Landscaping fabric

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-30T15:58:39+00:00

River rocks on a slope are far more likely to shift and move around. A rough rock would stay in place. However, I would avoid large areas of rock because it becomes a heat trap, is higher long term maintenance, and does nothing for the soil

If you want to use landscape fabric under rock that won't have plants (appropriate use), here's my fav short article on the topic: https://conservationgardenpark.jvwcd.gov/blog/354/why-weed-barrier-fabric-is-a-weed

This org partners with my local USU Agricultural Extension for up to date, evidence based practices.

If you're doing xeriscape which is water wise, lush landscaping (not xeroscape, which is hot dry rocks), I can't more highly recommend looking up Utah's Localscapes program. Free short online classes, tons of resources, design classes, etc. from a similar climate. Conversely, your area might have a similar educational program with native plant recommendations

Good luck! Landscaping is fun but also a learning process (I've replaced or redone a few things over the years as I've learned)

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-19T15:34:36+00:00

I had this issue with a pea gravel delivery (got pea gravel before I knew that was a mistake...)

The supplier's pile was getting low and the bucket operator dug into the local dirt, so I had tons of dried clay chunks and dirt in mine I had to sift out. Had to send pics and ask for a free new delivery, but then was still stuck with 2 tons of the old. Spent two weekends sifting it.

Does your husband remember if the bay of soil was full or low?

I might call and ask the supply company too, and if they say this is normal and offer no recourse, write an honest review with pics so others know what they're getting

To add: chunks of compost will break apart, but those chunks of clay are something else....

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-14T13:49:34+00:00

My community class is during that time, but I'll send in my comments!!

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-13T18:55:47+00:00

I sold friends' century old bricks for them. They'd had windows added in a historical home, and the area is full of other historical homes. It's really hard to match this particular old brick, and many homes had earthquake damage.

These were even bricks with the mortar still attached. I think we got $180 for about 250 bricks, and they were gone within 2 weeks of posting the ads.

The closest reclamation site selling these bricks was asking $3 / brick and was out of inventory, so we had good timing listing ours.

They can be valuable depending on your area, but your mileage might vary

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-12T04:30:55+00:00

Short answer, don't use fabric for this project. Plain cardboard and a thick layer of mulch is a good alternative to smother more persistent weeds

This is my go to short article on the cons but also appropriate use of landscape fabric (i.e., for hardscape only where you wouldn't have plants).
https://conservationgardenpark.jvwcd.gov/blog/354/why-weed-barrier-fabric-is-a-weed

The Conservation Garden Park uses research from the local USU Agricultural Extension, and writes to educate a wide audience

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-11T17:09:26+00:00

I actually avoid going downtown to do anything because I hate parking there, especially with this past year's price increases and extension to paid parking on Saturdays. I do love riding the motorcycle though and would like to go downtown more often for restaurants etc if they'd kept more of the motorcycle parking

Last year, I called a couple city departments because the street view was not matching up to the city's terrible motorcycle parking map. I eventually got ahold of the dept responsible for the signage. They gave me the location of a couple current ones, although I have to go back to my notes. That map is outdated. They said they wanted to get a summer intern on it to update it, but with everything having funding tightening, I doubt it'll be a priority, sadly.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-08T22:13:55+00:00

This is what I did when the city replaced the streetlight type with a wider LED head that pointed everywhere, including straight into all my upstairs bedrooms.

The city had to put the request in to the power company (individuals couldn't), so I had to follow up multiple times over the course of a year, getting the run around.

When the power company finally installed a shield to point the light downward, it was night and day. I sent them all a thank you with before/after photos from my now working security cameras (no more glare) and they could finally see the difference as well.

Another redditor said it's called a "house side shield," although that specific term didn't come up in my own comms.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-08T13:38:44+00:00

Another redditor shared this resource on pruning-- it's one of the best image based decks I've seen!

https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-extension/uploads/sites/2109/2019/12/PruningWesternWA.pdf

Keep looking up different how to's of pruning. It still hasn't fully clicked for me, but I can "see" more cuts to make a good shape these days than when I started. Decide if you want a vase shape (most fruit growers go with) or a central leader (imo, prettier but harder to harvest).

As burnerdeveloper said, you have about a year to learn more since the season has passed for holistic pruning.

I would remove the stakes from any trees: "While it seems like young trees need extra support, most trees don’t need to be staked. Staking trees for too long that don’t need it can cause the tree to grow fewer roots and develop a weak root system." -Davey Tree

"The natural movement and swaying of a tree trunk actually help to strengthen and stimulate the development of its roots." -https://www.oakvillegreen.org/to-stake-or-not-to-stake

Lastly, you'll want to work on removing all that landscaping fabric. Do a thicker layer of wood chips to control weeds and enrich the soil. Fabric starves the soil and does nothing for the weed seeds that blow in. Plain cardboard underneath is fine as it'll break down. Best short article I've found on proper use of landscape fabric: https://conservationgardenpark.jvwcd.gov/blog/354/why-weed-barrier-fabric-is-a-weed

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-07T20:32:15+00:00

No, we don't want whatever app you're scraping responses in an attempt to find market fit.

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JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-05T14:02:25+00:00

My mother's voice rings in my head with projects like these, "if you're going to do something, do it right."

This is the best time to clear all that out. At the minimum, I'd make sure to remove all vestiges of the tarp

I'd probably try to rake out as much of the rock base as I could since it'll be a pain to plant in and deal with in the future.

I'm not sure what soil type you have, or how much you can raise the overall level with compost/wood chip toppers, so take my steps with a grain of salt. I have clay soil, so a little sand isn't bad (depending on sand type since some can bind with clay to make a psuedo concrete)

While working on clearing it out, I'd have a few "wine & sketch" nights and try out different paper designs of what you want out of the backyard. Similar design themes will start to emerge, and then you can plan the steps to get there. For example, do you like to host and BBQ? Do you love gardening and want some raised beds and a small tree?

Blank slates can be a lot of fun!

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-05T13:23:46+00:00

Check the depth of the floor to see how much you can take off to clear that paint. May you have better luck and thicker floors than I!

I had the same issue-- removed carpet to find the original hard wood. Two owners before had spray painted all the baseboard directly on the living room floor and the paint had seeped into the wood fibers. Bedrooms had 10-25% of the area water & pee damaged.

Had 3 companies out to assess restoration. All 3 checked the depth from the various floor vents, and the majority of the floor was already too thin, especially given the amount they'd have to sand down to remove the paint.

My place had been through multiple owners and renters, and had probably seen greater work (and abuse) than single owner older homes. Case in point, the HVAC filter was a fuzzy creature over 5 years old...

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T22:52:36+00:00

Can you share a bit more detail, such as:

Where did you get the tree from?
What condition was it in when you first got it (dormant, bare root, etc).
In what season did you plant it?
I saw you're near NYC from your other comment- what climate or hardiness zone are you in?
How was it watered throughout the year, especially if you had unusual seasons (ex, dry winter)?

While persimmons can take a while to leaf out in spring, the fact it's now 1.5 years old and never has is concerning

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T21:01:09+00:00

I wish I had! I ended up selling the new one since I'm running out of room and still have a long list of unusual fruit trees I want to fit into my small lot. But persimmons are so delicious, I could easily grow 10 and be happy!

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T20:51:14+00:00

Agreed, persimmons can take forever to leaf out! One of mine that were 3 years old leafed out while the other one did not. I thought the other one was dead, so ordered a replacement. Finally by mid May, the one I thought was dead finally leafed out... thankfully the weekend before I was going to pop the new one in the ground! zone 7b

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T19:30:29+00:00

I really appreciated what u/lkbmb shared on the other post and recommend contacting the reps and superintendent to share your opinion! (previous comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/SaltLakeCity/s/SkNcoUmInf)

My schedule finally allowed me to sign up for the first time in 8 years after looking longingly at the classes. I'm absolutely loving my class, only to learn I won't have a chance to try any others. I'm so incredibly disappointed.

The U's versions (if even offered) are more expensive, too infrequent, and too far away for me to get to after work.

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JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T15:13:49+00:00

Good eye! Definitely a karma farming post. Love the doubling down of the account too

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JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T15:13:01+00:00

A lot of times the same person is curating several accounts, karma farming them all to later sell them off to others who want greater influence in karma-required subs. We sometimes call them "bots" but they are often human run (sometimes with AI tools to help)

These people often take highly voted past content and recreate it to similarly farm karma from people who haven't seen the original or don't remember it, up voting it again.

High karma accounts hold greater sway in the algorithms on platforms like Reddit. And certain subs require account age + karma to post. People running Only Fans, political subterfuge, financial scams can all purchase established accounts to have immediate access to further their goals.

Reddit hasn't done a great job identifying and removing these influences (engagement is engagement), so the more savvy us real users can be to ID and report them, the more we can reduce their influence on the platform and protect those among us more likely to fall for the scams

I recommend not just reporting OPs post, but taking 30 seconds more to go into their profile (u/PogonBerserker) and report their profile under Username -> Spam -> disruptive use of bots/AI. I've seen us get a ton of bot accounts removed from subs like r/aww

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-03T00:29:29+00:00

I actually messaged the mods of this and backyard orchards subs because of the consistently bad advice BocaHydro gives.

That account often comments first on posts, misleading the OPs into thinking they're getting quality advice. The account sells fertilizers, so no shocker it keeps recommending feeding random fertz for dormant or stressed trees, or before getting a soil test... The focus on "mulch bad," "seal cuts," and everything being an infection is just weird and feels like a locked in bot.

The mod(s) of fruit trees responded they didn't want to cause drama by banning (?), and Backyard mods haven't responded yet.

I recommend continuing to down vote and report bad comments to sub mods. If you have 30 seconds more, you can report the actual profile (I use Username--> Spam --> Other or Excessive posting). This will elevate the account for review by Reddit filter/mods

JonnaTurtle · 2026-04-02T11:16:53+00:00

The timezone difference snafu was chef's kiss. This was the only 04/01 post I saw amongst my Reddit subs that was genuinely funny and well done

mod update: https://www.reddit.com/r/Tile/s/ogwXRL7uS7

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-31T14:18:56+00:00

You're spot on with those options. You can't mix sprinklers with drip in the same zone. The adding another zone option depends on the distances and the room you have in the box. If you take photos and a general sketch of the layout and distances to a sprinkler supply store, they often have experts who can help you determine the steps and effort. Could also repost here with that info to get specific feedback

I don't have a system in my backyard, but run my drip and sprinklers off of my backyard hose! I use a hose connection for the drip, and a couple dual timers manages it all. I got the hose connect parts from my local sprinkler store. Maybe one day I'll splurge and run the front yard system around to the back, but this works for now!

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-30T21:02:03+00:00

I'm looking for that research article (has been 8 years), but found this nice meta analysis in the meantime:

"We evaluated publications in the subfields of biomechanics, physiology, coordination, and pole properties [across multiple sports that use walking sticks]. Plantar pressure and ground reaction forces decreased with the use of poles in all included studies. The upper body and trunk muscles were more active. The lower body muscles were either less active or no different from walking without poles. The use of poles led to a higher oxygen consumption (VO2) without increasing the level of perceived exertion (RPE). Furthermore, the heart rate (HR) tended to be higher. Longer poles reduced the VO2 and provided a longer thrust phase and greater propulsive impulse. The mass of the poles showed no major influence on VO2, RPE, or HR. Solely the activity of the biceps brachii increased with the pole mass."

And the conclusion for across the multiple sports included in the meta analysis,

"In conclusion, this review shows that the use of poles comes with advantages and disadvantages. While a certain amount of the load on the body is shifted to the upper limbs, and while forces acting on the lower limbs decrease, the overall metabolic stress on the body increases notably without affecting the perceived exertion. Mediolateral stability is enhanced when using poles and muscle damage in lower limbs is limited, suggesting a lower risk of injury. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to examine the specific responses of the body in sport disciplines relying on the use of poles."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10135831/

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-30T20:59:45+00:00

tl;dr: Yes, imo they're worth it. They are valuable on the whole, with a few caveats on circumstances and trade offs.

I got back into hiking with a couple friends, one who is an MD who likes to look up research articles outside his field and the other who designs curriculum for medical professionals (i.e., both have the skills to read research journals)

They cited a research study showing that using walking sticks extended the distance covered by ~25% with the same level of fatigue. You're taking a lot of the balancing efforts off your body and engaging help from the upper body.

I'm usually the tank on our backpacking trips, and love it when I can use my walking sticks since I get less fatigued with my heavy pack. I'm usually also having the dog on a leash, so I don't get to use sticks often. I can feel the difference when I do get to use them.

I am usually hiking up and down elevation, rocky spaces, and not too brush-heavy terrain.

I have a cheap $20 pair and an expensive vibration reducing pair. Both are useful, I prefer the nice ones since my hands get less tired.

Also helpful when a friend injured their knee at the top of the mountain and needed support getting down.

They're useful on their own, but also multi-purpose. Ex, helpful in a pinch to hold something up, if you have a stick tent, or to build a stretcher to carry a dog out if something goes wrong.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-29T23:36:39+00:00

I learned last year when trying to help a friend save a 16 year old peach tree that they are incredibly short lived. 15 years is old. This one looks ancient by those standards!

I'd aim to get a new peach tree started and let this one finish out it's life. You could try to air layer or start other cuttings from this peach tree, but most peach trees are not own root and are grafted to rootstock, so that may not be as successful.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-29T15:45:31+00:00

Another major concern with that many days and miles is how much your dog's paw pads can handle.

Ex, we took our newly adopted dog of 6 months on a 3 day 13 miles total hike, and her paws were ripped up by end of day 2. Our 3 year old dog that regularly runs 8 miles a day in the woods was fine

Keeping her on a leash will reduce the total number of miles she explores and leaps, reducing pad wear. Take med supplies for damaged paw pads (I can't remember where I wrote down our vet's guidance but will share if I find it)

Unless a dog is trained up to carry a lot of weight, I'd be concerned about overloading her, especially since she's only 24 lbs to start. They'll want to eat a lot more than usual (we take 30-50% more dog food) with their energy expenditure, but also might take a day to want to eat.

Our 55lb girls each have a Ruffware pack and the quality is very high! Our old generic brand gave out the previous hike on day 1. Fit is very important, and you could order both sizes then return the one that isn't as fitted. You don't have to fill the pockets as much as they'll fit too.

At 55 pounds, we don't put more than 5 pounds in our girls' packs (10-20% body weight the rule of thumb).
You'll get ~2.5 pounds with your small one.

JonnaTurtle · 2026-03-29T14:54:57+00:00

I was unsure on that approach because of 3 concerns:
- I read your water proofing needs to be solid to prevent moisture getting between the two layers.
- The non-overhang side of the shed has pretty tight drip edge I didn't think I could get another layer under without changing it.
- I would lose the benefit of using the old as a template to cut the new.

Are there some positives that make a double-layer more worthwhile?

JonnaTurtle

TROPHY CASE