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Thread: The yard & garden line is OPEN

  1. #31
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by TeamCasey
    Can you plant grass where moss has taken up residence?
    Nope, moss and grass like completely different kinds of conditions.
    Generally, mosses grow where there are poor soils, less light, high moisture, etc. I have a spot in my front yard that is very shaded. It's got a lot of moss. Grass doesn't grow there, but in the bed adjacent to the moss, I have hostas that are happy as can be. I keep the bed healthy with organic matter and compost, and I am considering just extending it out into the area where the moss is and forgetting about trying to grow grass there.

    Less mowing
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  3. #32
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by TeamCasey
    Can you plant grass where moss has taken up residence?
    Some people smoke grass till they grow moss.

  4. #33
    Member 15fan's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Hey SD -

    I've got fescue. Front yard looks pretty good - we put some sod down last fall & it has taken quite nicely. I figure a year or so of growth, as well as aerating & overseeding this fall, and I'll be in good shape.

    The back yard, though, needs some help. There's fescue back there. There's also a fair amount of weeds and bare patches. I'd say I've got about 60% grass, 25% weeds, and 15% bare patches. About 2800 square feet or so.

    I'm hoping that I can try overseeding later this spring (in a few weeks, maybe?) and again this fall so that I don't have to consider other options like plowing the whole thing under and starting from scratch. Any thoughts?

  5. #34
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by 15fan
    Hey SD -

    I've got fescue. Front yard looks pretty good - we put some sod down last fall & it has taken quite nicely. I figure a year or so of growth, as well as aerating & overseeding this fall, and I'll be in good shape.

    The back yard, though, needs some help. There's fescue back there. There's also a fair amount of weeds and bare patches. I'd say I've got about 60% grass, 25% weeds, and 15% bare patches. About 2800 square feet or so.

    I'm hoping that I can try overseeding later this spring (in a few weeks, maybe?) and again this fall so that I don't have to consider other options like plowing the whole thing under and starting from scratch. Any thoughts?
    I think now or even earlier would be a good time to overseed. Fescue is a cool weather grass and it does best when the temp. is below 80 degrees. So, in Atlanta that leaves you about fifteen more minutes, doesn't it?

    I'm curious about the "bare patches". If weeds won't even grow there, then you have a cultural problem and you need to give the soil a little TLC.
    Lawns need a programmatic approach.

    Fall:
    Aerate and overseed in the Fall. This is THE BEST time to treat your lawn.
    Aerating is very important- it introduces air space into the soil, creates spaces for the roots to grow, helps nutrients get to the roots. Also, "top dress" by spreading composted manure. Work it into the holes the aerator creates. Aerating and top dressing is what I recommend for your back yard. You could do it now, too, but the main thing is that you will have to care for the new grass that comes up more closely. The advantage to fall seeding is that you don't have to worry about the hot summer sun.

    When the temp drops, weeds have stopped germinating and your grass is in hog heaven. Perfect temperature for root and shoot growth.
    Fertilize with something rich in phosphorous in the Fall. This is good for the roots, which are very active in late fall and early spring.

    Spring:
    Seed and repair bad spots in the Spring (fall, too).
    Fertilize with something that has a little more Nitrogen to get green growth.
    If the weeds are perennial, kill them or pull them out. If you want to stop annual weeds, apply something prevents seed germination. Something that says it prevents annual weeds does that.


    Summer: I generally only water and cut. But, Fert. companies would love to have you applying broadleaf weed killers and fertilizer.
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.

  6. #35
    Member TeamCasey's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    What is the name of this really common shrub that grows wild in the woods around here. The branches are quite and kind of hollow like bamboo. I can snap them with my hands even it they're green. As it gets bigger, the lower branches dry up and die off.

    We have them bordering our backyard. I like them. They're easy to maintain and "train". They're all over our woods. I whack through them trying to keep a trail to the creek.

  7. #36
    Member SandyD's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Glad you brought this up ... my dad has grown a cypress tree from a seedling. It's over 8 feet tall now, and only about 4-5 feet from a cherry tree. Seems to close for those trees to grow together, but he can't make himself cut either one down. Any ideas how long he has to decide?

    Also, we have an off patter of holes in the bark of a pear tree. Even pattern, straight lines, all around the tree, but fairly low--highest row is about 4 ft from the ground. Not very deep either -- looks light outer layer of the bark only is affected. Tree seems healthy, and I don't see any bugs around, but do you have any idea what would cause that?

    Forgot to mention...we live in the greater New Orleans area ... southshore of Lake Pontchartrain.
    Last edited by SandyD; 05-08-2005 at 06:15 PM.

  8. #37
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    TC:

    One of the most common things you see in the understory around Greater Cincinnati is (unfortunatetly) Chinese honeysuckle. What you are describing sounds like that. Very brittle branches? Red berries in the fall? If so, it's not likely you will find it on sale anywhere.
    This species of honeysuckle was introduced about 100 years ago and was a very popular border shrub. The main problem with it is that is very invasive. Lots of parts of Mt. Airy are just overrun with the stuff.

    I can come up with suggestions if you tell me what you are hoping to do. Border? Speciman? Flowering?
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.

  9. #38
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by SandyD
    Glad you brought this up ... my dad has grown a cypress tree from a seedling. It's over 8 feet tall now, and only about 4-5 feet from a cherry tree. Seems to close for those trees to grow together, but he can't make himself cut either one down. Any ideas how long he has to decide?
    A while, but the sooner you move the cypress the better. It's just easier to move a young tree. Do it in the fall rather than spring for better results.

    Also, we have an off patter of holes in the bark of a pear tree. Even pattern, straight lines, all around the tree, but fairly low--highest row is about 4 ft from the ground. Not very deep either -- looks light outer layer of the bark only is affected. Tree seems healty, and I don't see any bugs around, but do you have any idea what would cause that?
    Pin head sized? If so, borers, most likely. Keep an eye on it. The thing about boring insects is that they are usually a sign that a tree is not well. Could be wrong- it could be birds, too. But if it is...they're looking for insects, which is also not a good sign. Generally, a healthy tree doesn't have much insect damage. But even healthy trees get attacked, but they can deal with it. If the tree is generally healthy (ie, leafed out when other pears did, no die back at the tips of the branches) then it's a fairly healthy tree.
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.

  10. #39
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by SunDeck
    TC:

    One of the most common things you see in the understory around Greater Cincinnati is (unfortunatetly) Chinese honeysuckle. What you are describing sounds like that. Very brittle branches? Red berries in the fall? If so, it's not likely you will find it on sale anywhere.
    This species of honeysuckle was introduced about 100 years ago and was a very popular border shrub. The main problem with it is that is very invasive. Lots of parts of Mt. Airy are just overrun with the stuff.

    I can come up with suggestions if you tell me what you are hoping to do. Border? Speciman? Flowering?
    I have tons of it. I actually dig up small ones from the woods and replant them in areas where nothing else grows. As far as shrubs/trees goes ..... it grows around here like a weed. I just wanted to identify it. I looked up some photos, and I think you're right. It has little white flowers.

    I've been thinning it out in a lot of places, so it doesn't shade out other plants.

    I have one that's been groomed over the years into a umbrella-like huge tree with large gnarly trunks. It's sort of cool, if you keep it trimmed.

  11. #40
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    TC:
    That's why it was brought here- it's hardy as hell, grows fast.
    I think you would be doing the surrounding wild landscape a favor if you kept it from over crowding.
    They spread by bird. The berries are eaten in the fall and pooped out all over the place.
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.

  12. #41
    Member TeamCasey's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    One more woodsy question - I have two vines that grow in our woods. Both grow to the top of the canopy and choke the trees. They can get HUGE...... like the size of my calf! (And they can kill some enormous trees.)

    I think one is poison ivy. The other has a hairy looking surface. I hike around each spring and hunt for them. I sever them with a machete or axe. I pulled one down once and it came tumbling ...... all these white flowers went down the back of my shirt. (Freaked me out because I thought it was poison ivy, but it wasn't)

    I chopped one and liquid literally poured from it for two days.

    Just curious what you think they are. I need to get a tree identification book or something.

  13. #42
    Member TeamCasey's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by SunDeck
    TC:
    That's why it was brought here- it's hardy as hell, grows fast.
    I think you would be doing the surrounding wild landscape a favor if you kept it from over crowding.
    They spread by bird. The berries are eaten in the fall and pooped out all over the place.
    When TB first moved here, the forest floor was full of ferns. They just disappeared. I'll bet that's why.

  14. #43
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Re: Chinese Amur Honeysuckle: I just read that it spreads by simply leaving the cuttings on the ground too ...... which is exactly what I've been doing all along.

    I'll have to drag them to a common area.

  15. #44
    Member SandyD's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Thanks, SD. I think my dad (who is going to be 74) is a bit intimidated about moving the cypress tree. And not sure where he'd move it to. But it's really cool for him to be able to say he grew it from seedling ... just grew up from the mulch he was using in the yard.

    As for the borers ... I went out and looked more closely at them, and they look more like they've been done a phillips screwdriver rather than a pinhead. And this time I saw some white stuff that could have been some kind of egg sack. First time we've seen that. The tree does appear healthy. It's really rich with leaves right now. Came out late, but so did everything else around here. (We had a fairly cool spring)

    The only insects I've seen around, tho, are tiny little ants.

    Thanks again. We'll definitely have to watch. That tree shades our screened room in summer, so it stays a bit cooler than it otherwise would.

  16. #45
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: The yard & garden line is OPEN

    Quote Originally Posted by TeamCasey
    One more woodsy question - I have two vines that grow in our woods. Both grow to the top of the canopy and choke the trees. They can get HUGE...... like the size of my calf! (And they can kill some enormous trees.)

    I think one is poison ivy. The other has a hairy looking surface. I hike around each spring and hunt for them. I sever them with a machete or axe. I pulled one down once and it came tumbling ...... all these white flowers went down the back of my shirt. (Freaked me out because I thought it was poison ivy, but it wasn't)

    I chopped one and liquid literally poured from it for two days.

    Just curious what you think they are. I need to get a tree identification book or something.
    Poison Ivy is easy to identify. Three leaves, look like mittins, sort of. It's pretty common for poison ivy to really become mature in trees, wrapping around, getting real woody.

    Hard to say what the other stuff is. A couple of kinds of weed are real common around you. Virginia Creeper and Wild Grape come to mind, especially. How many leaves per stem? When does it flower? From your description, I'd say the most likely candidate is wild grape.
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.


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