How would I learn yard care?

Hi,

I have large front and back yards, and am tired of paying for someone else to do the work, particularly because they end up taking advantage of me. Love to pay people to take advantage of me.

Anyway, I figure I can stop this cycle, if I can learn to do some things on my own. And I am motivated to stop this.

How do I go about hiring someone to teach me how to run a weed-eater, how to run, maybe a chain saw to cut up roots and wood, how to dig up long standing, well rooted bushes?

Any ideas would be appreciated, and no there is no one I can ask.

Thanks in advance.

[getforfree]

Mabe just ask your neighbor how they do it, or you can go to the store that sell those tools and ask the salesperson to give you some instructions how to use it. Thats the way to learn it without paying someone for it. Believe me, it's easy even for a woman. I have front yard and big backyard, and I mow the lawn and use the trimmer to cut the grass on the sides and close to bushes.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Go to the library, and see what books that are available on the subjects that you would like to know about. Try to see if there are any basic classes in gardening and how use garden tools etc at your local hardware shop or adult short courses on gardening at schools around you. We have them here but I live in Australia. I do some of my own gardening but learnt from my father how to do some and by trial & error as well!

[Lori63]

Do Lowes or Home Depot or a local garden center offer any free clinics on this?

Thanks for the replies.

I don't really have any lawn - and the shrubs are all firmly established, I believe circa 1960. it is really the shrubs that I need to learn how to remove - I seem to be getting pretty expert at pulling weeds. But have purchased a weed wacker, and don't know how to use that. I can't test it out because someone working on my house apparently stole my outdoor extension cords from the garage. But I admit I am intimdated.

A lot of these bushes seem to be primarily wood at this point - if you try to trim it back you just get wood. They are just too old, and the original homeowner of this house seems to have felt that if you plan enough bushes and hedges, that would be the thing. I am thinking it would need a chain saw? Don't really know - or how to get rid of the root ball, that my last yard care man left, on the last bush removed. I would have to cut it up to put it in the trash, but must admit I don't know about large cutting things - don't even use larger than steak knives in the kitchen, lol.

I have taken a continuing education class on planning your landscaping, but the only other one that is offered is like Enchilada Gardening? Don't think it covers my interest.

My one neighbor is always calling the city on me for my yard. If your weeds are over 4" tall, it is a criminal offense, and also having a bush encroaching on the sidewalk apparently violates some Disabilities Act and it is the police that will come on the 3rd complaint. My other neighbors are all elderly - pretty much original owners and only know a few of them to say hello to. Their yard care people probably come during the day while I am work.

I think Home Depot and Lowes only have classes occasionally in like putting in pavers. But I will check on that again - it has been a while since I checked.

Sorry this ended up so long.

[Lori63]

Just wanted to add-
Good For You for wanting to save the money and do it yourself.

[shengmei]

I think if you wake up early every morning and pull some weeds (which is a very good exercise, IMO) the yard can eventually take care of itself.

The past few years, I have spent my summer on the weeds. I dream of being able to do more than just work and pull weeds, hence hiring people. However, they said they would dig the roots out, which is why I paid $35/hr, and instead they trimmed them with a weed wacker, putting me in a bad position and charged me the same number of hours- but setting themselves up for several hundred dollars a month (because they are back up over 4" in two weeks), and know that when the city comes I will have but two weeks to come into compliance, with one more notice before I get a criminal summons or a lien on my house. I suppose they thought I was stupid. They should have at least cleaned up the trimmings but at least the trimming would spread the seed further.

They also did work I did not ask them to do and tried to charge me for it.

But I also need to come into compliance with the Disabilities Act for my bushes.

It is more than just exercise that I am looking for, it is the wish to not have a criminal record. I want to get my yards redone, but the last estimate for a single section of the front was $10,000 and they would not remove any bushes, give me any new plantings or allow me to have new rock. Then I would only need to worry about the other 3/4 of the front yard.

[markio26]

go to your local newspaper and look up handyman.. and lawn care services and they will have someone who freelances for cheap... my brothernlaw gets ppl. for $20 a day.. call the local employment services office and they should refer you to someone.. ask around maybe a high school student can assist you... hth

[getforfree]

Originally Posted by taking charge

Thanks for the replies.





My one neighbor is always calling the city on me for my yard. If your weeds are over 4" tall, it is a criminal offense, and also having a bush encroaching on the sidewalk apparently violates some Disabilities Act and it is the police that will come on the 3rd complaint. My other neighbors are all elderly - pretty much original owners and only know a few of them to say hello to. Their yard care people probably come during the day while I am work.


Sorry this ended up so long.

I wouldn't want to live with neighbors like yours. I feel so sorry for you. I am so happy, my neighbors are really good people, even though their yards don't look perfect and some of them have really ugly looking clutter, I wouldn't want to fight with them ower that.

No offence to the elders, but I usually try to avoid old people. They think, because they don't do anything whole day, you have tons of time too. I am very unpatient person, and they are too slow with everything.

[getforfree]

Why would they care what your yard looks like? They have nothing else to do, just to complain and that's all?

[Ima saver]

I can't believe you pay yard people $35 an hour, my husband is a builder and he doesn't charge near that much. Sounds like you need the old bushes dug up and replaced with small bushes. Surely you could put an ad in the paper and offer some teenage boy $15 an hour to come and dig them up, then you can have him plant small ones. We landscaped our entire yard for under $1000. (My husband did the work)
As for old people, when I was young and I would get behind a little couple driving 25 mph, I would remind myself that I would be old some day and just stay behind them. They still have to get to town for groceries and dr. appts.
I am a little slower now also!

[getforfree]

Hey, TakingCharge!

What area do you live at? If you live in CA close to Sacramento, I would like to come and do some work for you, espessially if you pay cash. Even though I am a woman, I am strong and have experience doing yard work, it's been almost 2 yrs since we bought our house, and it didn't have any lawn at all, just one tree and some yellow grass like a feet tall.

LOL, I am in NM and I couldn't get an illegal for $20/day. I want to replace my big bushes with smaller, pretty ones, but my summer concern is keeping the city away from me.

I need to learn how to do it myself - I have gotten people from the paper before - boy where do you all live that that everything is so cheap.

I expect what my problem is, is that I am a woman alone, and people like to take advantage of that - so I usually pay double or triple what a man would pay.

Thanks - maybe I can volunteer to work for some landscape company on weekends to learn something - after I take care of my weeds - September or October I should be free.

[Crystallas]

Yard work is easy. Its time consuming, but very simple. First you need tools.
Weed eater would help. Hedge trimmer will help you with your bushes. You need to prune them so you can salvage the bush over replacing them with another bush. the outcome will be very rewarding.

Once you have the tools, common sence will kick in and you'll figure out how to use them. Plants are very forgiving, so you can make mistakes, they will fix themselves if you do.

Look into the fertilizers and weed removing chemicals. Some are harmful to all plants, some arent. They dont work like miracles, but they will kill off the roots(after you manually pull them with a puller/flathead screwdriver) that spread from all of the neglect caused by your landscapers.

Dont cut everything short. I know it seems like it will save you work, but all it will do is make your house look like crap. Until you learn how short you can cut each plant, you should allways start off by cutting everything even and mow your lawn at the highest setting.

You can read all you want, but landscaping is a skill that comes from experience, which includes making mistakes.

[34saving]

HGTV and the weather channel both have specials on maintaining your landscaping -- you might want to check your listings if you have cable. The library will also have a ton of resources for you. As far as bring the hedges into compliance -- get a pretty good pruner (just a hand one for now . . .you can worry about the chainsaw later. . .) and hack away at the non-compliance. It might look bad for awhile, but there's nothing they can do about that. It will probably come back fine and if it doesn't you don't really like these bushes anyway, right? Any weeds that are growing 4 inches a week can probably be dug out pretty easily. There's a tool (a dandelion digger or something like that) that looks like a little tiny spade. It will probably be $3-$5 and will let you get the roots and all. That's a lot of work though. If the weeds are too overwhelming for that: Weedwack and cover with black plastic or newspaper. Stop the light and you'll kill the weeds. OR Poison. Ask your garden center for an appropriate one, but it should be pretty easy if you don't have any grass. Finallly, sounds like you've got some dedicated home owners around you. Have you tried asking if any of them could teach you what to do. (Some of them might have lots of time on their hands and more than happy to help.) You could also ask if they have any (grandchildren?) that would work for a lower wage than you might have to pay somebody else. If you happen to get the one that's been calling the city to help you, all the better. You'll kill two birds with one stone.

[boefixepa]

If I am understanding what you are saying, you have quite a few large old bushes next to the sidewalk you want to get ride of.... also under and around these monster bushes the weeds are growing over the 4" allowance. And you have bored neighbors who joy in calling the city and complaining.

As an also single women...here what I do.

First, I don't take garbage from anyone. If they didn't do what I asked them I'd not pay them or call their boss and let them now how I felt about the matter. But since it's done...here's what I'd do with the current situation.

First the weeds. If they are just weeds and you don't want them and there is nothing of vaule to you growing where they are....weed killer. Just get a bulk weed killer. The cheepest stuff would be at a farm store in concentrate and you'd dilute it, but if you live in the city just get any commerical kill it all and spray away. The first time you will have to pick up all the dead stuff, but a light treatmeat every two weeks will keep them gone. It works wonders, and when you are ready to start growing something, like next summer. Just let it sit for a month before you plant. If you have grass/weed mix then you have to get the better weed killer stuff that doesn't kill grass and use it correctly so it kills the weeds and not the grass.

On the bushes...now if you want to just kiss them good buy (I think you do) and you have an aversion to power tools, completely understandable if you've never used them, get a good hand tree pruner a good pair of gloves and a big trash bag. Start clipping and tossing. Cut all the small branches you can. I've been amazed at the diamater a simple hand clipper can cut. It will be a buch job that's for sure, but just keep going. Once you've cut everything you can, yet this may take a few days, but don't stress. Then get a litte hand saw and go to work on the the big parts. Cut them into pieces you can manage. This isn't a race and little steps are easier to take.

Now once you have it down to the root balls make a judgement call. If you think you can dig them up with a shovel go for it. If you don't call a few places that do stump removel and ask them to come and give you a bid. They just ground the stumps into mulch and then you could spread that around.

As I've understood it, those where the issues you were dealing with. If I missed something please reclarify. All at once I know it seems daunting, but just take baby steps.

Once you get to this point you have a clean slate and can look into what you want to put there. I'd till the area once the roots are up to get the soil ready for the new bush you want to plant and I'd put down a really good weed tarp to keep the weeds from coming up once you've planted the new bushes.

Good luck, don't give up, just brake it into little pieces and it's easier.

[Fern]

i would ditto what everyone else said, but before digging up or chopping down those shrubs, i think it would be a good idea to first identify what they are. If you don't like their shape or size, for instance, you can do a pretty severe pruning on certain plants and it actually makes them healthier because of it. Or perhaps you can move some to better locations.

PS Running a chainsaw is not something i would recommend for a beginner. An old fashioned shovel and a little sweat may be the way to go. That's what I do with the invasive barberry shrubs around here.

[Fern]

And if you can find some other alternative to weed killer and pesticides in general, I think that would be a better way to go.

[shengmei]

I agree a hand pruner would work wonders. One of my neighbors got sick of her shrubs (she rents, so she cannot get rid of them) and pruned back her shurbs severely. I was very amazed at how healthy and vibrant the new growth looked. It works wonders.