Oxalis Nightmare in Backyard
TILAPIA
19 years ago
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The_Dollmaker
19 years agomorz8 - Washington Coast
19 years agoRelated Discussions
Backyard Nightmare suggestions needed
Comments (7)We may have our wires crossed due to my post not being clear. I didn't sod, I seeded. The sand I used was a washed clean medium coarse sand. If you take my suggestion and go with sod, a half inch of sand/compost mix for a 5000 sq ft area will cost about $300 (should be enough to level the yard and cover the stone and clay). 5000sq ft of high quality KBG sod will cost about $950. Landscapers commonly charge double the cost of material for labor. So, for about $3000 you'll have a beautiful lawn and all you had to do is write a check. (get some estimates) I ended up seeding myself and although cheaper than hiring someone to sod, it is a "back breaking' route. Not sure if this is what you want, but if you want to read it, here goes: After 2 prior dismal attempts and a lot of fruitless trial and error, I decided I needed to get serious about the process and read everything I could find about yard renovation and started from scratch. Mid August I sprayed the lawn with Ortho, then: I waited until the last week of August. 2. I scalped the lawn, killing off what little was there. 3. I removed all of the large rocks and filled the holes with bags of top soil. I didn't do much about the smaller stones as that just didn't seem very feasable. 4. I watered heavily (to soften the ground up)and the next day I aerated with the goal of having the holes no more than 3-4" apart. (took about 4 hours) 5. In approximately equal parts, I mixed sand, (was looking for a clean washed medium sand and settled on mortar sand -- some places label it as play sand) sphagnum, and compost in a pull cart and hand spread it with a shovel. (it didn't take long to realize this was going to be a heck of a lot of work and material) Fortunately, I had started with the front lawn (about 3500 sq ft) and although my goal was to get at least an 1" cover down, it was probaly closer to 1/4". The backyard (about 4500 sq ft), I gave up on the sand and just used some compost and peat mix and put it on very thin (cost and my back were killing me by this time) Took 2 days to do. 6. I made a drag out of chain link fence and pulled it over and over until the hard clay pugs broke up pretty well and the yard looked pretty smooth. (most of a day to do) 7. Next day I sowed 50 lbs of KBG seed. (25# Midnite and 25# of a mix of 6 improved cultivars) Rented a spot seeder/verticutter/slit seeder (whatever people want to call it) and set it to cut about 1/4 in. deep. Went over the yard twice in two directions 45 degreees to one another. (started in the morning about 10 a.m. after picking up the slitter and finished at dusk) 8. Next day. Put down a starter fertilizer 15-24-10. covered the whole lawn with a thin dusting of very dry sphagnum. (I've never gotten dirtier--tricky stuff but really helped hold moisture during the watering process) 9. Used tripod sprinklers to water 3 times a day until yard was moist. Soon discovered it was a pain to keep moving the sprinlers so I bought six of the spike type and 300 foot of hose with turn off attachments and daisy chained to I could water in zones. (plus, wife was doing the noon watering and she had trouble moving and readjusting the tripod ones) Took almost 4 weeks of watering before most of the seed germinated. (water bill that month paid for most of the cost of the municipality's water system) 10.By the beginning of October, the front yard looked pretty good and the back yard was so-so but better than what it was. Aerated the next spring and overseeded (3# of KBG impoved mix per 1k sq ft), did reseeding of the larger bare patches in back yard, ran the slitter over it again (bought one) in just one direction, and put down starter fertilizer. Aerated and overseeded with a pound of KBG per 1k sq ft again last fall. I left out some of the fertilization and other amendments I've done since the grass germinated that first fall. Most people would be happy with the back yard and the front yard looks very good. BUT it cost over $1k in materials, rentals and water plus a week of vacation and a lot of back breaking work. Although I can say "I did it myself" and that there is a lot of satisfaction in that, considering all the work and money, if I had it to do over, I would pay someone to level it with a clean medium sand/compost mix and lay KBG sod. I'll try to post some pics if I can. I'd be interested in knowing what you do and how it works out....See MoreOxalis nightmare - don't want to stoop to chemical warfare?
Comments (2)The death of the turf grass and take over by oxalis is nature's way of telling you turf grass just isn't likely going to grow there anymore. You could try to find a shade tolerant grass seed and see how it goes. I don't know of any turf grasses that thrive in the shade though, just some that are more tolerant than others. I think you have to make a choice at this point. Work with nature or against nature. Either is fine, but working against nature will always involve more money, time and labor than working with it. You might get grass to grow and suppress the oxalis, but only with a shade tolerant variety and if the roots of the tree extend into the area then with increased water and fertilization as well. A personal recommendation would be replanting the area with shade tolerant wild flowers adaptable to your cold hardiness zone. Get a mix with a lot of varieties because some likely won't be adaptable to the area. You can pretty much forget about killing the oxalis as it will readily regrow from it's underground parts where it stores energy. Even synthetic herbicides may be of limited use with it. You likely have to outcompete it by choosing plants adaptable to the current conditions that can shade it out by virtue of being taller....See MoreBackyard nightmare (long)
Comments (9)What "certification" is there for soil testing labs? Some state universities do "certify" labs for the residents of those particular states to use for soil testing but that has little to do with the labs ability to test. If Massachusetts were to "certify" soil testing labs it would be the University of Massachusetts that would do that. Using UMASS for the soil test for soil pH, Phosphorus, Potash, Calcium, Magnesium, etc. will allow jwhittin the opportunity to talk with his county horticulturist about the test results, something Logan Labs does not provide. In addition to those soil tests jwhittin may want to use these simple soil tests, 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to learn more about the soil....See MoreOxalis nightmare - any alternatives to chemicals?
Comments (3)Sounds like you have Oxalis pes caprae, they come up in early Fall and die down when it gets hot in May. The plants grow from bulbs and create many new bulbs (bulbils) in the soil each year. The flowers do not set any seed however. In a small area if you are diligent you can hand dig them, repeating every 2 weeks or so through the winter and get good control. On a more practical note - over the winter you can smother them and starve them out, hopefully leaving little if any left over for next year. Based on what you have written I would try: 1) hoe the entire area to remove all top growth (hula hoe is awesome for this) 2) layer up to 10 sheets thick of newspaper over entire area. (wet it to stay in place) 3) cover the newspaper with any type of mulch, the best are tree chippings from any arborist - they will leave them for free usually. 4) If you can't stand the bare-ness, plant flowers in pots and place around area. 5) Plant through the mulch in early summer. The newspaper can persist for 2 or more years if it is very thick and does not stay moist - in this case you will want to chop it up so it does not become a water barrier. I have used this successfully in many areas of my garden......See MoreTILAPIA
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