2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[Enchubben 5510]

6 hours ago, ZB'Tejas said:

I have a ton of mushrooms (Pink and Yellow ones) starting to grow in the yard. Anything I should be doing different?

Eat them and watch cartoons or sell them for 3/$20 to some high schoolers. 

[kmac30 416]

I have the Chapin hose end sprayer. I’m trying to spray Bifen XTS at .15 fluid oz per 1000 sq ft. What setting do I put the sprayer on?

 

(This is my attempt to kill the sod webworms)

[swraith 347]

Bah humbug. 4 major branches have broken off my pecan trees in the past 2 weeks. I hate how they break during the nut bearing years.

[UTexasFight 9528]

Is it pre-emergent time?

please halp with recommendation...I suppose something I can get at the big boxes...or name of local place in Austin

 

thanks 

[El Tri 412]

1 hour ago, UTexasFight said:

Is it pre-emergent time?

please halp with recommendation...I suppose something I can get at the big boxes...or name of local place in Austin

 

thanks 

yes. go to a site one

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Except for one section of brown patch (grr) that I got to a little late, the lawn looks pretty spiffy. Applied pre-emergent some time back during the fall but other than that, haven't done anything as the twice weekly mowing during the growing season resulted in a fairly dense turf that is probably holding back any the chemicals missed. Is there anything else I should be doing this time of year besides raking leaves? I have a good size pile that I'm transferring to a spot in the backyard that has less fertile soil and I'm going to mow them in over there.

@cactusflinthead advice for this month and next for anything beyond watering?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Top dressing is good if you want to. It's pretty much a holding pattern and watching for break through. If you have problems with fungus a final treatment before dormancy is a good idea. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Thanks! I have a bale of peat and a bag of topsoil plus the fungicide so I'm going to get to work. That one spot is always an issue because of the neighbor's irrigation system oversprays and this year the head broke and she didn't get it fixed right away so we had a nice green spot and then an ugly brown spot even though I treated it. Should've sectioned it off and grown portobellos.

[joe dirt 285]

my trees are unruly. should i cut the lower branches off? i know they’re too close together, can’t do shit about that now. 

 

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

We do any major pruning in February (Central Texas, Zone 8b) as that is what the local garden radio show suggests for the type of tree we have (one red oak, one elm). Dead branches we take off any time of year. Our trees are now about 30 years old and are in pretty good health.

Something to consider is picking the one you like the best/healthiest looking, location and taking out the other one as those look to be good sized trees. The original builder of our home also planted two large trees too close together and we took out the weaker one and the other tree really took off and it also helped the lawn.

 

Others may have better advice and more expertise than I do.

[woohorn 1131]

Worried about prolonged deep freeze in Zone 8a. Haven't had freeze problems for years, but pittosporums died in a bad freeze 8 or so years back, so I'll cover and maybe heat them with Christmas bulbs.

Four straight days of freezing temps and high of 17 predicted Monday.

Should I worry about established encore azaleas or pinkie dwarf indian hawthorns beyond heavily mulching?

[texas08 1599]

I have some pretty big Rosemary bushes, I never really worry about them but now I’m worried, I’ll cover them tomorrow. I would be devastated if they’re hurt

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Eventually we'll have to assess the damage here. It's a good time to take stock of what you want to keep. 

There are going to be a lot of dead plants and yards. Also gonna be some surprising survivors. 

Be patient or ruthlessly reboot.

Up to you. I'll be chopping back dead wood and leaves. see what comes back and decide what to keep as we go along.

Some accounts will spend the money anyhow. Spring is liable to be busy.

Robins all over in my neighborhood. 

 

[Eastwood 4394]

My Sago is probably gone. Going to trim off all the dead leaves and hope for the best. It was a big, mature one, too. All my rosemary is shot. Just waiting to see if our porch cover plants are dead. Can't really tell based on the leaves, right now.

[mininghorn88 2298]

Here in NE Texas. My loropetulem, Indian Hawthornes and azaleas look horrible. They are about 18 years old and are quite large. Hope they recover. The leaves on my fig ivy will already fall of to the touch. I am sure that it will come back because this has happened before. Not so sure about the others.

I had already moved my ferns and other potted plants to my greenhouse but lost power and the heater went off. They are not looking good either.

A lot of money and green thumb sweat equity potentially down the drain.

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Oi I haven't even thought of the Indian hawthornes. Yes, they are probably goners. Crepes are going to take a hit too. Pittosporums are toast. 

Azaleas will vary. Some are hardy to -30. I think the Encores are good to 10F. I don't remember what hardiness zone 0>-10 is. 

Loropetalums hit the market post 1983 and after 89. They pulled through 2011 ok from what I remember. The fig ivy is probably going to see some branch die back and it might drill it back to the base. Time will tell.

[mininghorn88 2298]

22 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Oi I haven't even thought of the Indian hawthornes. Yes, they are probably goners. Crepes are going to take a hit too. Pittosporums are toast. 

Azaleas will vary. Some are hardy to -30. I think the Encores are good to 10F. I don't remember what hardiness zone 0>-10 is. 

Loropetalums hit the market post 1983 and after 89. They pulled through 2011 ok from what I remember. The fig ivy is probably going to see some branch die back and it might drill it back to the base. Time will tell.

I also have a lot of Pampas Grass that I am afraid that I will lose as well.  I am concerned that my entire front yard will be a redo.

[Viper 12112]

any changes to the yard fertilizing/preemergent/fungicide schedule because of the freeze?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

2 hours ago, Viper said:

any changes to the yard fertilizing/preemergent/fungicide schedule because of the freeze?

If you want to skip the first round of pre that's not a bad idea. I am going to go easy on the StA until I see how much survived. I can hit it with post multiple times if necessary but I want to see how much the roots took a hit.

I got down to a main branch before I found any green cambium. If you haven't seen figs on fig ivy, here ya go.

The hawthornes I have seen so far are looking ok. Might see some good survival

[mininghorn88 2298]

My azaleas.  Note how green the leaves are along the ground.  These were all under the snow pack.  I have 8 large azaleas about 5' in diameter.

Indian Hawthornes not looking too good either.  I have 18 of these around the house. These are a bit green along the bottom too.  I guess I should have tried covering all of my plants?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Well, try scratching the bark on the hawthornes to see if there is any green under there. 

[texasdago 7579]

Managed to save several agaves with frost cloths, upturned buckets, etc.  They don't look great but they made it.   This one came through with the least amount of damage was this variety - https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3317.  

Century plants took a beating so I cut back the floppy stuff and am hoping the core of the plant made it.... as well as some pups.  We had some that were about 4-5 feet wide... they're big losses if they don't make it.  

Most aloe gone

Spineless prickly pear was covered and made it through only because its not too big.  If it was large it may have been wiped out.

Loropetalum look like garbage but I thought I saw green when I scratched.  Should recover.  We have A LOT.

Hopeful on our massive crepe myrtles.

Sago palm looks like crap and, honestly, if it dies it dies.

Rosemary doesn't look happy.  One variety looks like it will bounce back without a problem.  The other, not sure.  It's probably the one I can stomach losing.

Devil's tongue barrel cactus - one looks bad, one looks meh and one looks fine.  Peruvian apple cactus... I just lopped off the clearly damaged part.  We'll see.  Of course the crap I don't like is fine.

Desert spoon/sotol is wondering what the big deal is.

Some other plants that I can't identify (bought the house 8 months ago) are a ?

Edited February 24, 2021 by texasdago

[mininghorn88 2298]

2 hours ago, texasdago said:

Managed to save several agaves with frost cloths, upturned buckets, etc.  They don't look great but they made it.   This one came through with the least amount of damage was this variety - https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3317.  

Century plants took a beating so I cut back the floppy stuff and am hoping the core of the plant made it.... as well as some pups.  We had some that were about 4-5 feet wide... they're big losses if they don't make it.  

Most aloe gone

Spineless prickly pear was covered and made it through only because its not too big.  If it was large it may have been wiped out.

Loropetalum look like garbage but I thought I saw green when I scratched.  Should recover.  We have A LOT.

Hopeful on our massive crepe myrtles.

Sago palm looks like crap and, honestly, if it dies it dies.

Rosemary doesn't look happy.  One variety looks like it will bounce back without a problem.  The other, not sure.  It's probably the one I can stomach losing.

Devil's tongue barrel cactus - one looks bad, one looks meh and one looks fine.  Peruvian apple cactus... I just lopped off the clearly damaged part.  We'll see.  Of course the crap I don't like is fine.

Desert spoon/sotol is wondering what the big deal is.

Some other plants that I can't identify (bought the house 8 months ago) are a ?

I have 8 large crepe myrtles.  I hadn't even thought about them.  I scratched the loropetalum and Indian Hawthorns; did not see any green.  I have a bunch of these and they are massive.  The azaleas showed some green so hopefully they will pull through.

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Green pretty far up the crepes. Good sign.

Coralberrry will be fine. That rosemary won't. Some in this area will snap out of it. Others won't

Agarita gives zero fucks. 

[texasdago 7579]

Checked one of my rosemary plants and scratched green.  Was inspecting the loropetalum this morning and found new growth on a couple of plants.  Will look at the others later.  We'll see.

Meanwhile ordering and buying new cold hardy agaves and cactus to transform part of the garden.  Leaning towards varieties of Agave Parryi (sp?)

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by texasdago

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Just don't

[Spur08 382]

Don't what?

We're someone who did a ruthless reset. Bought a new house last summer and wasn't a fan of the front landscaping. I pulled 75% of the shrubs last weekend and am currently looking at what to replace it with.

I like some sky pencils, jack frost for privacy screening, fire nandinas, etc. I need to find a nice shrub with some color that will do well in shade since we are a North facing home.

1990 zone 7b Prosper

[Bevo Num1 1023]

Don't what?

We're someone who did a ruthless reset. Bought a new house last summer and wasn't a fan of the front landscaping. I pulled 75% of the shrubs last weekend and am currently looking at what to replace it with.

I like some sky pencils, jack frost for privacy screening, fire nandinas, etc. I need to find a nice shrub with some color that will do well in shade since we are a North facing home.

1990 zone 7b Prosper

I think he's talking about spraying chemicals in your yard without the proper protection, including footwear.

[GottaB 595]

What is liquid aeration

[texhorn 351]

Just don't

lol... oh is it bad to stand in round up? /s

[SquishMitten 10435]

@cactusflinthead Is it that he’s barefoot or that he’s presumably using a yard safe weed spray post-snovid? I’ve been really hesitant to put down pre-m or spray existing weeds since the St. A is still looking like shit in most places. Scared of doing anything that will make it harder for it to come back

ETA: his grass looks far better than mine so maybe that’s not a problem for him

[Gourmand 7774]

I learned a valuable lesson last week putting down a spot treatment of quinclorac for winter weeds that survived snovid....that shit made me queasy while prepping my sprayer and filling it with the chem and adjuvant. Mask up, wear gloves, eye protection even, and jeans at least. 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

1 hour ago, SquishMitten said:

@cactusflinthead Is it that he’s barefoot or that he’s presumably using a yard safe weed spray post-snovid? I’ve been really hesitant to put down pre-m or spray existing weeds since the St. A is still looking like shit in most places. Scared of doing anything that will make it harder for it to come back

ETA: his grass looks far better than mine so maybe that’s not a problem for him

Barefoot. In shorts. No gloves. 

I am waiting to see on the StA. I have nearly an acre at the highest of high profile accounts. I don't want to apply any pre if it is under the gun going forward. The risk of root suppression isn't worth it. I'd rather do multiple post sprays and let it get good and thick again. Fungicide maintenance will continue

 

[Atxracer 797]

For the person not great at this stuff, what do you use for clover on zoysia?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

10 minutes ago, Atxracer said:

For the person not great at this stuff, what do you use for clover on zoysia?

Start here.

 

[texas08 1599]

What if that dude was using 30% vinegar to spot kill weeds? Not as crazy as some other chemical.

Still dumb to be barefooted, lol.

[Gourmand 7774]

Can we get this thread title updated to the current decade at least? 

[texas08 1599]

Seriously! Just remove the year.@Immamac

[mdleast 8307]

2020 Lawn and Landscape Thread of Dominance

[cactusflinthead 27602]

There's a lot of good info in here that would take a while to get moved. Quotes of quotes get lost. I transferred a shitload from TOS. 

[Paper_jam 831]

The freeze really did a number on my indian hawthornes, which have otherwise held up well for almost 20 years with little care or maintenance. If they don't have a miraculous recovery, what would be some alternatives that would be a little more freeze-resistant (Zone 7ish), and meet the criteria below? Characteristics I'm looking for: Hardy in Austin climate, evergreen, low maintenance, will grow with limited sun but possibly also in full sun. (Will be planted in both shady and sunny areas.)

Seems like my neighbors have some boxwoods that came through the freeze well, and I'm also thinking maybe dwarf yaupon holly. I'm no gardener, I just need something basic that will survive my brown thumb and whatever mother nature throws at it. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[mininghorn88 2298]

3 hours ago, Paper_jam said:

The freeze really did a number on my indian hawthornes, which have otherwise held up well for almost 20 years with little care or maintenance. If they don't have a miraculous recovery, what would be some alternatives that would be a little more freeze-resistant (Zone 7ish), and meet the criteria below? Characteristics I'm looking for: Hardy in Austin climate, evergreen, low maintenance, will grow with limited sun but possibly also in full sun. (Will be planted in both shady and sunny areas.)

Seems like my neighbors have some boxwoods that came through the freeze well, and I'm also thinking maybe dwarf yaupon holly. I'm no gardener, I just need something basic that will survive my brown thumb and whatever mother nature throws at it. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

I have equal mixture of Indian Hawthorns and Dwarf Yaupon Hollys.  My Indian Hawthorns are questionable if they make it through.  The Hollys look just fine.  They are all about 17 years old.  Never had an issue with the Hollys either.  Have had to combat black (brown?) spots with the Hawthorns the past two years.  I am in NE Texas.

[Spur08 382]

Not so awesome: Crystal Nolan is a health professional who flew out from Washington State for the festival. She woke up the following days, in her own words, “bedridden with a sore throat, low-grade temperature, and lethargy.”  Her condition worsened, and her “blotches” turned into leg ulcers, which started to decay. The infection was spreading and worsening. Luckily, she was able to keep her leg with a seven month regimen of steroids. She still has some very visible scars, two years later.
http://austincut.com/2011/07/austins-dirty-secret-dillo-dirt/
 
   

I'm re-reading this thread bc I'm redoing our front landscape from the freeze. I am or maybe was abt to grab some dillo dirt from denton to amend the current soil. Not quite sure whether i should or shouldn't based on this article

[Spur08 382]

Edit: although it looks like dentons stuff is called dynamic dirt but it sounds like it's the same stuff

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Hollies or boxwoods are much more cold hardy. Youpon is the most drought tolerant.

My early hope that the hawthornes would snap back has been replaced with cynicism. We're going to try cutting them back to a foot on some and some will get replaced. 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

To the author of the article on dillo dirt.

A few questions.

1) How does Austin differ in content, application, and/or processing of effluents from Milwaukee? See Milorganite

2) What pathogens are present in bat guano taken from the bridge?

3) How long did the two cases cited stay muddy before getting a shower?

4) Are there other cases around the city with similar symptoms after known exposure?

5) How does soil incorporated biosolids get into the watershed? Data please.

And some statements

1) Manure application to pastures is as old as the agricultural revolution. Y'know,  the neolithic.

2) Two concert goers wallowing in a mudhole does not constitute an outbreak. Since there was no mention of a causal pathogen color me skeptical it was solely due to dillo dirt. 

3) If you are muddy and have been at a festival I highly recommend getting a shower earlier rather than later.

4) If you want to wade into the mud I suggest wearing the proper attire. Flip flops and cargo shorts or a sundress and barefoot are not optimal.

 

[Spur08 382]

Fair enough. I'm probably going w it bc it is the most cost effective at something like $25-30/cu yd. And I typoed, it's dyno dirt out of denton. I have some pretty grand ideas for the landscape but need to figure out some details like pH before I plant.

First set of pics are post freeze but before the start of renovation project. I already removed the dead shrubs.

The spreadsheet are some plants we're thinking abt. Prosper zone 7b (1990 map) north facing so we have majority shade but some sun in a few spots.

[Spur08 382]

So, after studying the sun patterns over the past week it looks like I will need predominantly shade loving plants in the beds. There are only 2 or 3 spots where maybe 4+ hrs of sun will hit. Based on the spreadsheet above, any idea how I should diagram this out? Any other options I should consider?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Other shade to consider

Podocarpus/ Japanese Yew

Mahonia or agarita if you don't mind thorns.

Aralia and aucuba are great shade plants but not everyone likes them.

Japanese maple as a specimen plant is another one for shady spots, but don't go nuts spending a fortune on one. They have verticillium problems sometimes.

____

The spiraea and abelia will likely drop leaves in the winter. Put them in the foreground and have the solid green behind.

Plain jane but tough: hollies, boxwood.

The viburnum is nice but I would make sure it's cold tolerant. Then again it might be another 20 years before they are hit hard. Yucca is a nice accent plant but it can get rangy. Tends to sprawl. 

Loropetalum is fine too, it defoliated but I am seeing them bud out. 

Unless you have a sandy soil or red clay the odds are good that you have an alkaline soil. That means heavily amending the dirt for azaleas, camellias, or gardenias. 

If you send a soil sample and some dollars to aggy they can tell you everything you need to know about the dirt.

Test kits can be had online too. 

 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Along similar lines as holding off on herbicides, Bowling recommends that homeowners not be so hasty in fertilizer and water applications.

Bowling said the first rule in fertilizing turfgrass is to wait until after it has been mowed twice. Waterings should only begin when the turfgrass needs additional moisture – often beginning in June for many parts of the state.

Premature fertilization can benefit competition like weeds rather than turfgrasses, Bowling said.

Fertilizers shouldn’t be applied until daytime temperatures reach 80-95 degrees consistently. By then, soil temperatures are up enough to promote active growth, and plants will do well with some additional nutrients.

Additionally, watering lawns too soon prevents them from establishing a strong root system, which helps them fight off disease and supports them through hot, dry summer months to come.

“This happens every year, but it’s especially important this year,” she said. “A lot of people have the intention of helping their lawn with water and fertilizer, but they’re really hurting it. We want grasses to be up and growing before we fertilize, and root systems become robust when they are becoming active and forced to grow to seek out moisture.”

That's the money quote.

https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2021/03/18/early-spring-lawn-to-do-list-a-little-different-this-year/