yard help!!!!!

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Jackh

New Member
Sunflowers why not save your back. Just put down a layer of cardboard or newspaper then spread your top soil over that. The cardboard will smother the weeds and eventually brake down. I would advise you cover the entire area with cardboard paths included.

This is a great opportunity to try lasagna gardening. On top of the cardboard layer grass clippings, leaves, household scraps (no meats or milk products) egg shells, coffee grounds, compost and your top soil. You'll never regret it. This link may help.
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm

I know that you can use newspapper for this too. Our local paper has a lot of color photos in it. Is it safe to use or not? And what is it about color inks that makes them so bad.

Thanks, Jack
 

RonsGarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
I know that you can use newspapper for this too. Our local paper has a lot of color photos in it. Is it safe to use or not? And what is it about color inks that makes them so bad.
Thanks, Jack
Welcome aboard Jack!
Colored newspaper is made with vegetable dyes, so they are safe to use in the veggie garden. If you are not sure then call your local paper and ask them. They would be more happy to let you know!
 

Fantasygal1

New Member
Welcome aboard Jack!
Colored newspaper is made with vegetable dyes, so they are safe to use in the veggie garden. If you are not sure then call your local paper and ask them. They would be more happy to let you know!


I was taught that if the newspaper is using colored ink but is shiny (or waxy) DO NOT use it, but if it's colored ink and is dull in color you can use it. The black and white paper is good to use because the ink helps to kill the seeds from weeds that got left over and also helps kill the weeds faster. Lasagna gardening works great though!! I've tried it for several years and it is very simple.
 

Jackh

New Member
The photos are dull. I suspect that the ink is the vegi kind as the recyle folks don't want the shiny glossy adds mixed in when the newspapers are dropped off at recyle places.
Thanks a bunch.

Jack
 

grammat

New Member
Sunflower if you/re not organic I highly recommed that you look into it. We saw DRAMATIC results within the first season (you may need to "clean up" your yard with some form of zeolite if you have been using chemicals). Check out that organic site. Also DirtDoctor.com. Good "clean" dirt smells sooo good and you can eat right out of the garden. Eat it while you pick it!
 

sunflower3

Member
We ended up getting some wonderful dirt had manure mixed into it, The grass we planted is so think it takes hubby a while to mow it, but it is beautiful. I added in to stainless steal planters, one is my Lily garden and the other I planted, lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes and they all come up wonderful, first year I picked lettuce from one planting all summer long. I now have onions set for next year and will decide what else to plant in it over the winter. Moved my herb garden back out to the front lawn also and that has been plenteous, which i am thankful for.
 
K

Kale

Guest
Excellent..!! Glad it worked out.:D

How did you keep the weeds away?
Which Herbs do you grow?
My daughter and I grow very many, she grows to cook with them.
I grow for and to keep critters (bugs, birds and butterflies) (here or away) and to give away and because most are pretty:)

Oh what variety lettuce?
I had one..year , (maybe twice) where I harvest the whole summer..the rest of the times (years) were blaaaaaaaaaaa.
Bolt faster then lightening*lol.
Carrots; my Half Nantes and Danvers Carrots were great... Last year*LOL
so were my radish, this year, smoke exited Hubby's ears and nose *LOL
Have any pics, I enjoy even carrot pics*LOL
Lilies are fun too...
Which Lilies do you have so far?

Kale:)
 

sunflower3

Member
To keep the weed out of the boxes I just weed the lawn when and if will get lawn weed killer. For herbs I have garlic chives, sage,onion chives, thyme, parsely, dill, tarragon,egyption onions, catnip, cho. mint, reg mint, lemon mint, spearmint, lemon balm, chamomile, basil, calintro, lemon grass. I use my herbs for cooking and teas, also sell what I don't need to others to use.My lettuce was mixed seed I got in a trade last summer. My lilies are here in this thread Pictures included. http://www.gardenforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1451
 
K

Kale

Guest
Sunflower3,Your lilies are magnificent!
I have a few kinds of lilies,only 1 (color) Daylily, until next year they are babies and not certain if they are the color told.
I'll post them there, if I can find the pics*lol
Serious question..have you grown all those herbs before?
Are they in "A" bed/containers or large plot in the ground?
I have information that will be useful if you haven't grown those all before.


Kale:)
 

sunflower3

Member
I have been growing herbs for about 20 years now, and they are in a plot in the ground, except the mints they are in tire planters growing so they can't go all over on me. I start my annual herbs in pots and transplant them in the garden. Thats all I do.
 
K

Kale

Guest
Very nice and good for you!
I grow my annual Herbs from seed, and chive which doesnt take much doing ...

Ok you are safe I feared your garden in a year or two by the third you would cry or scream!
Mint is aggressive and doesn't quit!*LOL My daughter planted a tiny itty bitty baby root of orange mint *LOL I have been pulling roots 15 feet long with shoots every few inches.
Just thought Id warn you.I planted some in a pot because it is such a pretty plant, well..the plant came out of the holes,I'm so happy I had it on a stepping slab
I would have been through!*lol

How big is your herb bed?
Kale:)
 

sunflower3

Member
My herb bed is 12 x 5 which is quit big but I like it like that. So i can walk around and smell them and taste them too.
 
K

Kale

Guest
hummm... You shall be rather full within 3years*lol I hope you harvest much.
We were shocked this year,my daughters sage grew easily 3ftx3ft I had to chop it down
and it grew again Ihtinkit like cool weather whichis what we had this whole season .
.
I personally do not like the smell of many herbs actually they itch me to high NY*LOL
I just like to grow them the Queen basil and Lemon basil and Italian basil I can stand
thymes are my favorite little mini shrubs,I find them adorable Oh well golden oregano is adorable too ..I guess I like many, never thought about it..
I have concluded that many annual herbs can be direct sown ..which is what I will be doing next year and try my hand in it.I will probably cry if it doesn't work...
Just sow a few basils indoors with my dahlia, peppers, and eggplant and watermelon and cantaloupes and pumpkins..I noticed the list is growing as I haven't put my "to sow list together yet..ouch I am going to be in trouble upstairs..I better get my list together.and stay limited*lol I always sow too much.I still have 4'pots of veggies I didn't have room for *LOL Can't bear to thought of composting them *LOL
What kinds of sage and thymes?
Would you happen to have Choc mint seed?
My daughters died and never came back.
Tell me an herb and I can send you seed or cuttings which ever I have.
We have very many varieties of many.


You shall have fun with your very nice new Herb Garden!
Happy Harvesting..

Kale:)
 

sunflower3

Member
I transplant my annual herbs from pots to the ground every year and they do just fine. I harvest tons of herbs to use and sell or trade dried for item we need as a family. The extra plants I sell in my green house business each summer. I have regular sage and varigated sage, golden thyme and regular thyme. I don't have cho. mint seed but do have the runners I can send a few if you would like them, just pm me your address and I'll send them this week. I would like to get winter savory or regular savory, the winter one would survive winter here and I won't have to plant every year.
 
K

Kale

Guest
Is Summer Savory/Regular Savory the short lived (tender?)

I know I have summer Savory and winter Savory.
And yes,sure run me down some running roots*LOL! My daughter will be thrilled!

Kale:)
 

sunflower3

Member
summer savory is short live, if you have the winter savory I'd love some seeds or small plants if you have some. I'll get the runners for you for the cho. mint pm me your address and I'll send them today, Karen.
 

GPM

New Member
One thing will rid you of weeds long enough to plant grass. Horticultural Vinegar. It kills the weeds like Round-up but has no chemical side-effects. Spray 'em and wait until dead. Bring in the soil and immediately spread seed for grass.
 


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