Lawn Holes
Oh! You have no lawn. Well, good on you. (Bad on me?) Simply skip this blog and continue scrolling. Now if you have a lawn, there is a chance that there are holes, or let’s say low spots. If you are one of those perfectionist weirdos who cares about a perfect lawn, please read on.
First of all, you need to scalp the grass in the low area. Set your mower for a low setting. Then use a leaf rake to raise up all the grass blades. Scalp again. Sprinkle some kind of filler material into the low spot. Most people use sand. I applied used potting soil.
We kill potted plants on a regular basis. If the plant is relatively new, I just put the soil back into the potting soil barrel. If the plant has been in the pot for a long time, I put the soil into a tub that stores that soil until a need in the garden arises. Sprinkle your filler material over the scalped area.
Use an inverted steel rake and rub it over the surface to level the surface and work the filler into the grass. Now water the area with a sprayer that forces the filler down into the grass. I use a power washer, and that works really well.
There you have it. What was surprising when I did this, and I used two applications about a month apart, the treated area actually looked healthier than the rest of the lawn. The used potting soil apparently still had unused fertilizer mixed in it.
Stan, The Perfectionist Weirdo
You can see the 1 gallon sprayer that I always keep handy in the garden whenever an infestation is spotted. The dilution rate is 2-4 tablespoons per gallon of water depending on your pest. Often times it is key to spray the undersides of the foliage. We have also carried indoor plants outside for treatment, and let them dry in the shade before returning inside.
For those of you who frequently tie up plants, here is a great money saver. In the photo you will see a ball of paper wrapped wire. For $9 you can buy almost 700 feet of paper wrapped 26 gauge waterproof wire. So, you are basically paying 1 cent per foot. I would say, even if you have been prolific in your family propagation, you will have enough tie wire for your life time, as well as that of all your progeny.
One of the aids I use to deal with this malady is memory bands. For instance, I have a band hanging on a hose bib. When I turn the water on, I put that band on my wrist as a reminder to turn the water off. This trick has saved a lot of water.
In the past, I have occasionally been blocked in a repair by screws (bolts) that I simply could not remove. In the first photo, you can see the arrows that point to such screws. The screw on the left controls the locking lever which often gets loose so that it locks the pruner when you are using it. By replacing the washer under it, you can increase the friction that keeps it from moving freely. The screw on the right has to be removed if the blade needs to be brought closer to the hook.