# ProPlugger question



## adidasUNT8 (Jul 23, 2020)

Hey guys. I just ordered a ProPlugger. 
I have a couple projects that I am considering tackling with it.

Ihave an area around our flower bed where my wife let the sweet potato vine grow out crazy and into the lawn last year. Needless to say that those exact areas are completely bare now. It's probably about 10 sq feet total (1'x10'), I'd say.

Questions:

1) I see most people planting these plugs 4-6" apart. Is it possible to plant them even closer? 2" apart? I am wanting this area to grow in rapidly.

2) Is it best to fill old holes with enriched topsoil or sand?

Separate project:

I also have a heavy clay area on the side of the house that doesn't get much sunlight. It also is a mudpit every time it rains or my neighbor waters his lawn and it flows down to my sideyard.

1) Could I use the pro plugger to pull up a bunch of the clay and fill the holes with sand or something else to help with drainage, or am I better off doing a full renovation and putting in some paver stones or something similar?

pics of side area:


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## LittleBearBermuda (Sep 25, 2020)

You can definitely plant 2 inches apart. I recently bought a pro plugger and used it for the first time yesterday. I filled the holes with sand/screened topsoil. It's a great tool. I would probably use something else to pull up material in that area.


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## bwhitaker (Apr 11, 2019)

You can put them as close as you want. I would backfill with sand, but you can also backfill with soil from the target area. Anyway I think your issues though are from lack of sunlight due to the house and fence in a high traffic area. There may also be a drainage issue or an over flowing gutter by the house not helping things.


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## david_ (Aug 22, 2019)

I always backfill with the holes I'm making for the plugs. Just trade spaces. I'd probably flagstone that area.


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## adidasUNT8 (Jul 23, 2020)

bwhitaker said:


> You can put them as close as you want. I would backfill with sand, but you can also backfill with soil from the target area. Anyway I think your issues though are from lack of sunlight due to the house and fence in a high traffic area. There may also be a drainage issue or an over flowing gutter by the house not helping things.


I appreciate the reply. it's 100% because that area gets very little sunlight. in addition to the higher concentration of clay soil and my neighbors yard slopes right down to that area. He also doesn't aerate or help with containing his runoff. It's a perfect storm really. That gutter spout was just put in a few weeks ago and it actually flows away from the damaged area. I was torn between making a flagstone path or paver sidewalk. I have a JD 220e mower that i'll be taking through that are probably 6+ a week. I haven't made a pathway like this before. if sand is put under the pavers/flagstone, would that help with drainage?


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

I have been using a Pro Plugger this Spring for the first time and I have noticed that it's difficult to exchange the plugs 1:1, so you almost need to backfill with something. If I take a 2" plug out of Area A, and then out of Area B, the Area B plug might only be 1.75" long, OR the Area A hole might have collapsed slightly and only fits a 1.5" plug. The point is that you might have to shave off some of a plug or topdress the entire area later on once it goes in to make it flat.

As far as filling the holes that you're not filling with other plugs, I think the best is an enriched topsoil/sand mix. Too much topsoil will break down and sink over time, but too much sand will make it less conducive to new grass growth.


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## daganh62 (May 4, 2018)

A few things yes you can do it two inches apart. But, the million dollar question is will it grow with such little sunlight? Also why is your neighbors yard running off into yours. I would check local ordinances as it.may be illegal and his burden to fix.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

daganh62 said:


> A few things yes you can do it two inches apart. But, the million dollar question is will it grow with such little sunlight? Also why is your neighbors yard running off into yours. I would check local ordinances as it.may be illegal and his burden to fix.


Hate to break it to ya, but water runs down stream and it's not illegal.


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## Thor865 (Mar 26, 2018)

adidasUNT8 said:


> Hey guys. I just ordered a ProPlugger.
> I have a couple projects that I am considering tackling with it.
> 
> Ihave an area around our flower bed where my wife let the sweet potato vine grow out crazy and into the lawn last year. Needless to say that those exact areas are completely bare now. It's probably about 10 sq feet total (1'x10'), I'd say.
> ...


You can plant them as close as you want to. The bigger issue is the lack of sunlight. I'm assuming it wasn't always this way and has gradually worsened over time with lack of sun. If this is the case wouldn't hurt making the side yard a natural area than just chasing your tail


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

FATC1TY said:


> daganh62 said:
> 
> 
> > A few things yes you can do it two inches apart. But, the million dollar question is will it grow with such little sunlight? Also why is your neighbors yard running off into yours. I would check local ordinances as it.may be illegal and his burden to fix.
> ...


Actually, runoff onto another's property can be illegal if it was caused by an alteration he made to his property. If it's just natural runoff, then there might not be a legal remedy. Who knows....maybe the land developer messed up and didn't provide for good enough drainage when the lots were created.


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## adidasUNT8 (Jul 23, 2020)

Thor865 said:


> adidasUNT8 said:
> 
> 
> > Hey guys. I just ordered a ProPlugger.
> ...


You are correct it has worsened over time. I wasn't planning on using the pro plugger for fixing this Spot. The pro plugger is for the dead areas around the front garden. This section I'm trying to figure out what to put here. Considering flagstone, concrete pavers, or something else possibly. I would like to clean it up and also help with the drainage issue if possible.


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## Nick Sal (Apr 6, 2021)

Plugging the area will work if you can keep it a bit dryer, I would also consider putting in some drain tile on your gutters, that would help eliminate some of the water build up.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Phids said:


> FATC1TY said:
> 
> 
> > daganh62 said:
> ...


That's generally the case with poor grading and people building houses where you really shouldn't.

With homes so close together these days it's asinine to think you can actively dam up runoff on your property, especially with erosion over time. It's quite prevalent in clay soil homes that are a couple years old.


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

FATC1TY said:


> That's generally the case with poor grading and people building houses where you really shouldn't.
> 
> With homes so close together these days it's asinine to think you can actively dam up runoff on your property, especially with erosion over time. It's quite prevalent in clay soil homes that are a couple years old.


Funny you mention that, since when my lot house was built in 2019, the developer made sure to grade the lots so that there are distinctive dips between them. This has been kind of an annoyance to me, since it makes it hard to mow where my lawn meets my neighbors' lawns on either side. I wish they were a little bit smoother, but on the positive side we don't have to worry about flooded lawns.


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## daganh62 (May 4, 2018)

FATC1TY said:


> daganh62 said:
> 
> 
> > A few things yes you can do it two inches apart. But, the million dollar question is will it grow with such little sunlight? Also why is your neighbors yard running off into yours. I would check local ordinances as it.may be illegal and his burden to fix.
> ...


Hate to break it to you but it is illegal in your state and many others.


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## daganh62 (May 4, 2018)

FATC1TY said:


> Phids said:
> 
> 
> > FATC1TY said:
> ...


If you have grass erosion doesn't happen. I live in a neighborhood that's on multiple hills. We have know issue with water running into one another's yard because the yard are graded with a small rise on each side to prevent it from happening. It's not asinine to have to not worry about your neighbors runoff it's reasonable.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

"Hey I'd like to put in a French drain to manage our water situation. Let's split the cost."

And if your neighbors a **** about it, put 6-12" of dirt on your side of the fence


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## bwhitaker (Apr 11, 2019)

adidasUNT8 said:


> bwhitaker said:
> 
> 
> > You can put them as close as you want. I would backfill with sand, but you can also backfill with soil from the target area. Anyway I think your issues though are from lack of sunlight due to the house and fence in a high traffic area. There may also be a drainage issue or an over flowing gutter by the house not helping things.
> ...


I think you're going to keep having issues due to lack of sunlight in that area. You can certainly plug it and it'll probably help, but the best bet is going to be look into shady area alternatives like hardscaping of one type or another


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## adidasUNT8 (Jul 23, 2020)

bwhitaker said:


> adidasUNT8 said:
> 
> 
> > bwhitaker said:
> ...


Yeah I have just about decided that some hardscaping is in order. Just not sure how well it will drainage at all. Maybe dig a trench along the fence line and toss in some sand?


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