12
votes
What is the most efficient way to remove a row of bushes?
Time efficient?
Hire a bulldozer.
Push the debris into a pile, have a load or two of manure (chicken is great, horse may be easier to find and also works well) dumped over the pile. Wait two or ...
- 23.2k
10
votes
Accepted
Do Landscape Designer/Architects require a license or permits in Canada?
As a former landscaper who lives in Ontario I can answer this question. If you advertise yourself as a Landscape Architect then you must be one and a member of the Ontario Association of Landscape ...
- 58.8k
9
votes
What's the best way to remove grass/topsoil to prepare for grading?
It depends on whether you want to keep the sod or no and if the ground is already pretty flat. I haven't used a sod cutter, but I think the ground has to be fairly level. I don't think it works well ...
- 5,102
9
votes
Accepted
Is it beneficial to put plastic or landscaping fabric under mulch?
Definitely not plastic - landscape fabric needs to be water/air permeable. The reason fabric's used is to reduce or stop weed germination, particularly when stones are laid over the top. Even that's ...
- 132k
8
votes
Weedy uneven lawn with tree stumps: grind, chip, till, roll and reseed?
Time is your friend; speed is expensive.
Solarizing is something you do for quite a long time, so "not hot enough yet" is really not a problem. You see the suggestion because many weeds find a quick ...
- 23.2k
8
votes
Why do landscapers seem to always plant the most slow growing trees in parking lots?
I think this depends on the city and builders guidelines where you live. Where I live the standard tree in front of each new house was the Ash (Fraxinus) or the Linden. Cheap because they propagated ...
- 58.8k
8
votes
Accepted
What's the function/purpose of the waterproof tarp a few inches beneath the ground in my yard?
That is most likely landscaping fabric designed to block or inhibit weed growth.
If the soil layer is too thin where you intend to plant perennials, feel free to cut out a circle of the fabric and ...
- 619
7
votes
Accepted
How do I naturally eradicate a stand of invasive bamboo?
I'm sorry to say that its likely most of those methods will work - chopping it all down and covering with black plastic will probably mean you'll have bamboo shoots growing up through the plastic, it'...
- 132k
7
votes
Advice Needed - Dying? Tree line (privacy desired)
The bottom branches dying is perfectly normal, as they get shaded out (they also have more deer pressure, assuming a typical presence of rats-with-hooves in your neighborhood.) That is not a sign of a ...
- 23.2k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I eliminate weeds in established play area?
15x30 feet with the sort of weed density you are showing? - Take an hour and pull them out by hand, or with a hoe. If you notice a lot of root penetration below or between the under-fabric you might ...
- 23.2k
7
votes
What is the most efficient way to remove a row of bushes?
If it were my job, I'd cut down the hedge to about 1 foot tall, get a mini-excavator and dig up the roots. This will also help loosen the soil for replanting. You could work other areas of the soil ...
- 191
7
votes
Accepted
Is this a good plan to turn my lawn into a garden?
Doing the job in manageable sections one at a time is a good plan. You might change your mind about the details when you see what the first section(s) look like, for example.
Don't make the job ...
- 11.4k
6
votes
New House, Dirt Yard, Ideas in Mind, where to begin?
I had to do the same thing when I moved into my new house a few years back. However, I used outside help but can tell you the sequence and steps.
Get a detailed design together as to what you want ...
- 7,894
6
votes
New House, Dirt Yard, Ideas in Mind, where to begin?
The ground looks very compacted, so first step would be to aerate and loosen the surface. Some easy tips here:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/improving-compacted-soil....
- 921
6
votes
Newly planted pine tree saplings
Mulch around the tree frequently, and pull out any small plants growing at the base of it.
Only water if soil is dry, because overwatering is a major killer.
Only prune dead or diseased branches.
To ...
- 605
6
votes
What should I do about old invasive redwood roots after the trees are cut down?
Tree roots stop growing immediately after the tree has been felled, but may take weeks to months (and longer) to die unless the stump has been poisoned with a herbicide. If the stump is not treated, ...
- 23.1k
6
votes
Spreading existing bamboo patch deliberately
Timing is, IME, important. I got 3 bamboo (A Phyllostachys that I vary between thinking is one of 3 or 4 specific cultivars) that were rudely chopped off and dug up in the middle of the summer (the ...
- 23.2k
6
votes
Can I add new soil on top of existing lawn without trouble?
Depending on the grass (certainly with kikuyu), it will break through the additional soil very quickly (I made this mistake recently).
You might consider spraying the grass with glyphosate [ie ...
- 3,617
6
votes
What shrubs/flowers are deer resistant?
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/
A great list of what plants are good for deer resistance and what will get hurt. Keep in mind you are more than likely able to put certain plants by others ...
- 2,582
6
votes
How do I eliminate weeds in established play area?
If you're looking for something non-toxic since it's a play area, you can use hot water or a heavy salt water solution. I don't love these methods since they have mixed results and the salt can leave ...
- 141
5
votes
Accepted
Spreading existing bamboo patch deliberately
The rhizomes and plants above the ground all support one another. If you can dig out a section of 5-10 rhizomes as a clump, they'll have a better chance of surviving.
If you are very careful, you can ...
- 6,356
5
votes
Accepted
Vines / Crawling Plants that minimize damage to buildings/walls
It depends on the building. If the building wall is made from brick, concrete etc, then a climbing vine is unlikely to damage it. If it has a textured plaster finish, then the vine will damage that. ...
- 23.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Getting sand out of rockery
I don't like answering my own questions but, after speaking to my neighbors, just about the only solution is to dig the whole lot out and start again. I did just this on a smaller area with bigger ...
- 261
5
votes
Why don't you want wood chips on top of soil for an orchard?
Orchards have wood, so chips could help wood fungus and other wood/root diseases to propagate and then to attack trees.
In general orchards should have no dead wood any kind (e.g. prune and eliminate ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
What is the difference between shredded mulch from free vs garden center sources?
Since your question deals with "shredded mulch" I'll limit my response to that.
The main differences, as far as I see things, are:
Municipal mulch can be free - I like free.
Bagged mulch from garden ...
- 7,027
5
votes
What's the function/purpose of the waterproof tarp a few inches beneath the ground in my yard?
Get rid of it! Talk about destroying even a tiny bit of a natural soil system...landscape fabric was made only to put below gravel on top of soil so that the large rocks don't sink and the soil come ...
- 40.2k
5
votes
Would a Crinkle Crankle (Serpentine) Wall be strong enough to sit on?
A linear brick wall is strong in compression but resists lateral forces poorly. The serpentine wall attempts to overcome that with its curvature so that it provides as much strength as a linear two ...
- 23.1k
5
votes
Is bark mulch termite resistant?
According to the pest-control company Terminix, termites don't really feed on wood mulch but like the fact that it causes a moist environment, which they then use for cover to explore for a wood ...
- 18.6k
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