http://www.4scapes.com/ The most recent 20 Message Board Message of 4Scapes - Professional solutions for the landscaping industry Copyright 2012 Maxwell Amenity Ltd dave@pitchcare.com (Dave Saltman) al@pitchcare.com (Alastair Battrick) en Sat, 19 May 2012 02:59:42 +0100 Pitchcare's Custom Grown in House CMS 60 http://media.pitchcare.com/static/images/general/newlogo.png http://www.4scapes.com/ 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Saturday Sunday Fri, 18 May 2012 19:19:51 +0100 2 replies - Last reply at 18th May 12 19:19:51 - I'm trying to do all my work as environmentally responsible as possible, for the benefit of my customers and for my own satisfaction of knowing that i am doing my bit to help the environment. However, my customers want instant results with weed killers, fertilisers and pest control. Does anyone do green gardening in a big way and point me down the road to enlightenment please? I think environmentally responsible gardening is the future, not just from an idealist perspective, but from a future legislative Dai77 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65661 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65661 Fri, 18 May 2012 11:10:45 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 18th May 12 11:10:45 - A word of warning to everyone. I checked my potatoes at the weekend as they haven't come through yet, and was ages ago when i planted them. They were rotten to the core, the soil was soaking wet, they didn't stand a chance. My advice would be to check your own potatoes if you are growing any, and if they are wet, but still alive, lift them up out of the wet soil. Now I can see why farmers get so upset whentheir crops go belly up. Eddie http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65251 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65251 Thu, 17 May 2012 15:24:27 +0100 1 reply - Last reply at 17th May 12 15:24:27 - I've had a few tender plants outside hardening off. A few times I have forgotten to bring them in, but boy am I glad I remembered to bring them in last night. We had a sharp frost here in the south east, it was white all over at about 5:30 this morning. Be careful, don't put your tender plants out overnight just yet. Girlwithasparrowtattoo http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65781 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65781 Thu, 17 May 2012 12:09:15 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 17th May 12 12:09:15 - Like many people I know, I didn't bother spraying for moss this year, as we were supposed to have hard frosts which would kill off the moss. We didn't have the hard frosts, and what with all this mild wet weather, we have moss everywhere. It's becoming a bit of a hazard making the surface all slippery, so I suppose I ought to spray it, but now I'm thinking when we get the dry weather it will dry out and die. Does anyone know the long range forecast? Frank http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65351 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65351 Thu, 17 May 2012 08:43:08 +0100 0 replies - Thank you to everyone that gave me advice about my newly constructed pond. Fortunately my concerns that it would stay a dry sunken garden did not come to fruition; the pond is now full of water. Could you please tell me your views on vegetation for the pond. I want oxygenators and lillies, but I don't know much beyond that. Are there plants that are better for the fish and wildlife than other plants? I want to encourage as much wildlife into the pond as possible. Thank you in anticipation of your GCowely http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65881 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65881 Tue, 15 May 2012 11:49:03 +0100 1 reply - Last reply at 15th May 12 11:49:03 - I've been thinking for some time now about having a large modern statue or piece of artwork in my garden to give the garden a slightly more modern feel. My only concern is the foundations it may need. Does anyone have an idea on how deep a suitable base should be? Should it be made from concrete or will any other material be better? I've never really had any involvement with hard landscaping or installing statues, so any useful information would be gratefully received. EllyMay http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65631 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65631 Sat, 12 May 2012 08:40:40 +0100 4 replies - Last reply at 12th May 12 08:40:40 - Everyone probably has this problem right now. The lawn needs mowing desperately, but the ground is too wet, to the point where the wheels of my rotary mower sink in enough to leave track marks and cut the grass too short. Is there a method anyone uses in these circumstances, or do I just have to wait until it is dry? The grass is very long and needs mowing desperately. RayCraven http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64771 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64771 Fri, 11 May 2012 14:47:28 +0100 2 replies - Last reply at 11th May 12 14:47:28 - The wet weather has stopped me mowing my clients lawns in most cases, and as a result the weeds present in the lawns have grown and established. Most of them will mow off and the lawns will look okay, as my customers don't want to pay for weed control, they just want what they have mown. However I have noticed that the Dandelions seem to be much larger this year than usual. Is it just me who has noticed this, or has anyone else seen bigger than normal Dandelions yet? Perhaps the wet mild weather has g Ivy747 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65091 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65091 Thu, 10 May 2012 11:08:53 +0100 1 reply - Last reply at 10th May 12 11:08:53 - Okay, me water butts are full, so rain please go away. This weather has put me back by weeks. I have a backlog of jobs that I would normally have finished by now. So to quote Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand "Enough is enough." Soapstar78 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65171 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/65171 Mon, 07 May 2012 19:03:18 +0100 2 replies - Last reply at 7th May 12 19:03:18 - Hello everyone. I only have a few small spaces to maintain and have relied on electric powered tools to do the hard graft, such as hedge trimmers, strimmers and the mower. I have always used a proper circuit breaker on the electric plug, just in case I cut the wire by accident. I've put off cutting things back owing to this wet weather, but I need to get something done. Can anyone tell me if it is safe to use an electical powered tool in the damp to wet conditions with a circuit breaker plugged in? WorzelG http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64901 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64901 Fri, 04 May 2012 15:46:01 +0100 4 replies - Last reply at 4th May 12 15:46:01 - Has anyone used wallpaper paste to retain moisture in their hanging baskets? I've heard this works, but it may be an old housewives tale. I know you can get moisture retaining granules and gel, but wallpaper paste sounds like a cheaper alternative, especially as I have boat loads of shop fronts and pubs to provide hanging baskets for. Harry http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/61791 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/61791 Thu, 03 May 2012 14:51:30 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 3rd May 12 14:51:30 - I have a ptoblem with rabbits digging holes and chewing everything they can get their hands on (paws on). They come into my garden from the fields that I back on to. What can I do to control them, without actually harming them? I don't want to use gas or shoot them, I'm after a humane emvironmentally safe way to stop the little blighters ruining my garden. Dai77 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64461 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64461 Wed, 02 May 2012 13:09:34 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 2nd May 12 13:09:34 - I joined a golf course a few weeks ago in an attempt to improve my game. On one of the fairways the greenkeepers were driving a large tractor with a spiking machine on the back of it which was pushing the spikes into the ground as the tractor went forward. Does anyone know why they were doing this on the fairway? It left small holes in the ground. Is this something I should do on my own lawn, or is it something that only needs to be done on a golf course? BobHarris http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64191 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64191 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:53:45 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 30th Apr 12 18:53:45 - I burnt up a few logs, small tree trunks and branches at the weekend, and now have a pile of ash to get rid of. Would it be okay to put this ash on the compost? I only burnt organic matter, there was no plastic or other man-made materials put on the fire. GCowely http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64301 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64301 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:29:53 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 30th Apr 12 16:29:53 - Does anyone know a quick and easy way to get rid of big puddles? I've got a lot of groundwork to do, but drainage isn't part of the job, and the site is on heavy clay. I only need to get rid of the puddles for my initial groundworks, the client doesn't want the expense of drainage, as he says it's very rare for the site to flood. Just my luck it's one of those rare occassions this week! Eddie http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64401 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64401 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:13:11 +0100 4 replies - Last reply at 27th Apr 12 19:13:11 - Normally I would still plant a root balled tree at this time of year, but I have a large Robinia to plant and am worried it may be too dry this year for it to establish in the ground. Does anyone else think it is too late to plant root balled trees, given the predicted drought and current hosepipe ban? Frank http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63751 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63751 Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:24:38 +0100 1 reply - Last reply at 22nd Apr 12 10:24:38 - Am I right in assuming the rain will prevent any overnight frosts because the rain makes the air temperature slightly warmer? I've been worried about overnight frosts, but as it is raining cats and dogs in my area (south east), and has been all week, I haven't had any signs of the frost we had a couple of weeks ago. Is it still too early to stop worrying about an overnight frost on my tender plants? Girlwithasparrowtattoo http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64081 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/64081 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:02:56 +0100 3 replies - Last reply at 20th Apr 12 19:02:56 - I've been to the garden centre and DIY stores this past easter weekend and saw lots of bedding plants for sale. I thought it was a bit too early to put out bedding plants, as you can still get a strong frost at this time of year. Am I right, or is it okay to plant out bedding plants yet? Has anyone planted their own bedding plants already? GCowely http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63661 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63661 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:47:55 +0100 6 replies - Last reply at 19th Apr 12 15:47:55 - I saw the golf course on the telly last night and thought the grass looked great. How can I make my lawn as good as that, or do they use special grass? EllyMay http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63481 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/63481 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:13:15 +0100 8 replies - Last reply at 16th Apr 12 13:13:15 - I just heard on the news that several water authorities have issued hosepipe bans already. This could have a disastrous effect for gardeners and landscape contractors alike this year. A lot of planting schemes will get delayed or put off until next year I'm sure. Frank http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/61541 http://www.4scapes.com/message/message/61541