how much work do you want? are you going to live there for a while?
at minimum, scatter a lot of seed for red clover or a similar classic cover crop. probably maybe the rain will make it grow. at slightly-better, rip out all your grass, scratch up the bare dirt a little, spread a light mulch (couple-five yard bags from the store), then seed.
if you don't mind working in the rain, you can still plant brassicas, chard, garlic, root vegetables (in a raised bed or on the slope so they don't drown!) and maybe fast-growing peas.
bulbs! lots and lots of flower bulbs. won't help with the mudpit problem for months yet, but you'll be glad they're in come spring.
fruit trees if you can get your landlord to help pay for them, or if you're just very generous with the world.
also, buy a lot of materials, borrow some floodlights and extra tools, provide extra alcohol and sweaters, and have your friends do all the work at night at your birthday party.
I have a secret: I was mostly posting this in the hopes that you'd respond. Everyone else is gravyflamingweaselOctober 3 2008, 16:53:34 UTC
Awesome!
The deal with the place is we'll probably be the last tenants there. When the landlord can get credit and the housing market recovers he's planning on tearing the duplex down and building townhomes. I expect that's a couple of years out at best. However, that means fruit trees are right out. It'd be sad to plant trees only to have them bulldozed in 2 years.
Cover crop sounds like the best short-term solution. Bulbs: awesome idea.
I can't tell from here, but that looks like it has a lot clay content...which, of course, makes growing things very difficult.
If it is high clay, and thus does not take to seeding easily, I would recommend some large stones pushed down up and down the slope in a staggered fashion.
Comments 6
at minimum, scatter a lot of seed for red clover or a similar classic cover crop. probably maybe the rain will make it grow. at slightly-better, rip out all your grass, scratch up the bare dirt a little, spread a light mulch (couple-five yard bags from the store), then seed.
if you don't mind working in the rain, you can still plant brassicas, chard, garlic, root vegetables (in a raised bed or on the slope so they don't drown!) and maybe fast-growing peas.
bulbs! lots and lots of flower bulbs. won't help with the mudpit problem for months yet, but you'll be glad they're in come spring.
fruit trees if you can get your landlord to help pay for them, or if you're just very generous with the world.
also, buy a lot of materials, borrow some floodlights and extra tools, provide extra alcohol and sweaters, and have your friends do all the work at night at your birthday party.
these are my recommendations such as they are.
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The deal with the place is we'll probably be the last tenants there. When the landlord can get credit and the housing market recovers he's planning on tearing the duplex down and building townhomes. I expect that's a couple of years out at best. However, that means fruit trees are right out. It'd be sad to plant trees only to have them bulldozed in 2 years.
Cover crop sounds like the best short-term solution. Bulbs: awesome idea.
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If it is high clay, and thus does not take to seeding easily, I would recommend some large stones pushed down up and down the slope in a staggered fashion.
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