2 MILLION BLOSSOMS
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) earned its common name, because it made its way to North America blades are gray-green in color with rough edges. It has a deep root system, growing well in - ous roots can sink down as far as 6 feet into rich soil, though most of the root mass stays in along the ground and roots wherever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat.
me an assessment of the soil composition. Based on what I want to grow, they provide suggestions on how I need to amend it to match my garden plans so my plants will thrive. If I am going to wait several months to plant my new plot, I sprinkle buckwheat seeds. Those plants are nitrogen banks, retaining the nitrogen until it’s needed. Now I just need to match the right plants to the exist- ing soil conditions. Plants native to the region are often an excellent choice, since they already have an established rela- tionship with local insects and other pollinators, and typically thrive in local soil conditions.
The Hard Plants to Remove Ever battle Bermuda grass? Known as dog’s teeth in Ger- man, this grass Cynodon dactylon can be obnoxious. My brother out in Virginia is on a quest to remove this invasive my mailbox.
The best way I found to clear my area was to starve it
save. I covered the remaining Bermuda with a layer of re- wood close together, ensuring that no water or light could get through. The neighbors looked at my new installation askew. It took a few months of assuring them it was temporary. I wait- ed patiently until I had a majority of the unwanted growth killed. Then after a good rain, I spent an afternoon hand pulling the rest, making sure I removed all of the roots. attempt to get re-established. I quickly escort it out of the
How to Clear Larger Tracts If you want to clear larger tracts, consider a prescribed
Burning off that top layer of soil will not only help remove unwanted growth but will expose seeds that have been wait- ing to germinate. Some seeds, like Scotch Pine, need heat to open. Regardless of what size area you want to clear, remember that there is already an established interconnected world un- derneath. You want to tap into it, not destroy it.
Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is an advanced master gardener, beekeeper and author. She has gardened without harmful chemicals since 1982 on her one-acre Missouri limestone hillside, where her neighbors told her nothing would ever grow. The property now is a certified wild- life habitat, Monarch Way Sta- tion and apiary. Follow her tips at
gardeningcharlotte.com and
homesweetbees.com.
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