Fifth Avenue Forum

Last time I used it was 2009/10 at my old house. The stink bugs were mostly on my back porch, getting in through a window into a bedroom. I sprayed all over that window and it helped. So I would say spraying on vertical surfaces is fine.

I also bought some kind of Etsy looking thing that somebody made to put inside the house. It was basically fly paper in its design. Looked like a cardboard tube about 4 inches in diameter with some kind of glue that attracted the bugs. That worked as well to take care of the guys that got inside.

Luckily, while I have thousands on the outside, only a few seem to ever make it inside.

Welp, looks like I'm going to take care of the leaves this afternoon. High of 44 today, and it's only going to get colder with each passing day. Glad I waited, though, as the leaves have shriveled up so much that there appears to be 80% less of them than there was just two weeks ago.

My July chicks finally laid their first eggs tonight. It's been a long time coming but finally!

You're rich!

Sure am hahaha

First a deck question and now a gardening question… can you tell I’m ready for warm weather?

What fruit tree is recommended for PA? I have a couple crab apple trees that are dying in my front yard (one male, one female). I plan on cutting them down and then replacing them this summer/fall. But with what?

Peach? Cherry? Pawpaw? Any recommendations?

My grandfather had peach, cherry and apple trees in PA.

I planted honeycrisp apple trees a few years ago. They require a pollinator so I planted granny Smith with them. I've gotten maybe 2 apples so far lol

Plum is also an option, but I think pawpaw would be a great choice - native plant that produces delicious fruit that you can't readily buy anywhere.

Bros

I'm starting to see leaves on shrubs and some flowers blooming. It is March 2nd.

My garden does terribly with weeds every year. Is there a natural way to get rid of weeds in it? Till the soil under now? Burn off what's on there now?

Brother, we're way ahead of where we should be down here. We're in week three of pollen season already. My grass is greening up, too. Way above average temperatures the last 2-3 weeks, and we'll hit 80 again today. I mean, it's better than a snowstorm or running the heat...but yuck.

This is my local weather guy:

I haven't even cleared out all the dead crap from last year. I have two oak leaf hydrangeas in the front of the house that are going to look like the mind flayer from stranger things

That pollen has one month to leave the state, DG. Would suck to vaca there and deal with allergies the whole time.

@mac5155, I'm listening to options here too. I've researched the depths of the interwebs and have not come up with anything sound. A former coworker would buy straw in the fall, let it get wet in the winter/spring to remove any seeds (she said it would get moldy, which effectively killed the seeds - not sure how sound that is), then spread it out late spring, spray it down to remove the mold, and let it dry out. Then she would spread it over her garden to help protect from weeds. Not sure if that would work, and it seems like too much effort for a hope and a prayer. I do know that just adding straw is no good. Even though it's supposed to be free from seed, it is not.

A neighbor puts plastic down in the winter, but I've heard that's bad for the soil in the long run. Doesn't absorb as much water/sunlight and depletes it of nutrients.

If I had more time, I'd just put in raised beds everywhere and mulch everything else. Still doesn't get rid of all the weeds, but makes it a little less aggravating. I do know mulch directly on top of the garden soil is no good, as 1) the wood makes the soil more acidic and 2) the color dye runs into the soil.

I use natural mulch directly on top of my garden soil and it works great for my garden beds.

I'd burn the weeds, put some cardboard down, put another layer of soil, mulch on top.

The daffodils and tulips are already close to blooming in my yard. Also had some blue flowers bloom last week. No idea what they are though as they were planted by previous owners.

The daffodils and tulips are already close to blooming in my yard. Also had some blue flowers bloom last week. No idea what they are though as they were planted by previous owners.

Our daffodils are still a few weeks away, but I don't see anything yet from the tulips.

Our one set of neighbors has daffodils that are already blooming. His are always like 3 weeks ahead of ours.

Also the blue flowers are probably crocuses... Some neighbors have them and they're blooming here as well.

THANK YOU C2I

I have some crocuses that bloomed right by my front door that I've never planted and never seen before in the 5 years lived here and had no clue what they were

No problem...

Also, there's an app called "Plant Snap" that my wife and I use when we're out on walks and see and interesting looking plant or flower. You take a picture and it gives you it's best guess as to what it might be.

I think if you have an iPhone, it'll also automatically search in the pictures if it recognizes that it's a plant.

https://youtube.com/shorts/B7ua6gEMJOE?feature=share

PlantSnap is what my wife uses on her iPhone, as well.

I use the “Picture This” app. It’s works for flowers, trees, weeds, house plants, invasive plants and toxic plants.

My wife is already talking about going to get annuals or what not for the front yard and back porch... I'm like chill we probably have one more frost coming at least haha.