Gardening/Maintenance Thread

[Miami Vice]

Any brave push reel mower users?

I need a lawn mower, and for some reason I'm gravitating to the Fiskars StaySharp Max reel mower. At $190 its not exactly cheap, since there are gas mowers that come in for less money.

I just like the idea that I can mow early in the morning, don't need to worry about running out of gas, its a small yard, the lower maintenance, and fact that pro ball fields and golf courses are cut by reel mowers.

The obvious cons are the fact that its a push reel mower, requiring more physical force to use and the risk of looking like a screwball to your neighbors.

Clint Eastwood push reel mowing before a gang confrontation:

[ExPatriatePen]

I had a tiny yard in the Long Island house I lived in from 2002-2009.

The back was an entertainment heaven with gardens and a pool and barbecue area and hot tub, etc... But the front was a simple 75' x 30' patch of grass with a flower lined side walk running up the middle. So, essentially 2 30' x 30' squares to cut. Th local "landscaping firm wanted $35 a pop. I bought a push reel mower and spent an hour drinking beer and gabbing with neighbors every other week while my golden retriever watched from the front porch.

It was much more cost effective, and it paid for my beer (and gave me an excuse to drink it)

The bonus was that I swear the grass was happier, greener, thicker and beautiful with the push mower. The down side was that as it got thicker it got tougher to cut. Necessitating sharpening of the blades on a regular basis. Of course that lead to additional beer drinking...Wash rinse repeat.

[meow]

I alternate between my riding mower and my reel mower in the front yard. I like the reel mower for two reasons. It puts the clippings right back where they came from - opposed to being pushed out the chute and making lines. Putting the clippings back help the lawn's health. Also, the reel mower cuts the grass blades like scissors, which is healthier for each individual blade. Powered mowers are more of a tear to each blade. I'd make sure you get one with adjustable cutting height. That way if it rains for 5 straight days, you won't kill yourself trying to reel through that jungle.

[ExPatriatePen]

So... Since I've been in South Alabama "helping out", about six months now. I've helped replace a ceiling fan, a dishwasher, repaired a broken dryer (and now it's broken again and I'm working on that today), the elements on an electric range, a dead microwave resuscitation, a bunch of switches/outlets and light fixtures, and an internet router replacement (that one was mostly for me).

Now the garbage disposal as gone and the double bowl kitchen sinks are backed up and no amount of Draino is helping. I'm going to attack it with a plumbers snake today, wish me luck.

She also has an In-ground pool that went neglected for over two years. NOW *thats* a huge project. I've taken at least 15 wheelbarrows full of leaves and crap out of the bottom (the best thing I found was a metal dog dish) and I'm busting my arse trying to get the chemicals right. I'm certainly no chemist so if C2I or anyone else has advice, I'd surely appreciate it.

Her place flooded multiple times and with the exception of the tile in the kitchen and den and the wood in the living room, everything else is down to concrete. (Yes, the dining room, foyer, and four bedrooms all have concrete floors). So I have my work cut out for me.

Why do I take on these challenges when the house isn't even mine? I dunno, I think that's a question for a team of Psychiatrists.

[mac5155]

I'd get a used reel mower. You could easily tell what's broken and if it's in good shape.

[DigitalGypsy66]

If you replace that garbage disposal, make sure to take out the plug for the water line.

The plumber I paid to install the disposal forgot to do that...and the first time I ran the dishwasher after the disposal was installed, the dishwasher leaked all over the floor (laminate faux wood).

Normally, I run the dishwasher as I'm leaving for work. But that day, for some reason, I ran it while I finished getting ready. I would have been replacing the floor if I hadn't caught it 10 minutes into the cycle.

[Silentom]

He'd be getting a phone call if that happened to me. Not an irate phone call, or anything. More just a WTF kinda phone call.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Harvested some okra and yellow squash (and sliced my thumb up pretty awesomely...probably need stitches, but meh).

[columbia]

The blood on the knife is a nice touch.

[robbiestoupe]

Who knows fruit trees? I have a tree in the back yard that has a green fruit on it, and they keep falling to the ground. They seem to ooze a type of sappy substance. The nut is similar to a peach pit. But the fruit is no bigger than 1/4" thick around the pit. wtf is it? Google was no help.

[Willie Kool]

Who knows fruit trees? I have a tree in the back yard that has a green fruit on it, and they keep falling to the ground. They seem to ooze a type of sappy substance. The nut is similar to a peach pit. But the fruit is no bigger than 1/4" thick around the pit. wtf is it? Google was no help.

Hard to say from the description. A pic of the leaves and of the fruit would be very helpful. Also, where are you located?

[robbiestoupe]

Who knows fruit trees? I have a tree in the back yard that has a green fruit on it, and they keep falling to the ground. They seem to ooze a type of sappy substance. The nut is similar to a peach pit. But the fruit is no bigger than 1/4" thick around the pit. wtf is it? Google was no help.

Hard to say from the description. A pic of the leaves and of the fruit would be very helpful. Also, where are you located?

Wish I knew how to upload pics from my phone and post in here. I'm in Richland twp, but the people who lived there before me were Chinese, and I've been told by neighbors that they liked to grow Chinese veggies in the garden. So perhaps the tree isn't native to North America.

[columbia]

This?

[Miami Vice]

Who knows fruit trees? I have a tree in the back yard that has a green fruit on it, and they keep falling to the ground. They seem to ooze a type of sappy substance. The nut is similar to a peach pit. But the fruit is no bigger than 1/4" thick around the pit. wtf is it? Google was no help.

crab apples? we had those in my back yard growing up:



also, I went ahead and ordered the reel mower. tonights assembly project is the grill, the mower comes tomorrow.

[mac5155]

GL with the grill, Mine was a PITA. Lowes offered free install but it would've taken 3 more days, and I didnt feel like making 2 trips.

[blackjack68]

Who knows fruit trees? I have a tree in the back yard that has a green fruit on it, and they keep falling to the ground. They seem to ooze a type of sappy substance. The nut is similar to a peach pit. But the fruit is no bigger than 1/4" thick around the pit. wtf is it? Google was no help.

Without photos I'm going to guess it's an unsprayed plum tree.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Sounds like a Ginkgo Tree to me.

[Shyster]

Ginkgo-tree fruit produces a really strong smell. Some people say it smells like vomit, but to me it smells like dog crap. If that's what robbiestoupe has, it should be really easy to identify from the stink.

[dodint]

Source of the post Some people say it smells like vomit, but to me it smells like dog crap.

Important hair to split.

[robbiestoupe]

OK found a site to load the image. You can see the small green fruits in the background.

[blackjack68]

Gingkos can be nasty for sure.

[Willie Kool]

Does it have thorns? That does look like some kind of plum.

http://www.mntca.org/wp-content/uploads ... m_2pg1.png

[blackjack68]

Now can you cut into the fruit, photograph that and post a new image?

But seriously, you have two sets of leaves in that image. Which leaves belong to the fruit tree? Long and skinny or the more jagged ones?

Is the fruit smooth or fuzzy?

[Willie Kool]

The long, skinny ones are the tree. The others are wild grapes.

[blackjack68]

The long, skinny leaves are very peach tree like.

Is the fruit fuzzy at all?

Maybe nectarines.