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#1
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when to xeriscape?
I've had it up to here watering my full-sun parking strip and
ever-thirsty St. Aug there (and it's not even August yet!!!) What's the optimum time of year to dig it up, fumigate (to get rid of the intermixed Bermuda), and put in low maintainance xeriscape? I would guess that cooler season is right, to get some roots in before summer, but fall or spring? Would really like some rosemary, and maybe a little color, but I'm not that particular. |
#2
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Doug Lassiter wrote:
I've had it up to here watering my full-sun parking strip and ever-thirsty St. Aug there (and it's not even August yet!!!) What's the optimum time of year to dig it up, fumigate (to get rid of the intermixed Bermuda), and put in low maintainance xeriscape? I would I think now it's a good time to do the following: buy a bunch of black plastic. Cover your grass with it, use rocks to keep in place. Leave all summer. Come fall, when it's cool enough to plant, the grass should be gone. -- Victor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam he Email me he |
#3
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Victor Martinez wrote: I think now it's a good time to do the following: buy a bunch of black plastic. Cover your grass with it, use rocks to keep in place. Leave all summer. Come fall, when it's cool enough to plant, the grass should be gone. The Bermuda won't be ... |
#4
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Doug Lassiter wrote:
The Bermuda won't be ... I've never heard of a plant that can survive months without sunlight. -- Victor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam he Email me he |
#5
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On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 03:00:52 GMT, Victor Martinez
wrote: Doug Lassiter wrote: The Bermuda won't be ... I've never heard of a plant that can survive months without sunlight. It is also the heat collected by the black plastic. Using scrap pieces of 2 inch by 4 inch lumber to hold it down around the edges is better than rocks as it provides a better seal. Rusty Mase Austin, Texas |
#6
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On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 22:48:08 -0500, Rusty Mase wrote:
On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 03:00:52 GMT, Victor Martinez wrote: Doug Lassiter wrote: The Bermuda won't be ... I've never heard of a plant that can survive months without sunlight. It is also the heat collected by the black plastic. Using scrap pieces of 2 inch by 4 inch lumber to hold it down around the edges is better than rocks as it provides a better seal. Rusty Mase Austin, Texas Actually, clear plastic does a better job of solarization and burning out bermuda. However, bermuda has the ability to lay dormant deep in the soil, up to 18 inches down. I removed my turf from that strip several years ago. I planted Gaura lindheimerii. It is doing very well and three times a season I cut it all back and it blooms again and again. I also have bluebonnets naturalized, as well as nigella, larkspur Penisetum setaceum, and Muhly lindheimerii. It's a bit too wild for this stark, white neighborhood! This fall I'm removing the G.linheimerii and putting in rosemary, Mexican bush sage, lantana and Stipa tenuissima. The difference this time is that I will plant in larger stands, not interspersed. It will look cleaner that way. You can definitely give a good watering now and remove the turf. Cover the soil with clear plastic for the month of August and add back in some quality compost and plant your selections. The only plants which you should avoid planting in the summer are either bare root, or balled and burlap trees or shrubs. All container plants can go in, but will definitely need supplemental water for the balance of the summer. So, I'd say to remove now, wait till fall for planting. It's really very hot to be doing such work later than 10am, so be aware of that. Victoria |
#7
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Actually, clear plastic does a better job of solarization and burning out bermuda. However, bermuda has the ability to lay dormant deep in the soil, up to 18 inches down. Yep. Been there done that. Works well for killing the surface grass, but the roots remain. I once had an old window laying on a patch of grass out back (mixed buffalo and Bermuda) during the summer. Removed it from the bare patch a year or two later and, amidst the weeds that blew in and sprouted in the spring, Bermuda sprouts came up from the center of the patch. I was impressed. Certainly clear plastic is what you'd want, but it's not that easy to kill the stuff if you want to be sure. Once I lay in xeriscape plants, I want to be sure. I'll throw some Vapam under the plastic. |
#8
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On 12 Jul 2005 16:19:48 -0700, "Doug Lassiter"
wrote: Actually, clear plastic does a better job of solarization and burning out bermuda. However, bermuda has the ability to lay dormant deep in the soil, up to 18 inches down. Yep. Been there done that. Works well for killing the surface grass, but the roots remain. I once had an old window laying on a patch of grass out back (mixed buffalo and Bermuda) during the summer. Removed it from the bare patch a year or two later and, amidst the weeds that blew in and sprouted in the spring, Bermuda sprouts came up from the center of the patch. I was impressed. Certainly clear plastic is what you'd want, but it's not that easy to kill the stuff if you want to be sure. Once I lay in xeriscape plants, I want to be sure. I'll throw some Vapam under the plastic. I don't know what vapam is, but as another solution you can use Finale,which is a herbicide, but is not as invasive or toxic AS glyphosate. It's hard to find, but Barton Springs Nursery and Garden Center on Bee Caves Road sells it in a concentrate. If I were to step over the line with pesticides, I'd use that. It's non-specific, so watch drift and only use it on a calm day. Victoria |
#9
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Thanks, I'll look into Finale. Vapam is a carbamate, which isn't
particularly nice stuff, though herbicides in general are not particularly enviro-friendly. Contrary to what I said, I don't like to "throw" these things around! Thanks also for your recommendations of xeriscape plants. The Gaura looks quite impressive. |
#10
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On 13 Jul 2005 16:36:09 -0700, "Doug Lassiter"
wrote: Thanks, I'll look into Finale. Vapam is a carbamate, which isn't particularly nice stuff, though herbicides in general are not particularly enviro-friendly. Contrary to what I said, I don't like to "throw" these things around! Thanks also for your recommendations of xeriscape plants. The Gaura looks quite impressive. Yes, it's lovely and it reseeds in addition to being a hardy perennial for our zone. There is a nice variety 'Sisikyou Pink' which is lovely, but it usually reverts back to the spp. It is NOT a tidy plant, so if lush and tidy is what you want, and you never want to water, you may want to consider bamboo. There are ground cover bamboo's out there and I also believe I saw it at Barton Springs Nursery and Garden Center. Monsanto grows it. Expensive, but will spread rapidly. Rosemary is beautiful if you can contain it. One of my neighors planted 'Silverado Sage' the dwarf. That also looks very tidy and is native. Victoria |
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