Garden, Yard Talk

[Huntn]

In my experience this will not lead to the results you desire, I want to encourage you to not do this if possible.

I probably should have chimed in some time ago but anyhow you got some good advise from here and also the person you contacted but this piece of advise seems misguided. Some mild fertilizer that does not include very much nitrogen might be OK, something like 0-10-10 or such but in general fertilizing full grow trees like you are suggesting would be bad for their health.

Not trying to be a downer but the cut to the tree was not good idea and has probably hastened its demise, it is always best to leave nature deal with these things unless you ask an Arborist .

Also it is a true and researched fact that any spray, paint type thing is worst for healing tree wounds then leaving them alone so they can heal on their own.

Thanks.
I agree that painting is bad for the tree. I won’t apply any more.
I spoke to a certified arborist who suggested a fertilizer with nitrogen, who also said not to paint the cut.
Cutting the tree originally was more or less required as it threatened the house.
I understand the tree might not be saved.

 

[anika200]

I spoke to a certified arborist who suggested a fertilizer with nitrogen, who also said not to paint the cut.

Yes I agree this is the default suggestions from arborist, here is my opinion for hardwoods on the east coast. Do not fertilize your trees with nitrogen unless it is organic natural material or if you have to do it 1% N, I think this would stand up for west coast too but I can only call it from my experience here.

 

[JagdTiger]

I w

This morning I walked out the back door and opening the storm door, had a green anole, (what I grew up calling a camelion) fall on me. Skurring away, as the door closed it was like it was trying to get himself squished in the jam going into the house. I have found several little dried up husks of lizards in the house and it always makes me sad. It is just not a lizard friendly environment.

Anyway, I prevented that, and noticing it was in the 50s this morning I assumed it was cold and seeking warmth. Having capturing it in my hand and holding it for a bit, I finally opened my hand and he was in no rush to scamper away, the advantages of being warm blooded. I watched those little eyes that can look in all directions appraising me. I offered him life in a terrarium or freedom and finally it chose the latter.

View attachment 807953
Not my photo
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I would like to get back to gardening but I can't as of now, I would like to plant many verities of roses...nice anole they can be a garden helper by eating negative bugs.

 

[Huntn]

Yes I agree this is the default suggestions from arborist, here is my opinion for hardwoods on the east coast. Do not fertilize your trees with nitrogen unless it is organic natural material or if you have to do it 1% N, I think this would stand up for west coast too but I can only call it from my experience here.

He suggested a kelp fertilizer, Ocean Harvest.

 

[ejb190]

He suggested a kelp fertilizer, Ocean Harvest.

Fertilizer recommendations are so location specific. The type of tree, soil type (composition, pH, etc.), site history, surrounding landscape, the intensity of past lawn management, and even the personal preferences of the owner (organic, for instance) would all vary what I would recommend.

 

[Huntn]

Surprised in October by 3 blooms getting ready to pop on my Bird of Paradise. Ours has been stingy with it’s blooms.

​

 

[jeyf]

It still has not rained here, some chance early next week
but
been getting cooler

this week end i am shutting down the irrigation system.

Long term on all this i am wondering how sustainable a green front lawn and broad leafed trees are???

 

[JagdTiger]

Surprised in October by 3 blooms getting ready to pop on my Bird of Paradise. Ours has been stingy with it’s blooms.

View attachment 970099​

It's very pretty, nice bloom.

 

[Huntn]

It still has not rained here, some chance early next week
but
been getting cooler

this week end i am shutting down the irrigation system.

Long term on all this i am wondering how sustainable a green front lawn and broad leafed trees are???

My sprinkler system has been adjusted from spraying twice a week to once a week. Soon it will be turned off for a couple of months.

 

[Apple fanboy]

My sprinkler system has been adjusted from spraying twice a week to once a week. Soon it will be turned off for a couple of months.

Our sprinkler system has a faulty valve. It hasn't stopped for weeks!

Got to love the UK weather!

 

[ejb190]

I was reading "Nature's Best Hope" by Doug Tallamy. His arguments are a bit more involved than this, but it boils down to we could save the world if everyone would rip out half their turf and plant natives. So it got me thinking - my front yard is the most useless part of my property. Aside from the mailman walking across it, it only serves as a buffer between the house and the street.

So why not rip it out and plant it to natives? Turf is terrible at absorbing water, has poor oxygen exchange rates, and takes a lot of chemicals and labor to maintain. Honestly, I've been thinking about this for several years, but this might be year I "dig in"!

 

[Huntn]

I was reading "Nature's Best Hope" by Doug Tallamy. His arguments are a bit more involved than this, but it boils down to we could save the world if everyone would rip out half their turf and plant natives. So it got me thinking - my front yard is the most useless part of my property. Aside from the mailman walking across it, it only serves as a buffer between the house and the street.

So why not rip it out and plant it to natives? Turf is terrible at absorbing water, has poor oxygen exchange rates, and takes a lot of chemicals and labor to maintain. Honestly, I've been thinking about this for several years, but this might be year I "dig in"!

That’s work!

I live in a hot climate Houston, Texas although today it’s heaven at 65 degrees F and we are sitting by the pool loving the heck out of this weather.

Can’t go wrong with Lawnmower
​

The back yard is a pool surrounded by plants. We have St. Augustine, a hot weather grass in the front yard. It’s a small front yard, and in the the summer it gets watered 2 times a week for 50 minutes. That takes a fair amount of water, but the other beds have a lot of hot weather plants and they get watered 2 times a week too.

I think the only way to come out a head is plant low water needs plants like succulents. In California we had a front yard that consisted of a natural, gravel with dry bed streams, succulents like ice plant which are very heat resistant and low water need.

My point is that natives may not be quite the answer always or the good deal, but I know I could easily do a gravel front yard with succulents that would thrive if it was ok with the home association.

 

[senseless]

We’re fighting a losing battle against the invasive Spotted Lanternfly here. The rapid spread is astounding.

 

[Huntn]

We’re fighting a losing battle against the invasive Spotted Lanternfly here. The rapid spread is astounding.

Where? What does it eat?

 

[senseless]

Where? What does it eat?

Pennsylvania https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

 

[Huntn]

Pennsylvania https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

Interesting and alarming. Based on that video it does seem like a losing battle. I wonder if natural predators or what others strategies are being considered, which can lead to more complications. It seems like insect spray unless specialized would also be counter productive.

 

[senseless]

Interesting and alarming. Based on that video it does seem like a losing battle. I wonder if natural predators or what others strategies are being considered, which can lead to more complications. It seems like insect spray unless specialized would also be counter productive.

Right, you don't want the cure to be worse than the disease. Sticky tape wrapped around host trees kills many of them as they crawl up, but you have to be careful not to trap wildlife. It's encouraged here to stomp them. They're skilled evaders, but can only hop twice before they run out of energy.

 

[Huntn]

Over the weekend dug up some of our mature amaryllis plants to separate the bulbs that had grown up around the original bulbs. They have gotten quite large and where they started as a single plants, they are now a clumps of plants. The original bulbs were about the size of your fist or a baseball, but digging them up they had at doubled, tripled in size, this was also to make room for the 8 new amaryllis bulbs with fancy white blooms. My wife love these but they are a one trick pony all blooming at the same time which can be magnificent, but then they are done for the season. My wife has started adding some variety of bulbs.

Our amaryllis patch end of season

A spare bulb, was once a baby​

 

[JagdTiger]

I was reading "Nature's Best Hope" by Doug Tallamy. His arguments are a bit more involved than this, but it boils down to we could save the world if everyone would rip out half their turf and plant natives. So it got me thinking - my front yard is the most useless part of my property. Aside from the mailman walking across it, it only serves as a buffer between the house and the street.

So why not rip it out and plant it to natives? Turf is terrible at absorbing water, has poor oxygen exchange rates, and takes a lot of chemicals and labor to maintain. Honestly, I've been thinking about this for several years, but this might be year I "dig in"!

Chemicals only after awhile destroy the lawn and grass roots.

 

[JagdTiger]

Interesting and alarming. Based on that video it does seem like a losing battle. I wonder if natural predators or what others strategies are being considered, which can lead to more complications. It seems like insect spray unless specialized would also be counter productive.

How about using beneficial insects such as mantids and other ones such as ladybugs and lacewings?

 

[senseless]

How about using beneficial insects such as mantids and other ones such as ladybugs and lacewings?

Should I buy praying mantis online to eat the lanternflies?​

Sadly, it is almost impossible to buy our native mantis online, and our native mantis is almost gone from the wild. Most of the ones sold online are the Asian mantis, which is 2-3 times larger than our native one, and it is causing enormous problems itself. It is eating large numbers of beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and other pollinators. These insects are already stressed, and if they become extinct from our area, we will not be able to grow many vegetables and fruits, and most of our trees, flowers, and other plants will not be able to reproduce.

Spotted Lanternfly in PA: The bug we love to hate - French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust

Quick, Easy, Cheap, Non-Toxic, Environmentally-friendly, Non-harmful, Pollinator-protecting ways to deal with the Spotted Lanternfly. Our brand new, updated tips! The bug we love to hate! This annoying bug swarms into neighborhoods, covering tree trunks and plants and fenceposts and whatever is...

frenchandpickering.org

 

[Huntn]

How about using beneficial insects such as mantids and other ones such as ladybugs and lacewings?

That could be a valid option although that’s not always an easy solution, if it will be effective, especially if it’s another non-native species.

 

[Huntn]

Saw a picture of a rat tail cactus which looked outstanding as a hanging plant in a hot climate.

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Amazon had them at $55. Called around and went down to Cactus King in Houston who said they had them. Simultaneously impressive, a huge cactus yard and a mess with zero customer service and no toilets!

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And their two rat tail cactuses were barely hanging on, looking neglected. The place is designed for landscape contractors, not home owners. So I searched some more and found one on eBay, $12+ $8 for shipping from California and it looks great!

 

[ejb190]

Right, you don't want the cure to be worse than the disease.

Exactly! There is a lot of research going on and it will take years. The midwest took the brunt of Emerald Ash Borer before we got any sense of what would slow them down. I have a feeling it might be the same with SLF and the east coast. I was talking to the Pennsylvania SLF coordinator and he seemed to think the spread was pretty inevitable. SE Ohio just reported it last week. We're looking in Indiana, but haven't found anything yet.

I remember when Japanese Beetles came into Indiana back in the 80's. Felt like the world was going to end, but eventually things came into some semblance of balance. Sure we get a few heavy years, but between the occasional cold winter and a few introduced pathogens, they're not too bad most years. I hope SLF can do the same...eventually.

 

[senseless]

We had a good run of the asian stink bugs a few years back and they disappeared, so maybe...let's hope! We're doing what we can.