Moss Control and Cleanup for Lawns

Spring Yard cleanup is just about here.  One of the more frustrating problems of living in the pacific northwest is moss invasion.

The way to prevent moss from building up too much in the grass is to keep it well drained and aerated.  There are inexpensive aerating tools which are just a tube of metal that pulls plugs out of the grass as you stomp on it.  This is what I use.  It has the advantage of letting me wiggle it a bit in areas that need a bit more loosening up.  But if you have a large yard, you will soon get worn out.

For a large yard, the better bet is to go to the rental store and get a gas driven aerator which is about the size of a lawn mower.  If you coordinate this with a few neighbors, you can split the cost.  It is a fast effective way to aerate and you can get the whole neighborhood done in an afternoon.

After aerating, apply a topping of sand and try to get as much as possible in those holes.

If your yard is heavily infested with moss and other weeds, then a good power raking is called for.  And yes I know this is controversial, but ask any reputable professional gardner and they will tell you that a good power raking is the best solution for a host of lawn problems.  Yes it looks ugly and the neighborhood will think you have gone mad, but this will give new grass seed a great chance to establish and crowd out future invasions.

Apply a good moss killer and also sweeten up your soil.  I like to use dolopril as a ph sweetener because it is easy to handle and apply.  I also like to use a liquid moss killer for the first application.  There are combination fertilizers and moss killers on the market.  I use these after I have hit the moss hard with a pure killer.

Now it is time to top seed.  If you have a moss problem, then chances are that you are in a shady area.  Make sure to buy grass seed appropriate for your specific area.  I actually like to apply different seed mixes for different micro climates in the yard.  Yes there will be a slight variation in green color, but at least I will have grass!  Check you seed blend.  Buy grass seed that has a higher percentage of perennial and creeping varieties.  You won't get the instant satisfaction of the quick sprouting annual seeds, but you will get better resistance to moss and weed invasion during the wet shoulder months.

Apply fertilizer appropriate to the stage of the grass growth.  You want to get strong roots and thick foliage.  I've found that varying the fertilizer works better than just laying down one type for the season.  Even if I use a slow release product on an established lawn, I will still top it up with the occasional boost of liquid fertilizer in areas that show need.  For example, my trees such a lot of nutrient away from the grass.

So to sum up:  Aerate, sand, kill, rake, sweeten, fertilize, seed, and pay attention to micro areas.

The first four points are vital, and unfortunately for us in a rain forest climate, a yearly chore.

Good luck with you lawn this year.

Freezer Labels

Well it is back to reality time. Time to get lunches organized. Time to stock up on all sorts of things. Time to get the oven working after the heat of summer. And time to stock up the freezer.

We use plastic containers to freeze lunches in individual portions. So when I make a large meal, the leftovers get divided up and frozen. This has many advantages:

1. It means that we are not stuck with eating the same leftovers for several nauseating days!
   
2. It make it easy to just grab something when heading out of the door in the morning.
   
3. The meals act as if they have their own built in ice-pack, and are ready for a quick microwave blast by lunch time.

However, after building up a good variety of meals in the freezer, we found that things were getting confusing. Too much time was spent holding a plastic container up and trying to figure out what was inside. A few weeks ago Mary had a bit of a surprise when the "rice" she brought to work, turned out to be shredded cheese for nachos!

THE SOLUTION!

After trying all sorts of things, I found that the best solution was " low-tack" masking tape. This is the green or blue colored masking tape the painters use. It has just enough adhesive to make a tight seal, but does not leave any glue residue when pulled off. ( There were quite a few unpleasant mutterings when we tried other types of labels and had to deal with the goo)

Now everything is clear and easy. I keep a roll of the tape in a drawer by the fridge with a fine point felt marker. When the plastic containers are divided up, I write out a description on the roll, and rip it off.

I have now extended this labeling technique to the refrigerator as well. It has shortened the amount of time spent having to rummage around. And it has eliminated those nasty "science experiment" surprises, when a container gets shoved around for a few weeks!

Try this technique out, and you will be amazed at just how easy simple .......and cheap it is!

'till next time,

Colin

Clean Sticky Wooden Chairs

This is the season to really notice the stickiness on wooden furniture. A typical experience is to settle in to the chair and after a few minutes notice you have adhered to it. The remaining time is spent trying not to touch the back. Here is a tip my mother just tried.

My mom has a great pine table and chairs, and has tried just about everything. Recently she heard about a simple solution......paint thinner. Sure enough, cheap old paint thinner on a rag got rid of all the stickiness.

"Paint thinner" can be called different things depending where you live and what you buy. I think it is also called Varsol ( tm) or "mineral spirits".

If you have old furniture or traditionally made items, or genuine " french polished" furniture you should use caution. Some old items have been coated in shellac. I have had great success in removing the shellac and then applying danish oil. You don't get the shine, but a beautiful luster instead, which brings out the beauty of the wood and tends to fit in with other antique pieces.
To remove the shellac you need to use alcohol ( methyl hydrate) . It is a fun and easy process, but make sure the area is well ventilated and there is NO flame or spark source anywhere near. Alcohol is very flammable and also invisible when ignited. Talk to your hardware or paint dealer to get all the rags, instructions, etc. Another option with shellaced items is to clean and resurface them.....again not a hard process, but it does take a bit of elbow grease.