Wednesday, July 13, 2011

































Mushrooms

There are a lot of fungus varieties that can cause problems in turf grass. Mushrooms are among the most visible but least harmful of lawn fungi. Fairy rings are caused by up to 50 different types of fungi and create expanding rings in turf. Neither of these problems has a simple "cure." But there are a few things that might be helpful if you discover you have one or both of these lawn disease situations.
Mushrooms Don't Harm Your Turf

Mushrooms are caused by a large number of different fungi. They are sensitive to moisture and so they normally appear during periods of heavy rainfall or on very heavily irrigated turf. Mushrooms feed on decaying organic material in the thatch or soil, and do not attack living grass plants. Shallow dead tree roots, construction debris, or heavy thatch on the lawn can become the "host" that mushrooms feed upon.

In almost all cases, mushrooms will disappear when lawn moisture levels return to normal, and regular mowing is about all the control required to manage the appearance problem they can cause. Some of the fungi that cause mushrooms are sensitive to fungicides, but this type of weed control is difficult, expensive, and the results are usually less than desirable. Because of this we normally advise that attempting to remove mushrooms chemically is not really feasible.
A Few Things We Do Advise

Keep the soil open and allow water penetration. Regular core aeration helps this. Also, be sure the turf is regularly fertilized and watered. These are not cures, but will help to mask the ring effects.

How to Create a Stone Flowerbed Border


Flowerbeds can add style, beauty and texture to your landscaping. To separate your flowerbeds from the rest of your yard, or to protect your delicate plants and flowers from yard traffic like kids and pets, then you need to add a flowerbed border. The following steps will show you how to create a stone flowerbed border that will be functional and fashionable.

Instructions

prepare to Build a Flowerbed Border
    • 1
      Figure out the purpose of the stone flowerbed border. The purpose of the boarder is going to influence what type of stones you use. For example if you need the border to act as a retaining wall then you will need larger stones that fit tightly together.
    • 2
      Learn about your stone options. There is a good selection of rocks and rock products that you can use to create your stone flowerbed border. There are slab rocks, cut rocks, river rocks, colored stones and river stones. To get the best results, you will want to select a rock that will meet your flowerbed's functional needs and its aesthetic needs.
    • 3
      Determine what materials you will need to create your stone flowerbed border. Some of the items that you may need to buy include: plastic border dividers, plastic sheathing, garden stakes, spray paint and rocks.
    • 4
      Measure your flowerbed's dimensions to figure out how much sheathing, plastic border dividers and rock you will need.
    • 5
      Buy your supplies. Local home improvement stores and rock haulers can be great places to find rocks of all shapes and sizes, as well as the other materials that you will need to build your border.

    Build a Stone Flowerbed Border

    • 1
      Mark the outline of your stone flowerbed border with spray paint.
    • 2
      Clear out the area behind the spray marks. Remove grass, native stones, weeds and other debris. If you will be placing large slab stones to build a retaining wall then you will also want to level the ground. Do this by scraping the dirt or by filling in depressions with sand or loose soil. Lay down plastic sheathing to prevent weeds from growing up between your rocks.
    • 3
      Install the plastic garden divider border along the spray mark. This will separate your grass from the flower bed. You will want to work the plastic into the ground. The easiest way to do this is to dig down into the dirt, place the plastic border and then secure it with dirt. You will also want to add a plastic garden border between the stone border and the actual flower garden (only if you are using loose gravel). This will keep the rocks from spreading into your flower area.
    • 4
      Place your stones. If you are using loose gravel to create your border all you have to do is dump the rocks between your two borders and spread them out to create an even layer. If you are building a stone retaining wall then you will want to start by placing a single row of slab stones on the leveled dirt. Make sure that the stones are fitted tightly together. The second layer of stones needs to be staggered slightly to help hold the retaining wall together. If you want, you can complete a third row; however, two rows are generally enough.
    • 5
      Fill the flowerbed with dirt to hold up the stone retaining wall flowerbed border and plant with the flowers of your choice
      If you will be creating a curved border then you can use string to figure out the dimensions of your flowerbed. Simply run the string along the intended flowerbed border line and mark on the string the beginning and end of the flowerbed border. Then stretch the string so that it is straight and measure the string with a tape measure.

Creative Woodland Gardens ideas