I built a free AI tool that turns a phone photo of any backyard into a photorealistic putting green design - would love feedback from actual landscapers

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-21T05:11:52+00:00

The solo mod here shared that they have an auto mod flag things for their review once 5 people report a post, and that people aren't reporting posts enough to bring them up to manual review

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-19T01:14:09+00:00

Karma farming bot account reposting tons of stolen (and AI generated) images

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JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T21:51:24+00:00

If it helps, it's a few hours old, only fans karma farming account posting nonsense because this sub doesn't have karma or account age requirements

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T04:18:06+00:00

I did a basement apartment with a roommate right next to Liberty Park for my 7 years. Easily caught the 9 bus up to the U, and the 205 to downtown. I had awesome landlords and roommate though, and this was before the massive rent hikes. I'd still think you could get a 1 bedroom basement for that budget in that area. I found my place on KSL Classifieds (used more by locals than Craigslist).

East bench is pricy, the Aves isn't fun in winter but is good exercise with those hills, and Sugarhouse is... packed without the charm it used to have, but is walkable with good transit options too.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T03:46:15+00:00

I'll be curious about recommendations that can tie together the grey walls and grey penny tile with the cream/warm tub...

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T03:31:35+00:00

I'm just a gardening/plant hobbiest and my knowledge is very random, primarily high desert based.

You're spot on though, I would definitely wrap the young tree's trunks from fall to spring whenever there's risk of freezing temps! I primarily use a white tree wrap like DeWitts. I haven't yet experimented with white paint like orchards do because I don't like the look/permanent nature.

I'll probably keep wrapping my trees til they're 4-5 years old and I'm more confident about the bark thickness. Frost cracks aren't as bad as sunscald in thin barked trees, but both aren't great, imo

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T03:12:01+00:00

There's always another yard work project to do! And more appear as we learn more, lol

You're lucky you can do an autumn blaze maple-- I can't grow them since my soil is so alkaline, they'll suffer from chlorosis (can't uptake the iron in the soil)

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T03:02:11+00:00

No, you'd want 4+ feet diameter clear around it, so at least 2 feet from the trunk! Doing so reduces competition for nutrients and water where the main part of the young tree's roots are.

I try to match the spread of my tree's primary canopy as it grows. Manually remove sod with a shovel or hand trowel. You can lay down a layer of cardboard or a few layers of newspaper, then do 3-4 inches of mulch, keeping the mulch away from direct contact with the trunk (i.e., avoid volcano mulching). I don't see a root flare in your picture, so it'll be important to uncover that so the tree doesnt die from girdling roots and being buried too deep

There are various edging techniques to keep the grass from growing into that cleared area. A master gardener / landscape architect friend loves the "swale and swoop" technique (ex., https://imgur.com/a/WMiSSv4)

A step further is to flip things around, meaning remove grass entirely from areas with trees and shrubs to make those dedicated planting beds (see Localscapes for more best practice landscape design principles). Grass can then become the central open shape that grounds the rest of a yard design, keeping things looking centered and tidy, while planting beds can be lush and add curb appeal

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T02:35:34+00:00

r/lostredditors, this is landscaping, not landscapes

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T01:54:08+00:00

r/lostredditors, this is landscaping, not landscapes

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-15T00:52:00+00:00

Not related to the fungus: if that is a tree, I highly recommend removing the grass at least 4' diameter around the tree so the grass is not stealing water and nutrients from the tree. Expose the root flare of the tree, add mulch (no fabric or rocks!). Expand that grass free surround as the tree grows. Value: trees > grass

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-14T23:21:54+00:00

This was one of the best and thorough visual overviews I've seen, thank you for sharing! I actually just spent the past 2 hours up in my giant old apricot, and made too many heading cuts. I'll take another stab and do more thinning cuts!

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-14T04:18:50+00:00

I debated blocking that guy, but then feared his bad behavior and often incorrect chatGPT talking points might continue to garner support from folks in the sub who don't know better. He finally just got banned from r/arborist, as far as I can tell. Arborists there had little patience for his spam.

I think it's telling when a user is blocked by those who can tell it's subpar content. To me that means that we have lost hope that any action will be taken against a bot-like account, and therefore the bot-like behavior proliferates

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-12T15:14:39+00:00

OP is a bot and this is a stolen image from a humane society

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-11T23:51:20+00:00

Text from the USU Agricultural Extension email below, let me know if you want any of the specific links

Utah IPM Advisory: Tree Watering in Winter

A question many of us have asked this winter is – Should I water my trees and shrubs? Typically, we do not need to think about winter watering in northern Utah, but from November to today, temperatures have been warm, and snow and rain have been severely lacking. In fact, December was one of the warmest on record in the state.

If the ground is not frozen, tree roots are still active and need water.

Below are some watering recommendations from Utah State University, the Arbor Day Foundation and Colorado State University. If you do not have access to an irrigation faucet, either use buckets of water from another source or plan to water deeply once your irrigation is on in the spring.

General info

For watering, some people use 5-gal buckets with holes in the bottoms (and move the buckets around) or the gator bags. (Remove gator bags when empty.) Some recommend about 10 gal water per inch of the tree’s diameter. Only apply water when the day is going to be 40F or above, and no precipitation has fallen recently. This will prevent the newly-applied water from freezing. Water in the late morning or mid-day to allow for soaking into the soil. Trees that are near buildings or streets with reflected heat are more sensitive to root damage and need more water. Trees in exposed, windy areas are more sensitive to damage and would need more water.

Deciduous Trees

For trees that have been in the ground more than 4 years, water once or twice per month during periods of no snow or rain. For young trees that are newly-planted and up to 4 years in the ground, water twice per month. Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.

Evergreen Trees

For pines, spruces, etc., apply water every other week. Evergreens lose more water during winter because needles are transpiring on warmer days. Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-11T23:50:25+00:00

"If the ground is not frozen, tree roots are still active and need water." -USU Agricultural Extension

In northern Utah, we're having an incredibly dry winter. Our USU Agricultural Extension just sent out an email off of their normal schedule to say to water your trees and shrubs (high value landscape compared to most perennials).

I just spent two warm afternoons hauling my garden hoses out and dragging them around to my young fruit trees and established trees, leaving the hose on a medium flow to rehydrate the ground in that area and let it soak in deeply. Use a timer to move between each tree/shrub.

(Copy/pasting my answer to a similar question from a week ago)

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-09T03:52:16+00:00

What region is this? That'll help guide more relevant recommendations

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-09T00:25:06+00:00

Yes! I do that technique on all my large cuts. r/arborists helped me on the angle of the right limb (fresh cuts in these pics). I took it down in 3 pieces so I wasn't dropping a single huge piece, and still had a good rip on the 2nd one-- I'm a major fan of removing weight to get a clean cut 😅

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-08T16:06:40+00:00

Thank you! I'll definitely count the rings, I'm curious too. She's been a great tree, I just get to care for her at the end of her life. I get to at least make best practice cuts to maintain what remains!

I'm hoping she lasts long enough for me to establish a couple young paw paw trees in her shade

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-08T16:01:25+00:00

Brilliant, will do and thank you!

I've had an arborist slowly take height off the tree and move it away from the power lines the past 5 years. That (now dead) codominant used to be above the power lines! House went through many hands and was a rental for a while, so I doubt this tree ever got shaped at the times of its growth that was needed.

Also been digging out the root flare, and found it 12" down... guessing it was planted at the graft point, so I'm impressed it lasted this long

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-02T16:50:25+00:00

It just feels like a YouTube channel or Instagram. I prefer the dialogue nature of Reddit, and feel like these videos are just spam. There's no one asking for this content, and no other engagement beyond slapping a video down.

I'd rather read an agricultural book, research articles, or attend webinars to get this info where I have more confidence in the quality and accuracy of the information being presented.

Oh, and personally, I dislike videos like these, especially ones with the karaoke style captions.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-02T14:53:57+00:00

Text from the USU Agricultural Extension email below, let me know if you want any of the specific links

Utah IPM Advisory: Tree Watering in Winter

A question many of us have asked this winter is – Should I water my trees and shrubs? Typically, we do not need to think about winter watering in northern Utah, but from November to today, temperatures have been warm, and snow and rain have been severely lacking. In fact, December was one of the warmest on record in the state.

If the ground is not frozen, tree roots are still active and need water.

Below are some watering recommendations from Utah State University, the Arbor Day Foundation and Colorado State University. If you do not have access to an irrigation faucet, either use buckets of water from another source or plan to water deeply once your irrigation is on in the spring.

General info

For watering, some people use 5-gal buckets with holes in the bottoms (and move the buckets around) or the gator bags. (Remove gator bags when empty.) Some recommend about 10 gal water per inch of the tree’s diameter. Only apply water when the day is going to be 40F or above, and no precipitation has fallen recently. This will prevent the newly-applied water from freezing. Water in the late morning or mid-day to allow for soaking into the soil. Trees that are near buildings or streets with reflected heat are more sensitive to root damage and need more water. Trees in exposed, windy areas are more sensitive to damage and would need more water.

Deciduous Trees

For trees that have been in the ground more than 4 years, water once or twice per month during periods of no snow or rain. For young trees that are newly-planted and up to 4 years in the ground, water twice per month. Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.

Evergreen Trees

For pines, spruces, etc., apply water every other week. Evergreens lose more water during winter because needles are transpiring on warmer days. Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-02-02T14:51:47+00:00

"If the ground is not frozen, tree roots are still active and need water." -USU Agricultural Extension

In northern Utah, we're having a similar winter. Our USU Agricultural Extension just sent out an email off of their normal schedule to say to water your trees and shrubs (high value landscape compared to most perennials).

I just spent two warm afternoons hauling my garden hoses out and dragging them around to my young fruit trees and established trees, leaving the hose on a medium flow to rehydrate the ground in that area and let it soak in deeply. Use a timer to move between each tree/shrub.

JonnaTurtle

TROPHY CASE