SHEET MULCHING

Do you want more garden space without the hassle?   TRY SHEET MULCHING!!!

Sheet mulching is a method for turf eradication and also for building soil health on weedy or infertile ground.

 

By simply placing out overlapping sheets of clean cardboard, adding 4-6 inches of compost and a final layer of arbor mulch one can easily renovate a lawn into a functional and fertile garden space.

Click on the images below for more information.  Give us a call, mention this blogpost and receive a free estimate on turf removal!

DID YOU KNOW?

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium which lives in the belly of ticks, such as the western black-legged tick here in California.  When a juvenile tick (about 1/20th of an inch in size) ingests the blood a Western Fence Lizard a protein in the lizards’ blood actually kill the bacteria!  This seems to leave the tick unable to transmit Lyme Disease! 

WAY TO GO MOTHER NATURE!!

Read the Berkeley news article from 1998 here: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1998/0429/lizard.html

Blue belly lizards hibernate over winter and reestablish their home territory in the same areas the following spring. Mating begins in early may with eggs hatching by july. They defend their space (a ¼ acre territory) through posturing (push ups) and through chemical cues and markings.

This baby blue belly is maybe 4 cm long -excluding the tail. It probably hatched a few days prior to these photos in mid july 2008. *note the shoe is a child’s size 9 lost in the landscape for a season!!

Can you find the baby lizard? While not the most focused of photos it does clearly illustrates how well camouflaged lizards are for protection from predators. The leaves next to the baby are from a common garden sage plant.

This sunny location is perfect to blend in (for both protection and predation) while warming the blood; lizards are reptiles and therefore cold blooded requiring warmth from external sources for energy and survival.

TO WEED OR NOT TO WEED… that is the question!

What is a weed?  "A plant out of place" is the answer given by most horticulture folks.  But what is a weed in the eyes of an ecological landscape?

Only three of the four plants shown below are what we consider to be invasive and should be managed well in the landscape.  Their escape can be time consuming the long run.

Can you guess which plant is not a weed to the eyes of an ecological landscaper? 

Check out the images below for the answer...

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a common plant found in our landscapes. Little do people know of its edibility in salads or steamed but most know even less about a dandelions ability to harness nutrients from deep in the soil they then accumulate in their leaves. A great M-O-S plant and no weed!

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is a weed sold in chain nurseries still to this day. This invasive weed is pretty to look at but not after is has taken over the garden! Manage this weed by manual removal (no chemicals necessary) then mulch heavily (3-6 inches deep).

Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica) is a common landscape weed that spreads by seed. The roots are extremely fibrous and will hold the soil in place quite well. Manage this invasive pest with manual removal of entire plant BEFORE FLOWERING (or if not in flower mulch-on-site)! Then MULCH heavily!

Creeping Woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata) is a menacing weed that spreads by underground runners and seed. The seed pods rupture when humidity levels change spreading seed everywhere. Manage this invasive pest with manual removal of all roots and creeping stems BEFORE THEY FLOWER! Then MULCH!

BEETLES ABOUND!

The enormous amount of carrot seed we have collected since we first saw these beetles a few years ago has been wonderful.  We collect the seed and they finish drying outdoors then are stored in a cool dry place.  These particular carrots produced viable and abundant seed thanks to the pollination from these beetles and others. 

The ‘furniture carpet beetle’ (Anthrenus flavipes) pictured below is considered a ‘pest’ by UC IPM folks at Davis.  Greatly admiring the work of UC IPM we will agree to their advisement, “Examine cut flowers for adult beetles.  Be careful not to bring these pests into the home on cut flowers—with their rounded bodies and short antennae, carpet beetles somewhat resemble lady beetles in shape.”