We have a lot of poison ivy around. I can't see the leaves on the big vines, because they're up in the canopy. I look online at wild grape and see if that what it is.
Thank you!
We have a lot of poison ivy around. I can't see the leaves on the big vines, because they're up in the canopy. I look online at wild grape and see if that what it is.
Thank you!
I noticed today that one of the bushes in my back yard is covered with ladybug larvae. A few of the leaves on the bush look chewed up, and a few of them look like they have been dried out, so I'm pretty sure the ladybugs are there to eat whatever is eating the plant (spider mites and/or aphids).
My question is -- should I spray for the pests, or should I let the ladybugs take care of the problem?
"I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful
Hi Sundeck,
How do I get rid of wisteria vines?
Thanks!
School's out. What did you expect?
You want to get rid of them?Originally Posted by pedro
I want mine to grow bigger.
If that's what you want, strip everything but the main cog.
If you want to get rid of it all you're going to have to cut the base and dig it up.
I have a shovel and axe.
It's a kudzu like scourge. yes I want to get rid of it, otherwise it will kill my trees. It's relentless.Originally Posted by westofyou
School's out. What did you expect?
Gypsy Moth Caterpillers! I think people here call them tent worms.
They're prevalent in N.Y. I grew up with them.
I've never seen them here until this year. They're all over the place and in trees too high for me to cut out.
I used to just cut the "nests" out and either burn them or hair spray them. These were apple trees and I could access them with a ladder.
Should I panic? Does skirting trees help?
"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." - Nora Ephron
Hey all,
I think TC is probably just seeing tent caterpillars, which can do a lot of damage, but which usually don't really harm a tree too severely.Here's some info.
As for Wisteria....it's very hard to eradicate. I had a very mature one in NC. It was on the east side of the house and I found roots on the west side, in the craw space, growing up into the floor joists. These things will drive away with your car if you let them.
However, if you are persistent, you can keep them under control...with a shovel, spade, and maybe a stick of TNT. Get digging and never stop.
I'm in South Carolina right now. If there is a god, he owns a home on Pawleys Island.
Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.
One of the handy things I have around the house is a 16 ft. telescoping pole.Originally Posted by TeamCasey
I use it mostly to wash second story outside windows without having to get up on a ladder. I'm 6 ft.+ and I've got long arms, so I can reach pretty darn high with it, probably close to 25 ft.
But it comes in handy for other stuff like this. We've had a couple tent worm tents high up in trees that I've been able to knock out with the pole. Takes a little doing to tear apart the tent, but once you've done that, just whack the limb a few times and they all fall out.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Okay, Fall is approaching. What can we do now to prepare our lawns/gardens for next spring?
Good question. It's been really dry here in Charlotte this fall, and between the "brown patch" that got me early in the year and the dryness, I'm a little hesitant to put any fertilize down any time soon. I'm going to have to plant some seed as well, to take care of the areas where the "brown patch" got me. Any suggestions on timing, SunDeck?
Right now is the best time to overseed and repair your lawn in the Southeast. Further north, the window is closing fast. Seed needs warmth to germinate (80 degrees plus), but once it does the cool season weather will work to your advantage. Here's what I'd do:Originally Posted by RANDY IN CHAR NC
Aerate
Rent a core aerator. This will leave little cylinders of soil all over your yard...but it's worth it because it will introduce airspace into the growing zone. That's a big deal. You can follow that with top dressing (raking in aged pine bark, compost or some other soil amendment after aerating) or just rake over the cores with a leaf rake to break them up.
Overseed
Follow the directions on the seed. Rough up those completely bare patches to accept seed then cover them with something that will keep the soil moist- straw or that stuff you can get at Lowes...I think it's old paper.
Water- Seed needs constant moisture.
To fertilize or not?
Fall is a time when your cool season lawns will naturally grow well anyway. So, while fertilizer helps, your lawn is going to do a lot of greening and thickening on its own. Most Fall fertilizers have a little less nitrogen and a little more phosphorus in them than the fertilizers marketed for earlier parts of the year. The idea that a fertilizer will aid spring "greenup" is dubious. Nitrogen is very mobile, doesn't last long and is not likely to even be there in the spring. Generally, more nitrogen means more mowing.
But phosphorus is a good idea because it is by contrast not very mobile and aids root growth in the Fall and early Spring.
If you do decide to fertilize, make sure to do the whole lawn. If you only do the spots you seeded, you'll get uneven growth and color.
Feed and Weed?
A lot of fall fertilizers have weed killers in them, too. If you don't have many weeds, then don't bother. They are not going to germinate between now and winter anyway. Instead, you can buy a Fall fertilizer without the 24D.
Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.
West-Central Ohio here.
My grass gets "rusty" every now and again if I haven't fertilized in awhile. Your shoes get a bit orange if you walk through my grass at these times. I'm kind of guessing my grass is crying for Nitrogen but I am not real sure. Generally I buy a higher Nitrogen content fertilizer and after an application this goes away for awhile.
The soil has quite a bit of clay where I am, dirtbags who built the sub-division stripped all the topsoil off before building the homes.
Any Ideas?
GL
Side note:
I have mowed at the highest setting on my lawnmower this year and the results are outstanding, if not completely shocking. My lawn warded off a much larger percentage of weeds as well as stayed much greener during the dry times of year. I am a convert from scalping.
I also purchased a riding mower this year, and in the process edged, landscaped, etc. to remove about 90% of my trimming. I took my mow/trimming/clean up time down from roughly 85 minutes to 25 so I don't mind mowing a more often.
Last edited by gonelong; 09-20-2005 at 10:08 AM.
That's probably Rust. All the conditions appear right- high humidity, poor soil condition. More info here:Originally Posted by gonelong
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/pla...p950w.htm#rust
The solution is to embark on a long term, soil amendment program. Fertilizing helps, but you need to address the basic soil structure. Aerate now and apply top dressing. If your soil is as bad as you suggest, then this is something to do each fall. You don't have to top dress each time, but aerating is a must; it will help to reduce the compaction problems that you get with hard clay.
Clay is not all bad. In fact, soil containing clay has a tremendous ability to hold nutrients (Cation Exchange ). The thing it also needs, however, is organic matter. When they stripped away the top soil, that's what you lost, thousands of years of worm poop, leaf litter, dead critters and all that beautiful stuff that makes soil the stuff of life. By aerating each year, you will create conditions that help trap organic matter. Also, consider not bagging your clippings, as this is a form of organic matter that breaks down quickly and is also a good source of Nitrogen.
Lastly, consider overseeding with a variety of grass seeds. Rust affects a couple of Bluegrass species and introducing a mix of grasses into your lawn will allow it to look better overall even if part of it is affected by some disease or pests.
I always look for something that has a mix of Bluegrass and Fescues.
[QUOTE]
GL
Smart move!Side note:
I have mowed at the highest setting on my lawnmower this year and the results are outstanding, if not completely shocking. My lawn warded off a much larger percentage of weeds as well as stayed much greener during the dry times of year. I am a convert from scalping.
Generally,it's not the height of the lawn that matters, it's how even the grass is cut. Cool season grasses are tall plants that we happen to keep short. Giving them an extra inch goes a long way.
Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.
Sun Deck,
I'm about to lose 40' of my front yard to an ODOT road widening project. As it stands now, I am going to lose the following:
3 Austrian (Black) pines; all are at least 50' diameter and 30' tall
1 Blue Spruce - 33' diameter and 20' tall
1 Pin Oak - 40' diameter and 25' tall
1 Pin Oak - 32' diameter and 20' tall.
Given these dimensions, do you have any idea of the compensation that I might receive for these trees? Thanks.
BTW, I'm in the Grove City area near the intersections of SR104 and SR665.
Rust, who'da thunk it?Originally Posted by SunDeck
Thanks for the info. I have aerated the lawn the last 2 falls and plan to again this year. I haven't top dressed but will give it a shot this year, probably a good idea to do so. I mow pretty regularly now, so I don't bag at all anymore.
GL
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