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Know what bugs me about landscaping improvement projects on TV...........??

Know what bugs me about landscaping improvement projects on TV...........??


  #1  
Old 05-10-16, 12:57 PM
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Know what bugs me about landscaping improvement projects on TV...........??

......when workers take a tree/shrub out of a 5-10 gallon pot and immediately drop it into the new hole.

In most cases you should carefully unwind/scratch the root ball to get the roots out of their circular state. Planting without unwinding means slow, stunted growth.

Also, I never see the worker bees using an implement to scarify the hole. This gives new, tender roots a place to dig into and get going.

Lastly, why are these dopes always in such a hurry ? "Come on, the homeowners will be here in 2 hours......."
 
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Old 05-10-16, 02:02 PM
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It's TV, it's supposed to be entertaining so they can sell commercials and reality sometimes has nothing to do with that.
 
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Old 05-10-16, 02:14 PM
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That's not only done on TV, it's done in real life. Who takes the time to unwind roots?
 
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Old 05-10-16, 02:33 PM
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I suspect it's cheaper/quicker for the landscapers to just drop them in the hole and replace an odd one here or there that doesn't make it. The contractors [any trade] that will take the same care with your job as they would if it was for themselves are few and far between.
 
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Old 05-10-16, 04:07 PM
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Landscape TV pet peeves:

1. When they plant a tree a few feet from the house because it's looks good on camera now but totally ignore that the tree will grow to 50 feet tall and it's roots will wreak havoc on the foundation.

2. "Crasher" TV shows that go to someone who's lived in their house for years totally ignoring the basic landscaping they have. Then "crash" the property and give them something with lots of plants to prune, lots of mulched area to weed and a water feature that needs tons of maintenance. If they did nothing before what are the odds they are going to take care of something needing even more work.
 
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Old 05-11-16, 02:31 AM
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When they plant a tree a few feet from the house because it's looks good on camera now but totally ignore that the tree will grow to 50 feet tall and it's roots will wreak havoc on the foundation.
That isn't just on TV, you wouldn't believe how many new construction houses I've painted where the landscaper did the same thing in fla they liked to pile mulch up on a wood frame house up above the slab
 
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Old 05-11-16, 03:49 AM
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I'm totally against trees near a house. Should be at least 50 feet away and be positive that no underground pipes or wires or foundations, sidewalks or anything is in the way. That said I do have a tree on my front yard and it's pain to keep it trimmed to a manageable size. The other problem is lots of roof hassles with leaves and animals.
 
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Old 05-11-16, 05:40 AM
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Something similar that bugs me is when it comes time to paint during one of those remodeling shows, and it shows someone with a roller in their hand, painting a little 3'x3' area that is right in front of them- rolling randomly in all directions- before they cut away to another scene. They rarely show them rolling top to bottom with a paint pole, and they never show anyone cutting in the edges.

People would quickly lose interest in those kinds of shows if they were to focus on all the tedious labor that goes into doing the job right.
 
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Old 05-11-16, 05:46 AM
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in fla they liked to pile mulch up on a wood frame house up above the slab
I never saw so much mulch as I did when I lived in Florida. Buying stock in mulch crossed my mind.
 
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Old 05-11-16, 05:54 AM
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Brant, I know what you mean when it comes to painting on TV. The 2 things that bug me most are 2-3 people with rollers to paint 1 wall and all the times they use the wrong primer with no prep .... well maybe 3, how do they stain a piece of wood, supposedly apply multiple coats of poly and nail it up all in the same afternoon signifying a finished product ???
 
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Old 05-11-16, 12:19 PM
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People would quickly lose interest in those kinds of shows if they were to focus on all the tedious labor that goes into doing the job right.
It has been several years ago that I lost interest precisely because they DON'T show the tedious work needed. The only show I watch now is Ask TOH and This Old House with occasionally watching an episode of Hometime and the latter is mostly to watch Miriam Johnson.

Of course to be honest I need to state that I don't have cable or satellite TV and the station that broadcasts (repeats) of several of the shows I don't receive all that well.

Even when I watch TOH or ATOH I am often griping out loud that it just isn't that easy as what they are showing.

I worked with a man whose wife watched all those HGTV and DIY Network shows and she kept bugging Terry about wanting HIM to do this, that or the other. He tried to explain to her that those projects were very time consuming as well as expensive but she insisted it was easy, she had seen it on TV. In a similar vein, when my sister bought a "fixer" she wanted polished concrete floors because she had seen it on HGTV. I tried to tell her that polished concrete was too heavy for her home as well as being cold, hard on the feet/back and quite expensive. She (of course) discounted everything I said and it wasn't until she called a few contractors that she got that silly idea out of her head.


Oh, I agree with planting the trees too close to the house. I have a red Maple tree that while it is a pretty tree I think I will be taking it down because it overhangs two roofs and the leaves clog the gutters. Leaves a mess on the sidewalk as well and I know it is just a matter of time before it starts to crack the sidewalk. Got a Fir (I think) just a dozen feet or so from the Maple that is also causing problems. They're both still fairly short, no more than 15-20 feet tall and I suspect that at least one of them is going bye-bye before winter.
 
 

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