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Topic Title: A sod story: Options for ground covers in Brevard plentiful Topic Summary: Created On: 01/14/2012 09:16 AM Status: Post and Reply |
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A sod story: Options for ground covers in Brevard plentiful http://www.floridatoday.com/ar...tab|topnews|text|Home ------------------------- surf forecast |
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someone recommended this plant in the comment section of the article:
Mimosa strigillosa http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep343 ------------------------- surf forecast |
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I have Mimosa strigillosa--growing in lawn grass and filling in the spots where my neglect has left these. It does best for me out of the lawn area into other plantings but, fortunately, it pulls up reasonably easily. Spreads, but not horribly aggressive. The small pink pom-pom flowers are the chief indicator of where it has moved to.
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Interesting. After reading the article I was left with the impression we really dont have many options. Bahia was not a good choice because it doesnt spread. The suggestion was to shy away from Zoysia, as it cant handle our winters and is slow to regenerate. Bermuda had maintenance requirements way beyond the other grass, so it was not recommended. The only two options were Floritam and the weed bed otherwise referred to as "native". Guess we are stuck with the Floritam...
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A local installation of perennial peanut is doing well. One yard in town has lots of a yellow-flowered pea that seems bigger and brighter than perennial peanut. The yard is sort of neglected, but for much of summer when the peas are up, it's beautiful. |
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I was thinking of trying the P.Peanut route. My ryegrass is growing great right now. Or should I say still alive. I haven't had to cut it or anything the past three weeks.
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Just ripped out my entire yard and have reduced the size of all the turf
Areas. Resodded the front with floratam and considering artificial turf for the back. Advantages are no water, fertilizers, mowing but it is not cheap initially. Home depot sells it. Right now I reseeded it with rye. |
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I started a patch of Mimosa strigillosa last fall.
It's hanging in there, but not out competing the weed grasses like I had hoped. |
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Mimosa strigillosa takes a while to establish itself. My first two attempts at planting it failed. No, not out-competing the weed grasses or the wedelia, more like infiltrating them.
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Still debating to go full Floritam or to bed out major areas with a compactor and crushed coquina, using Palms and Cord/Muhly Grass |
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Bed and tree as much as you can...grass is stupid. Turf a few spots if you want to feel like you do yard work. Probably easier to maintain a little bit than a whole lawn of it. Check out Frank's xeriscape on my road for ideas if you want. I think you will thank yourself...and you will be able to grow fruit because the salt irrigation won't kill them.
------------------------- ![]() If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. |
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double post
------------------------- ![]() If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. |
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That article is lame at best. Propaganda from the local Floritam grower at worst.
Bahia - re-seed every spring Zoysia - seed with annual rye every fall. Bermuda - same as zoysia Turf growing is work, expensive per sq ft and chemically intensive. If you want to increase your success with turf amend the soil where you're going grow turf with live soil three feet deep. Water, fertilizer, pests control requirements will be reduced significantly. ------------------------- Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. |
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What do you do when they used clay as your soil around your house when they built it? Aside from the costly removal of the top 3' of soil. My St. Augustine just will not go into the clay...there's no need. With the water pooling on the surface of the clay, the roots have no need to delve into the soil, and thusly die after a year or two for one reason or another. ------------------------- |
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I had Gavin Vaughn of Vaughn tractor dig it out and I had it truck away. Then I brought in compost. Gavin placed and rough graded it. I finish graded the final by hand. I also got the turf as far away from the house as I could by creating beds. thus, less turf.
My point was, that if you want to grow turf on the coast of FL you will need to amend the soil to avoid the typical problem. That doesn't mean you won't have problems, just less extreme. The concept is to create living soil. Try this link for some other options to break the clay barrier. http://www.smartwp.com/products.html ------------------------- Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. |
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