Master Gardener – Search
Searching: compost
If you don't see the answer you're looking for, try submitting your question.
Lawn options-seed or sod
-
Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:00 pm
- I’m trying to decide what to do about my front lawn. It’s a little under 60 square yards. Everything is killed off and tarps are covering the ground now to keep weeds from growing. There is no shade, all day sun. I would like to know if Tall Fescue is the best choice and also should I seed or sod. Cost is not the issue since it’s a small area. I hope you can give me some advice.
- Well, I know you didn’t ask this but what about foregoing a lawn and planting a dooryard garden instead?. I’m not much of a grass person. A patch of clover is more to my liking, at least it gives the honey bees a place to land, adds some nitrogen to the soil. Maybe a combination of a lovely shrub border, a small tree, a mix of tall and low-growing perennials, groundcovers? Since it's a small area the expense wouldn’t be staggering and you can always phase in the plantings. Something to consider.... That being said, I think you’re doing a good job of preparing for a fall planting by covering the space and killing off the weeds. If I haven't persuaded you to take a different approach, I’ll try to answer your question about seed or sod. You didn't mention why your lawn was "killed off". Is there an issue with the soil? If so, you should request a soil test kit from the Richmond VA Cooperative Extension Main Office: (804) 786-4150. The results will let you know what, if any, amendments you'll need to add. I think the choice of a tall fescue is fine and fall is a good time to start a cool-season grass. When purchasing seed, check the bag to make sure you are buying all seed and no filler. Look for the two Virginia-Maryland labels affixed to the package so you know you are buying seed mixtures or blends which comply with the quality standards of the Extension Divisions of Virginia Tech and U of MD. First, you'll need to prep the soil. Remove all the dead weeds you've killed by covering and make sure there are no roots left in the ground. This can be tedious but it will pay off in the long run. Work in any amendments your soil test dictates. Add a layer of compost, you can till it in, or if your soil isn't compacted, adding 1-2 inches to the surface should suffice. Grade the soil with a rake so the surface is smooth and uniform. At this point you can seed. Disburse the seed with a spreader and go back and forth across the lawn, then in a perpendicular direction, attempting to get an even amount of seed across the surface of the lawn. You can add another fine layer of compost so that there is good contact between the seed and soil. (For a larger lawn you would roll the seed at this point.) Then you'll need to water immediately thereafter and continue to water until the seed germinates. (Be careful when watering, keep the soil moist, don't wash the seed away.) After that a total of 1-2 inches of water a week should keep the grass in good spirits. Hand pull weeds. An established lawn could take up to 2 years with seed. If this doesn't sound like fun, you can clean up the soil as above, amend as needed, grade it with a rake, and lay sod. Do not let the sod dry out. You'll need to water the sod daily for a couple of weeks (of course, less if there's rain). During this period the sod will be putting down shallow roots into your soil bed. Avoid walking on the sod during this period. After about a month the sod will have established a better root system. Around this time it will need to be mowed. Set the mower to 3 inches. The sod will provide a quicker route to a nice green lawn if the expense is acceptable. I hope I've covered all your options. Good luck with the project!
Question
Answer
Planting under Magnolia tree
-
Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:49 pm
- Hi! I have a huge magnolia tree in my backyard that constantly drops leaves all over. I don’t rake very often because it takes hours and the ground just gets covered up again in a few days. I have two questions for you. The first is, should I be raking? By that I mean is there any benefit to doing so (besides aesthetic) and/or any harm in not doing it? My second question is what should I plant under the areas that are constantly covered by leaves? The few occasions I have raked, I’ve discovered that there is just dirt under all those leaves. No grass or other ground cover. I want to start raking near my back porch stairs to avoid wet leaves being piled up against the wood, but I can picture the bare dirt turning to mud very quickly if I do that. Is there any ground cover that will survive being smothered by leaves? I want to at least plant something around my back porch, but I’m curious if there is anything I can or should plant under the rest of the leaf pile. Thank you for your help!
- Hello! It sounds like you have a beautiful, mature Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). Along with the beauty of these magnificent trees comes the never ending pile-up of their large leaves. Since you prefer to keep the area tidy (and to avoid potential rotting around porch posts), I would recommend routine cleanup with a leaf blower, and planting some nice, shade loving perennials. Once you have some plants in place under the tree, a leaf blower is really the most practical way to keep the area tidy (as a side note, if you happen to compost it really is best to shred the Magnolia leaves with a mulching mower first). As far as plant options under your tree, I would recommend any combination of the following: native ferns, hellebores, pachysandra, or hosta (if you have no deer problems). All of these plants tolerate shade, and should allow you to periodically use the leaf blower to keep things tidy. Magnolia trees have shallow roots, often near the ground surface, so take care when you do your planting to avoid damage to those roots. Good luck and happy gardening!
Question
Answer
Leafminers...
-
Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:46 pm
- My broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower has white vine like lines on the leaves. What are they and how do I get rid of them. My plants look like they are not thriving now.
- It sounds like you've got leafminers. They have a broad range of host plants and they seem to like your garden. The first thing to do is remove the affected leaves and dispose of them in the trash (not in compost). If you check the underside of the leaf you will most likely see small white eggs, you don't want those to hatch, so straight to the trash. There are several generations of this pest in one season so you will need to keep a close eye out for signs of their existence. You may see eggs, larvae and flys. Sometimes using sticky traps and row covers for the flies works well. If just removing the affected leaves isn't keeping the numbers down you might try using neem oil or beneficial insects such beneficial nematodes or parasitic wasps. I personally haven't had experience with beneficial insects as an intervention so I don't have any particular insight there. Start with removing the affected leaves and checking plants frequently for eggs and tunneling larvae. Good luck and good gardening!
Question
Answer
Raised beds - yellowing leaves
-
Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:41 pm
- I created new raised beds and filled them with Miracle Grow Raised Bed soil combined with mushroom compost. All of my plants have yellow leaves. The soil should be provided the necessary nutrients, and I was wondering if the weather might be part of it? Can you give me an idea of what I should do? Thank you
- Hello - interesting question. The first thing that comes to mind is your soil. It sounds like you have created a very rich soil for your new plants. Typically, yellowing leaves can indicate a nutrient deficiency, and/or the soil is too wet. As you know, mushroom compost does a good job of soaking up a lot of water and helps keep soil moist. It is also nutrient-rich, and contains a high degree of soluble salts. I’m wondering if your ratio of mushroom compost to soil is too high. The mushroom compost should make up about 1/4 of the total volume of the soil. If your soil is too concentrated and the plants are seedlings or are very young, this may result in your plants dying. The soil may actually be too rich for them. Also make sure your soil is not staying too wet. It should be allowed to dry before adding water. Good luck, and let us know if we can help further!
Question
Answer
Boxwood with patches of brown leaves
-
Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:35 pm
- I just bought a house and I have a boxwood bush in the front that has patches of brown leaves. Is this that blight that I've heard people talking about? would it be a good idea to remove the bush or is there something I can do?
- Thanks for your question. This does sound like it could potentially be boxwood blight which is a fungal disease, and for which there is no cure. This disease first appears as lesions with dark brown edges on the leaves and black streaking on the stems. The foliage then turns brown and falls off. Observe the leaves and stems on your boxwood for these signs. If your plant is minimally affected, you can cut off affected branches, clean up debris from the ground, bag the trimmings, and put in the trash (do not compost). You may then be able to keep the disease at bay by spraying a chlorothalonil-containing fungicide every 7-14 days. Be sure and sanitize your garden tools with a 1:9 bleach to water solution to avoid spreading the disease. If your boxwood is heavily infected and unsightly, it may be easiest and safest in the long run to remove the whole plant. It’s also important to know that the spores from the infected plant can remain in the soil for 5-6 years, so if you want a replacement plant be sure and select a boxwood cultivar with a high level of resistance which will not require a fungicide treatment.
Question
Answer
Mulberry debris
-
Date Posted: Tue, Jun 22 - 4:11 pm
- A neighboring mulberry tree drops berries into my small patio/mulch bordered backyard. We sweep the berries off of the patio daily but are not able to effectively clean the mulch area where the berries fall. I've noticed an uptick in bugs, birds, weeds/growth/sprouts, etc. in the mulch. 1) Should I work harder to clear the mulch area of these berries or is it okay to let them fall and naturally "decay" in the mulch? 2) What would be the best groundcover (mulch, dirt, stones, etc.) to be under a mulberry tree constantly dropping berries?
- Hello there, As you know mulberry trees are prolific berry producers. I don't see any reason not to let the berries compost into your mulch. However, it would be a good practice to hoe the mulch every now and then to prevent the berries from growing into trees. Also, they will still attract the birds and bugs that you've mentioned so that may not be a satisfying practice for you. One option would be to change the mulched area to tightly laid pavers. Then you could sweep that at the same time you sweep your patio. I suggest tightly laid because any open ground will provide a hospitable place for the mulberries to sprout. They are determined plants. Another option would be to have a polite conversation with the owner of the tree requesting that the overhanging limbs on your property be trimmed. If the tree is properly pruned, the offending branches on your property would be removed and the rest of the tree should be pruned for balance. You may want to bring this to the owner's attention to ensure a correct pruning job and to make sure all parties are happy with the results and the tree is properly preserved. Hope the helps!! Let us know if you have further questions.