Thank you for that info about the industry behind bark mulch, I had been wondering about that and am in the midst of reporting a story about mulch!
As for leaving the leaves, this is also something I've written about. I do think that if you have dense tree cover from a tree with sturdy leaves like those from an oak, you may need to mulch/compost *some* leaves. I think about it like I do plants: I don't need to be rigid about using only natives, but instead aim for 70-percent.
Hi Heather- We bought a home with a large yard 11 years ago and I started learning about mulching and keeping garden waste on my property and practice many of the methods you describe. Three years ago I started to modify those methods when I realized that many of them are great methods for woodland areas, but if you live in a fire prone area they may not be advisable. Dead hedges, safe snags, and other debris must be kept at least 15 feet away from structures. Also, many of the natives in the southwest grow better without organic matter. If you live in the southwest and have bags of lawn clippings, the change in habits should be to a smaller lawn as well as repurposing lawn clippings on your property. I cringe when I see film footage of fire fighters trying to clear woody plants and debris away from the foundations of homes as fires advance on housing developments.
Heather- I just started substack a few days ago and I didn't think about searching to see if you had already addressed this issue. I'm looking forward to reading Adrienne Edwards' book Firescaping Your Home. I especially appreciate your emphasis on science based evidence for our wire wise gardening modifications. Your newsletter is a great reminder and I picked up a new term for my future gardening journey: a safely wild yard!
This is a wealth of information. Thank you! Any suggestions of how to clear an overgrown yard of English ivy? Preferably one that doesn't involve goats (too expensive) or concrete. Thank you in advance.
Thank you! Re the English ivy, it really depends just how large the yard is. Ivy responds well to manual pulling. Large strands come out in one pull. Eventually you’ll end up at a master root, which you can keep an eye on and cut back periodically. I eliminated English ivy from our Providence yard this way. In our bigger yard here, I am tackling one area at a time—though I have to up my game if I don’t want to lose ground. The somewhat counterintuitive rule for invasives is to start in more pristine areas and move to the most invaded. This is one invasive where mowing seems to worsen the problem: The shoots seem to set down deeper roots after mowing. Hope that’s helpful!
One more thought: Pulling ivy is actually kind of fun. You might be able to inspire a group of friends to spend an hour doing it if you promised food and drinks after.
Thank you, Joel! I know you have lots of experience with this… The annuals I’ve been most successful with are partridge pea (pour boiling water over the seeds!), a nitrogen fixer, and sweet everlasting. But I should add that I also often use exotic Dutch white clover, which even I have railed against, because it establishes so quickly and is easily displaced later on by native perennials.
UK - I depended on bark from a local fencing company when I started ,making Veddw over two acres of field. Worked wonderfully, even making clay soil into easily planted loam.
But (maybe apart from my curiosity about bark's bad press) this post is full of wonderfully useful and informative mulch material!
It does sound totally different. Bare soil plus weeding issues is much more common here. We could do, especially in institutional gardens, with more mulch and less hoe.
In my area of the Hudson Valley we are experiencing an infestation of stilt grass. I’ve noticed a preference for seeding in fallen leaves which establishes colonies on the property. But knowing the importance of leaving fallen leaves for insects has made the yard more challenging in spring and fall. I’ve tried dense plantings as well, but nothing I’ve tried out competes the grass. Any advice?
Jill, Yes, stilt grass is a terrible problem in the Hudson Valley, where my daughter Zoe gardens, and a growing one here in Rhode Island, where I do. Have you tried mowing or pulling the stilt grass and removing the cut grass when it has grown long but before seeds develop? That’s usually in August, before the leaves fall in a big way. You can kill the seeds (which will continue to develop after cutting) by solarizing under a tarp. Any existing seeds in the soil will last up to five years, so you will have to continue this process each August for several years, but eventually your aggressive native replacements should win out.
Actually, I should add that when stilt grass appears among native plants, I find it easiest to pull it out from the top. It comes out easily and this method is much faster than cutting (which I usually recommend). My soil by now has lots of native seed, so I’m not too worried about disturbance.
I agree. I pull the stilt grass from beds (and fallen leave natural areas) and just mow down what is in our lawn area. The key is not to let it go to seed!
Thank you for that info about the industry behind bark mulch, I had been wondering about that and am in the midst of reporting a story about mulch!
As for leaving the leaves, this is also something I've written about. I do think that if you have dense tree cover from a tree with sturdy leaves like those from an oak, you may need to mulch/compost *some* leaves. I think about it like I do plants: I don't need to be rigid about using only natives, but instead aim for 70-percent.
Totally agree, Laura!
Hi Heather- We bought a home with a large yard 11 years ago and I started learning about mulching and keeping garden waste on my property and practice many of the methods you describe. Three years ago I started to modify those methods when I realized that many of them are great methods for woodland areas, but if you live in a fire prone area they may not be advisable. Dead hedges, safe snags, and other debris must be kept at least 15 feet away from structures. Also, many of the natives in the southwest grow better without organic matter. If you live in the southwest and have bags of lawn clippings, the change in habits should be to a smaller lawn as well as repurposing lawn clippings on your property. I cringe when I see film footage of fire fighters trying to clear woody plants and debris away from the foundations of homes as fires advance on housing developments.
Thank you for that reminder, Daveen! It’s a broad and growing issue. Curious if you have anything to add to my one newsletter about it, which I should recirculate soon? https://www.designyourwild.com/p/protect-your-family-from-wildfires-with-a-safely-wild-yard?r=9fou4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Heather- I just started substack a few days ago and I didn't think about searching to see if you had already addressed this issue. I'm looking forward to reading Adrienne Edwards' book Firescaping Your Home. I especially appreciate your emphasis on science based evidence for our wire wise gardening modifications. Your newsletter is a great reminder and I picked up a new term for my future gardening journey: a safely wild yard!
Please don’t hesitate to chime in with fire-wise reminders in the future. It’s not top of mind for me, though it should be.
This is a wealth of information. Thank you! Any suggestions of how to clear an overgrown yard of English ivy? Preferably one that doesn't involve goats (too expensive) or concrete. Thank you in advance.
Thank you! Re the English ivy, it really depends just how large the yard is. Ivy responds well to manual pulling. Large strands come out in one pull. Eventually you’ll end up at a master root, which you can keep an eye on and cut back periodically. I eliminated English ivy from our Providence yard this way. In our bigger yard here, I am tackling one area at a time—though I have to up my game if I don’t want to lose ground. The somewhat counterintuitive rule for invasives is to start in more pristine areas and move to the most invaded. This is one invasive where mowing seems to worsen the problem: The shoots seem to set down deeper roots after mowing. Hope that’s helpful!
One more thought: Pulling ivy is actually kind of fun. You might be able to inspire a group of friends to spend an hour doing it if you promised food and drinks after.
Great summation of best practices! What native annuals are you using in your beds?
Thank you, Joel! I know you have lots of experience with this… The annuals I’ve been most successful with are partridge pea (pour boiling water over the seeds!), a nitrogen fixer, and sweet everlasting. But I should add that I also often use exotic Dutch white clover, which even I have railed against, because it establishes so quickly and is easily displaced later on by native perennials.
UK - I depended on bark from a local fencing company when I started ,making Veddw over two acres of field. Worked wonderfully, even making clay soil into easily planted loam.
But (maybe apart from my curiosity about bark's bad press) this post is full of wonderfully useful and informative mulch material!
Thank you, Anne! I’m thinking part of the bark issue here in the US us how they treat it with dyes and who knows what else.
It does sound totally different. Bare soil plus weeding issues is much more common here. We could do, especially in institutional gardens, with more mulch and less hoe.
In my area of the Hudson Valley we are experiencing an infestation of stilt grass. I’ve noticed a preference for seeding in fallen leaves which establishes colonies on the property. But knowing the importance of leaving fallen leaves for insects has made the yard more challenging in spring and fall. I’ve tried dense plantings as well, but nothing I’ve tried out competes the grass. Any advice?
Jill, Yes, stilt grass is a terrible problem in the Hudson Valley, where my daughter Zoe gardens, and a growing one here in Rhode Island, where I do. Have you tried mowing or pulling the stilt grass and removing the cut grass when it has grown long but before seeds develop? That’s usually in August, before the leaves fall in a big way. You can kill the seeds (which will continue to develop after cutting) by solarizing under a tarp. Any existing seeds in the soil will last up to five years, so you will have to continue this process each August for several years, but eventually your aggressive native replacements should win out.
Actually, I should add that when stilt grass appears among native plants, I find it easiest to pull it out from the top. It comes out easily and this method is much faster than cutting (which I usually recommend). My soil by now has lots of native seed, so I’m not too worried about disturbance.
I agree. I pull the stilt grass from beds (and fallen leave natural areas) and just mow down what is in our lawn area. The key is not to let it go to seed!