Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[flitter]

Yup thats my theory. Cant wait to see what it looks like when its done. I will have to be creative and carve it cool

Be sure to post a picture.

 

[BlueMouse]

I use LAB in my garden as well. It's great stuff, very useful. The thing about LAB that I would be concerned with the juice from the FF is that it's very acidic, and if you don't dilute it significantly it will burn the leaves of your plants. Some people report that the FF kills their grass if they serve it on the ground. LAB you dilute 20/1 and then again 2-4tbsp per gallon of water. I'm not sure how strong the "juice" from the ferment really is so I'm not sure how much you wouldn eed to dilute it before you sprayed it to get a concentration where the acidity won't burn the leaves but there's still enough organisms to actively out compete or eat up the mildew etc.

Any more thoughts on alternatives to the horribly invasive Ivy for my stump??

 

[MumsyII]

I use LAB in my garden as well. It's great stuff, very useful. The thing about LAB that I would be concerned with the juice from the FF is that it's very acidic, and if you don't dilute it significantly it will burn the leaves of your plants. Some people report that the FF kills their grass if they serve it on the ground. LAB you dilute 20/1 and then again 2-4tbsp per gallon of water. I'm not sure how strong the "juice" from the ferment really is so I'm not sure how much you wouldn eed to dilute it before you sprayed it to get a concentration where the acidity won't burn the leaves but there's still enough organisms to actively out compete or eat up the mildew etc.

Any more thoughts on alternatives to the horribly invasive Ivy for my stump??

Yes about the acidity burning leaves. I also have seen grass killed where I put ff on the ground.

Gentle ground covers for the stump could be Epimedium, (Bishops Hat), False Soloman Seal, Maianthemum racemosum (treacleberry, Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia zawadzkii)Wiesner), Pulmonaria officinalis (Liverwort), and there are many others. I have grown these plants and they are easy and charming.

 

[AletaG]

I use LAB in my garden as well. It's great stuff, very useful. The thing about LAB that I would be concerned with the juice from the FF is that it's very acidic, and if you don't dilute it significantly it will burn the leaves of your plants. Some people report that the FF kills their grass if they serve it on the ground. LAB you dilute 20/1 and then again 2-4tbsp per gallon of water. I'm not sure how strong the "juice" from the ferment really is so I'm not sure how much you wouldn eed to dilute it before you sprayed it to get a concentration where the acidity won't burn the leaves but there's still enough organisms to actively out compete or eat up the mildew etc.

Any more thoughts on alternatives to the horribly invasive Ivy for my stump??

Akebia vine? Lonicera (twinflower)? Check your local conservation district, or university extension for "noxious weed list" usually they also list out alternatives that work in your climate...

 

[mlowen]

I pulled up my day lily stalks and chopped them up a bit. I thought I'd throw them into the run deep litter unless someone says it's a bad idea. They are hollow. I thought they'd add some carbon that's not as acidic as the oak leaves.

 

[MumsyII]

I pulled up my day lily stalks and chopped them up a bit. I thought I'd throw them into the run deep litter unless someone says it's a bad idea. They are hollow. I thought they'd add some carbon that's not as acidic as the oak leaves.

This sounds ok to me. If by day lily you mean Hemerocallis fulva. The blooms are edible for humans and I believe the root can be prepared like potatoes if you like to forage or were starving. Day lily is considered a naturalized pest in a lot of states but I have been growing it for decades and it is not invasive, just persistent.

A very small percentage of people can be allergic. While trying to taste something new, remember just a small bite at first.

I may use your idea and add it to my DL this fall when I clean up the garden.

 

[MumsyII]

The husband and I went to the county fair together last night. He wanted to see the pumpkin and I wanted to check out a few displays a bit closer.

The County and State extension booth got my attention. A great wealth of information about noxious weeds and plants to watch out for.

I was appalled that some are in my garden that I put there on purpose. This is the list posted. I took every free brochure they offered. I've got some serious rethinking to do about what I keep and what goes.

 

[midnightroo]

I would do some research before pulling them all out though. Are they all nonnatives? Do they offer anything of value such as food for people or animals? Are they good for pollinators? Are you cutting them back so it is hard for them to spread? We have a butterfly bush and it did seem to spread so I try to cut back the seeds and pull up any that I don't want. I also have a maypop that is native, but it too is invasive though I knew that when I bought it. I just didn't think it would thrive as well as it has. I like natives, but all plants have issues.

 

[BlueMouse]

I think it depends on how you keep invasives, and on how they spread.... I keep a couple of invasives that are either medicinal or dye plants. Tansy produces a yellow dye. I also Keep Feverfew in my herb garden as a medicinal, and Comfrey because it's such a help around the garden, and a beneficial for ruminants and chickens. I did take the precaution of buying a sterile cultivar of comfrey. I planted it on a sandy slope where I don't ind if it invades, and it's deep roots will be useful in securing the soil against eroision. The tansy and the Feverfew I will harvest the flowers from, so I don't worry about them spreading by seed. We will have to see if they spread otherwise.... Some plants, like Mint and Catnip are beneficial but can be such pests it's almost not worth growing them. I've picked places on the new property to grow these invasives where they can run wild without harming my gardens/yard/landscaping or the surrounding ecosystem. I think that if something spreads by birds carrying the seeds, and is a horrible invasive pest destroying the understory, like scotch broom, or english holly maybe it's best not to keep them. I decided against planting broom after I did some reading. But, butterfly bush for example, is a beneficial plant for polinators, and can be controlled by vigerous weeding, my tansy and feverfew are unlikely to spread outside the stone walks of my herb garden since I cut the flowers. It's a balancing act, isn't it? Always so good to educate yourself about a plant before you buy it too! That's one of the great things about the internet, we have so much information at our fingertips.

 

[armorfirelady]

I can understand the ivy. There other I have heard of but some I don't recognize. But I don't understand why butterfly bush is considered invasive ? I have one a I planted probably 6 or 7 years ago and it hasn't spread from where I planted it. I've planted a few more because the bees and butterflies love it.

Is it the same as this
https://www.google.com/search?q=but...RUu6tH8jhyQGq3IGgAw#biv=i|4;d|MTsL8O6oU8-GrM:
I know you said different plants can have the same names so maybe its different from what we call butterfly bushes?

Mumsy how did you make out with the bees? Are they all gone since you sprayed them?