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Planting Under Trees - Part 5Read the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only".
» Daffyclay - Marge, I have about three or four different type ground cover Marge,I have about three or four different type ground covers. How do you keep them where they belong. The are always invading my lawn areas, walkways, paths, and some love to climb. Will the climbing type kill my shrubs and trees? Clay Higgins, Editor:Clay's Daffodils -- posted by Daffyclay » Marge_Talt - Clay, Depends on what they are. I mow the ones that want to Clay,Depends on what they are. I mow the ones that want to invade what passes for our grass. This works except for Ajuga, which just hunkers down and keeps on growing, so I let it. Our "lawn" is mostly non-grass - its only virtue is that is sort of green and I keep it cut:-) I go around two or three times a season and either cut back or pull ones that want to take over paths. Would also depend on what wants to do the climbing into what as to whether it would hurt the host plant or not. Whatcha' got that wants to climb? And what's it want to climb? Marge
-- posted by Marge_Talt » Daffyclay - Marge, I have a number of type vines that like to climb. One Marge,I have a number of type vines that like to climb. One is an ivy type vine that keeps trying to climb up the trees and the brick on the house. It could very well be one of the formal ivy plants, however, it is a nusiance to me. Secondly, I have Virginia Creeper that likes to climb everything. It's usually low lying, by is heavy on shrubs. Third, I seem to be invaded by grape vines that grow wild. I think they are seeded there by the birds, since we have a large bird population. The overactive azelea around, and in our yard, has attacted them as they have become giants and totally unrully. The grape vines try to compete with the azeleas and climb to the top, and in one season creat so much foliage that they "weight down" the azelea and smother it. Last of all I have poison ivy, which I handle very well, thank you. It seems to spread like wildfire, therefore, I think the birds are spreading it also. Any advise? Clay Higgins, Editor:Clay's Daffodils -- posted by Daffyclay » Marge_Talt - Ah, Clay, sounds like you've got the same native thugs I've got! Ah, Clay, sounds like you've got the same native thugs I've got! Plus, of course, good old ivy.Well, I've got ivy climbing a lot of trees and it's been doing it for years and years and the trees are still with me. Granted, they were all mature specimens to start with and none are particularly valuable. I have even, this season, for the first time, noticed seedling ivy since the ivy up the trees has finally matured to the flowering stage. It also grows up my house. I don't mind it at all and let it alone unless it gets on my nerves. I would not, however, permit it to climb a young tree or one that was particularly rare or valuable. Virginia Creeper is everywhere. I pull it by the mile. I let it grow up the old locusts and bird cherries, but not just everything and I pull it out of shrubs when I catch it going up them. Wild grape is a royal pain in the rear. The woods are full of it and the birds do seed it around every where. There are vines in the woods as big around as my arm. I cut them when I run into them in a losing battle to get rid of it. I would definately not allow it to climb into anything. Pull it or cut it whenever you see it. It's one of those dratted plants that, once over six inches tall, has a root going to the center of the earth and is very hard to pull. I've lost huge trees in the woods to wild grape. It smothers the foliage at the top and then a big storm comes and it acts like a sale and down crashes the tree. One of my most hated pest plants! Poison ivy is one I cut and pull whenever I see it. It is also seeded about by the birds, so we'll never be free of it. But, putting a nice plastic bag (the ones from the Washington Post are good) over my gloved hand, I pull and deposit in another bag. When done pulling, the hand bag goes in the trash, too. Plus, I swear by Tecnu. Since I found it, I don't get itchy poison ivy rash anymore - and I am very susceptible. Great stuff. The only one I do constant battle with that you didn't mention was Hall's honeysuckle. Are you free of that sweet-scented thug? Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » Daffyclay - Marge, On the Honeysuckle, you and others have heard me cryin Marge,On the Honeysuckle, you and others have heard me crying about the clear cutting of the magnificant old growth forest "lot" next to mine, by a new neighbor who bought the lot, and cleared it totally. Well, there's something good about that. The border between my lot and his was covered with honeysuckle, which I'm alergic to the heavy perfume smell it gives out. The neighbor took it all away, and when he didn't I cut a few more and threw them onto his side so the bull dozer got it all. I am death on honeysuckle. When I smell it, I hunt it out and get rid of it. As for the vines, I also have a form of ground cover that have leaves a lot like ivy. It doesn't seem to climb that fast, and stays low, most of the time. I don't know what it is.
Good vining. Clay Higgins, Editor:Clay's Daffodils -- posted by Daffyclay » Marge_Talt - Well, Clay, they always say "no great loss without some small ga Well, Clay, they always say "no great loss without some small gain", and I guess getting rid of the honeysuckle was your small gain.Too bad you can't take the scent; I love it. It's the only thing I like about Hall's honeysuckle. Your ivy look-alike sounds interesting. It doesn't have sharp thorns spaced fairly far apart up the stem, does it? If not, and it looks like ivy, I wonder if it actually is a form of ivy. Mine, as I think I said, has just started dropping seedlings all over the place. The leaves on these are somewhat different from the adult, but that may be only because they are juvenile. Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » winkyblink - gardening under trees I live in zone 21. I have a very mature sweet gum in my front yard. The lawn is now nearly gone due to the shade. A particular type of bermuda remains in one small patch. What I would like to do is plant some drought tolerant plants under the tree and eliminate the lawn. I do water during the summer and winter months if there is no rain. A creeping ground cover won't work well as there is a lot of raking that needs to be done. The spiny balls fall almost all year long. I was thinking of perhaps some ornamental grasses and flax. Is there anyhting else I should consider?-- posted by winkyblink » Marge_Talt - Re: gardening under trees In response to message posted by winkyblink:Welcome to Gardening in Shade!, winkyblink. Zone 21 sounds like a Sunset zone? What about Liriope? It tolerates dry soil and dense shade; is grass-like in appearance, plus it has blue flowers in late summer. You can rake it all you want to and it won't hurt it. Set your mower high in late winter or early spring and mow off the foliage before new growth starts...that is, if it needs it. Mine gets weatherbeaten on account of winter, but yours might just stay nice. BTW, it's evergreen. There are two species, L. spicata, which is a spreader via rhizomes and L. muscari, which is clump forming and spreads via seed. They both form deep, tough root systems, once established. Most other ornamental grasses for shade that I know of want moist soil, which I don't think they'd get under that tree. I've only tried flax once and found it wanted more sun than I could give it...sort of a wispy plant if we're talking about the same one. Really think Liriope would be your best bet there. You'd have to water it until it got established and then it's very drought tolerant. Did an article, Harbingers of Fall - Part II - Liriope, about them if you're interested. -- posted by Marge_Talt
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