Neighbor Complaining About Our Lawn Care - Weeds/Pests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Without an HOA, you have the right to do anything you want with your lawn, but it is extremely rude not to take care of any flowering or seeding weeds that will spread themselves in the wind into your neighbors yard. That's the plant equivalent of letting your dog out to wander and poop in the neighbors yards. As long as you keep your weeds in your yard, you're fine.

So, what to do? I would treat an area of your yard along the border between your properties, say about 3-5 feet wide to help create a barrier so that weeds don't send roots towards his lawn. Also, you should treat any flowering weeds within about 10 feet of his yard. What to treat with to avoid anything harmful to your pets or children? You can use vinegar. Pour or spray on plants and it will start killing them in 15-30 minutes. You can also use 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol in 1 liter of water. It will kill plants by dehydrating them. As I said, I would treat a strip of your yard by your neighbor's edge and then spot treat any weeds that are flowering or releasing seeds. You're free to do whatever you want, but the neighborly thing it to be respectful of a neighbor who wants a weed-free yard by making sure that you're not spreading your weeds into his yard.

OP here - thank you for this suggestion. I'd definitely be willing to try vinegar. Especially just on a 3 foot area where our lawns meet. That would sound like a fair option. Our lawn isn't that big anyhow. I might try that out this weekend.

I'll see if I can find a picture and post it. To be fair, our lawn is pretty weedy.

You're welcome. Just a few tips if you want to try it out. You might want to mix a small amount of dish detergent in with the vinegar. It helps the solution adhere to the plants for maximum efficiency:

http://www.garden-counselor-lawn-care.com/vinegar-weed-killer.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just wait, the older neighbor will eventually move and you'll wind up as we did with a nudgy gardener type replaced by a family that could care less. I figure it's good for us, now our very imperfect lawn and half-hearted attempt at flower beds look really classy in comparison. And I keep thinking that the gardener who used to live in the house next door would be horrified if she knew what her yard now looks like.

it's couldn't care less. I am on a one-woman mission to rid the world of this pervasive grammatical error!

[Anonymous]

17:10 is right because if you could care less, you would.

I would kindly suggest to him that he should speak to his lawn service, because they apparently aren't doing the job properly if they aren't preventing/killing off the weeds in his yard. What is he paying all that money for?

This.

You chose not to live in a place with an HOA. So did he. He doesn't get to tell you what to do with your lawn. Next time he complains, tell him if he believes this is a problem his lawn service can't handle, he might want to consider putting up a fence. At his own expense, of course.

I imagine he will pipe down after you kindly share those two good ideas for how he can solve a problem he apparently has. Because, OP, he is the one with the problem, not you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who care that much about their lawns need to get a damn hobby.

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Maybe you should buy him the complete "Murder She Wrote" DVD. I hear that's what old farts like to watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From an old article:

Nancy and Walter Stewart of Potomac, Maryland, discovered this truth in 1986. That was the spring their tractor mower broke down one time too many, and they decided to let most of their seven-acre yard grow. Soon shaggy meadow grasses and wildflowers overtook the lawn. The Stewarts loved the natural look and the low maintenance—twice-a-year mowing and no watering or pesticides. But in their posh Washington, D.C., suburb the meadow garden stuck out like a jalopy up on blocks. The neighbors were furious. One sent an anonymous note calling the yard “a disgrace to the entire neighborhood.” Someone started a fire in it. The county cited the couple under its weed ordinance. After the Stewarts threatened a legal challenge- Nancy is a U.S. Justice Department attorney—the county finally amended its weed law to permit meadow gardens with a mowed strip surrounding them.

OP, grow a meadow lawn. I want to, but my wife will not let me.

That sounds like a nice idea in theory but wouldn't it be like issuing a written invitation for rats and mice?

The meadow will attract snakes, so no need to worry about the mice.

Why would that invite mice/rats any more than anything else? I'd think mice/rats would be more likely to go somewhere with food around. There are mice/rats at shopping malls, and there are certainly no meadows there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who care that much about their lawns need to get a damn hobby.

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Maybe you should buy him the complete "Murder She Wrote" DVD. I hear that's what old farts like to watch.

you realize it takes very minimal effort to have a decent lawn. Minimal.

[Anonymous]

If you mow your lawn fairly short and keep it mowed, the grass will force out the weeds. Takes about a season. Then spread corn gluten to stop the emergent weeds if you want.

I planted Dutch white clover. It improves the soil and feeds the bees. It is also lush and green and fairly short....your children will learn to watch for bees if they want to be barefoot. We did....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you mow your lawn fairly short and keep it mowed, the grass will force out the weeds. Takes about a season. Then spread corn gluten to stop the emergent weeds if you want.

I planted Dutch white clover. It improves the soil and feeds the bees. It is also lush and green and fairly short....your children will learn to watch for bees if they want to be barefoot. We did....

You do realize bees wont honor you man made property line. If you were purposely creating a situation to attract bees and a child or adult who was allergic was stung, you could have a lawsuit, even from beyond the property line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather live next to you than him, OP.

FWIW we live in a fairly nice neighborhood (houses $700-$800K) and we have two neighbors on our street who freescape (don't cut grass or anything at all). And I DON'T CARE, because I'm going to die some day.

haha love it!!

[Anonymous]

rip out your lawn, put in rocks. and gnomes. lots and lots of gnomes. perhaps also whimsical angel children.

take that neighbor!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just ducked in to say thank heavens we live in a community with an active HOA. No yucky cars parked on the street. No weedy, unkept lawns. No bizarre house colors. Yes, it can seem kind of cookie cutter sometimes. But that's what we wanted. If your neighbor was so concerned about the neighborhood lawns, he should have bought in a community with a strict HOA. We can't allow our grass to grow over four (I think) inches. We can't have weeds. We can't plant any trees or shrubs without approval. We can't build kids play sets without approval from the architectural committee. We can't paint our house without getting approval on the color. Our trash cans have to be completely out of site. And they must be removed from the curb within 12 hours. We have tons of rules and regulations. And I love it! We did get a note last year requesting that we power wash our driveway. But that's the only time we've ever been contacted.

I understand that others would hate that lifestyle. But we were willing to pay more to live in a neighborhood where people actually cared about the appearance of their homes and lawns.

Jesus. Count me among those who would hate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you mow your lawn fairly short and keep it mowed, the grass will force out the weeds. Takes about a season. Then spread corn gluten to stop the emergent weeds if you want.

I planted Dutch white clover. It improves the soil and feeds the bees. It is also lush and green and fairly short....your children will learn to watch for bees if they want to be barefoot. We did....

You do realize bees wont honor you man made property line. If you were purposely creating a situation to attract bees and a child or adult who was allergic was stung, you could have a lawsuit, even from beyond the property line.

We need the bees!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

You do realize bees wont honor you man made property line. If you were purposely creating a situation to attract bees and a child or adult who was allergic was stung, you could have a lawsuit, even from beyond the property line.

Good luck with that lawsuit..lol

[Anonymous]

Damn. If that's middle class, then I'm glad I'm RICH (biatch).

[Anonymous]

If your kid wasn't running across my lawn, he wouldn't get stung. If your kid is so allergic, make him wear his damn shoes.