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This is our first spring in our new house. We are getting to learn — and spend — money on landscaping, grass upkeep, etc. I mowed my parents’ yard growing up, and spread fertilizer when they told me to. I never really got into all of the details of what fertilizer to put on, and when.
So we learned our first lesson as clover started to pop up in the yard. It was a small patch toward the street. Unfortunately, I procrastinated. Before I know it, there are ten huge patches in various parts of the yard. It really spread like wildfire!
I went to Lowe’s and bought some general weed and feed to spread on the whole yard. I also saw some Weed-B-Gone on my way out that was marked down extremely cheap. Being uneducated in the fertilizing world, I bought the bottle for $2 or $3. It took me a few extra days before I actually went outside and sprayed the clover patches. It says on the bottle that it should take a few days to really kick in.
Well, a few days went by and the clover looked mostly unchanged. It had changed colors only where the spray had hit. Nothing was dying.
Then it struck me: I bought weed killer on clearance. Never buy weed killer on clearance. It is last year’s batch and will be ineffective on your weeds. It took a lot longer before the weeds started to look a little pitiful, but they definitely weren’t dead. I had to go out there with a spade and pull up the patches myself.
I’ll mark this one up to getting an education in home ownership. For the other homeowners out there, what mistakes have you made along the way out in the yard?
7 Comments, Comment or Ping
Philip
Uh oh, I may have waited too long also. Good to know about weedkiller going bad. I still have some from last year, I guess it would not be worth my time to use it on the yard.
Apr 4th, 2008
Future Millionaire
Look at it this way — pulling them out yourself with a spade is probably a lot more effective than any weed killer anyway - its just a lot more work
Apr 4th, 2008
Mom @ Wide Open Wallet
I can’t think of any homeowner mistakes we have made right off the top of my head, not that there aren’t any, I just can’t think of one right now. But it looks like a beautiful neighborhood you got there.
Apr 4th, 2008
Kevin
@Philip: I’m no expert… it may work, maybe if you shake it off to make the contents? I mean it did -eventually- work a little bit, but not like you would expect.
I’d use it just to see, before throwing it out.
@Future: Indeed, it was more effective with an immediate result! I had a whole grocery bag full of the nasty stuff.
@Mom: Yea this wasn’t necessarily the first, but it’s the first I remembered to write about
Apr 4th, 2008
Penelope @ Our Fourpence Worth
We’ve made a similar mistake with weed killer. I purchased it last spring (though I don’t think it was on clearance) but we didn’t get around to using till a couple of weeks ago. The weeds look a bit droopy but they’re don’t look dead.
As for other mistakes with our yard - are too many and too embarrassing to share. :p
Apr 5th, 2008
Philip
Well… I have tried old weed killer, 3 times over 2 weeks that I have sprayed some weeds, they look a little worse for wear, but sure are not dying. Oh well.
Apr 23rd, 2008
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