Sunday, August 31, 2008

Misc: Lawn Care


Last week I've determined I have Rhizoctonia blight in the lawn. I went out and purchased a pellet-type of sod fungicide (manufactured by Bayer) for the problem. It's been one week now, and I've seen minimal results. The infected areas seem to be doing better; however the high heat this week and, I believe, too much watering have contributed to the spread of the fungus into unaffected areas. I've adjusted the sprinkling system to the following...

Zone A - All Grass; Set to turn on Tues-Sat at 9am for 7min.
Zone B - Herbs and vegtables; Set to turn on Sun-Sat at 8am for 12min.
Zone C - Grass in Full Sun; Set to turn on Tues and Thur only at 8:30pm for 7min.

I need to perform some more research on the effectiveness of Corn Meal on this disease. Rumor is that it may naturally control of the blight.

Start of Journal.


I started this journal to jot down my challenges, ideas and
improvements for future plantings, my yield rate, and uses for the produce I've harvested.

I enjoy cooking and I enjoy "farmer's market" fresh produce. In the past, when I first started to cook, I noticed a couple of things. One, fresh herbs always improve the flavor of dishes over dried; and two, fresh herbs from the market are expensive, and the majority of these purchases tend to end up in the trash. After a few years of spending a small fortune on herbs at Whole Foods (A.K.A. 'Whole Paycheck'), I decided to grow on my apartment balcony a few of my most frequently used herbs; rosemary, thyme, Italian parsely, etc.,... That was eight years ago.

Now fast-forward to 2008. I have a backyard in the heart of Silicon Valley where I can garden to my heart's delight. I've redesigned the yard to accommodate edible plants from Full Sun to Full shade. This summer I've grown much more than the usual herb fare. I now have six varieties of tomato plants, summer squash, pepper plants, and of course, the herb garden of my dreams.