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PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 2:27 pm 
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Location: Dallas,TX
Well I guess I'll start at with the basics, I have been using organic for over a year. I use organic fertilizer, compost tea(About every 2 weeks), garlic pepper spray and so on. My sister is buying a new house in Northwest San Antonio and I am going to help her landscape her new yard organicly. They will be sodding part of her yard for her but I plan to get the soil ready before they sod. I read her soil report the builder had and it says she has a clay, coliche mix to eight feet. My question is to prepare a new grass lawn, do I just mix in compost and till it four inches deep or is there something else I need to add to the soil to get her grass going good. Also since I live in Dallas I don't know where in San Antonio I can get compost, I have a small bed F150 truck that I can haul it in, just need to know where to get it cheap. I also need to know where I can get organic supplies. If anybody knows what is the best shade tree for San Antonio I would also appreciate that as well. Most of the plants I will be planting I am bringing them from Dallas. :? :? :?

Thanks, William

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 Post subject: new S.A. lawn
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 3:51 pm 
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Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
ws-
You can buy huge am'ts of compost from the city of Plano, if you're still willing to haul. I have not used it, however, & would be interested in hearing if anyone has.
Patty

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 11:22 pm 
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Hauling coals to Newcastle, huh? You might be interested to know that Howard Garrett didn't know squat about organic gardening until he learned it from the folks in San Antonio. While you're here you might go out to Garden-Ville on Cibolo Creek and talk to Malcolm Beck himself.

There are at least three great places to buy organic supplies in "northwest" San Antonio. That location description covers a large area. If she is inside loop 410, I would suggest a nursery (and I'm drawing a complete blank on the name) near the corner of Calaghan and Bandera. If she's inside loop 1604, then the place to go is Fertile Garden Supply on 1604 south of Bandera highway. If she's outside loop 1604, then there is a material location on I-10 on the south side of the road toward Boerne. Can't remember the name of that either but I'm thinking it's a new Garden-Ville location .

Clay/caliche to 8 feet? That's pretty nice for around here. Mine is limestone dust over limestone bedrock from -1 inches (protruding rock) to 18 inches. I would not till. If the house is brand new, it should be finish graded leaving a perfectly smooth surface for sod. Have the grader grade in compost. He can haul it. Have it picked up at Fertile Garden Supply unless she's outside loop 1604 in the I-10 area. You'll need 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet of turf to go on AFTER the sod is laid. At the same time as the sod goes down, cover it with 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of corn meal to prevent fungus. Sod seems to come with fungal disease of some kind or another. Be sure you roll the sod down with a water roller.

I can't suggest a tree. There are way too many variables to do that by remote control.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:31 pm 
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Location: Dallas,TX
While you're here you might go out to Garden-Ville on Cibolo Creek and talk to Malcolm Beck himself.

When I get down there that will be the first place I go, thanks for tip.

There are at least three great places to buy organic supplies in "northwest" San Antonio. If she's inside loop 1604, then the place to go is Fertile Garden Supply on 1604 south of Bandera highway.

I just got back from SA and found out that fertile garden is just around the corner from her. She is just outside 1604 in Bridgewood.

If the house is brand new, it should be finish graded leaving a perfectly smooth surface for sod. Have the grader grade in compost. He can haul it. Have it picked up at Fertile Garden Supply

Before they put down the sod it seems they put down a layer of sand, I saw several yards that had sand down and the sod was on pallets getting ready to go down. Guess I will be hauling in some compost so I can put it down myself, If I understand you correctly I should put some compost down before and after the sod is laid. Is this correct? I put compost on my yard now in spring 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. I will also put down the corn meal as you instructed.(I usually put down corn meal mixed with molasses to cut down on the dust) Should I add any organic fertilizer on it with the corn meal or should I wait until later.

I can't suggest a tree. There are way too many variables to do that by remote control.[/quote]

I have been looking in Howard Garretts new book Texas Gardening The Natural Way and have kind of decided on Ancua (Sandpaper Tree) Which they have one at the Alamo or a Chinese Pistachio.
My sister will not be moving in until November, so I have plenty of time to research and plan her new landscape. She found out that they will not put in the sod until after she moves in so I should have plenty of time to get the soil right before they sod it. Thanks very much for your advice, I really appreciate it a lot. :D

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:10 pm 
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I think the most important compost is that which goes down on top of the sod. Any compost that goes underneath disintegrates before anything great happens. It will give you some temporary tilth, though, long enough to establish roots below the surface.

As for trees specifically for San Antonio, I'd call Bob Webster (or his staff) at Shades of Green and ask them. Bob has the organic radio show down here like Howard has up there and John Dromgule (sp) in Austin. They are all three disciples of Malcolm Beck. Also ask him what to put in the hole besides soft rock phosphate. I believe there is a product called Actinovate he recommends to prevent cottony root rot. You could talk to Malcolm about that, too. He's the one with experience with it.

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:39 pm 
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Garden-Ville has several soils. I used a compound with compost and got a nice result. I would also recommend Alpha pellets on top as a very slow source of nitogen and will not burn the tender grass.

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