it’s stuck open. Beyond my fixing skills.

Tuesday tee time is being cancelled

You’d be surprised. Some of my phlox hasn’t bloomed yet. I’m not sure why, maybe all the water. And yes, that does look like phlox to me. But that’s unlikely to just pop up somewhere unless it’s planted somewhere else.

Because I didn't do it in the fall last year and so it was a total mess after the snow melted. I'll probably do it in the fall this year, even though it should be light. Then I can just stick to that schedule.