Mission Impossible: Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, in Puget Sound
lilredjenn
8 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Mission Impossible - stop the weeds
Comments (28)It's all for a vegetable garden. The beds should stick up 2-4 inches above whatever mulch I use if I use 4 inches of it (more if I use less). The depth of the beds will be more as I intend to dig down directly under the beds to give more depth for better soil I'm going to haul in. I plan to leave some room at the top of the beds to add compost as time goes by. Some of the beds will be 10x4ft with 4ft spacing between them. These will probably be the least of my worries and I'll mulch with newsprint inside the beds with drip irrigation on top to keep it wet (and by so doing, keep it from blowing away). I'm reasonably confident of that part of my plan. Mulching between these beds will be important mostly to avoid the tall weeds, and to avoid anything that likes to spread weed seeds to the rest of the garden. Elsewhere (which is the majority of the garden), my bed setup will be the same in terms of height/depth but widthxlength will be 2x2. The purpose of these will be for larger plants like watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash, etc. While the pumpkin and squash MIGHT be able to hold their own against the weeds, the watermelon and muskmelon (which will be the bulk of the plants) won't. I proved that this year when I didn't weed some of them in time and the plants didn't put on near the growth they should have due to being shaded. The ones that were weeded in a more timely fashion did fine. Due to the size and quantity (around 125 or so) of these plants, it's really not practical to try building a bed large enough to hold them. The purpose of the bed in their case is to provide for the main stalk/root system. The leaves and fruit will have to be outside the bed on the ground where I need some sort of a mulch system to keep the weeds under control. When these things start growing, mowing obviously won't be an option because I'd destroy my plants. I've got about 9,000 square feet of space here I need to mulch in some fashion, so cheap is important. I can live with spending a bit of money up front if it means I've solved the problem (or the majority of it) for several years. Spreading anything over that much space is a fair amount of work too (and often the work involved is more daunting than the expense - particularly if I end up doing something like rock). Landscape Fabric I tried some experiments with landscape fabric this year and didn't like the results. At a minimum, I'd have to replace it every year if I put it on top, and in that quantity, it's rather expensive for a yearly cost. Newspaper I can afford (I buy the end rolls from the newspaper company), but isn't suitable outside the beds mostly due to wind. Black Plastic I'd consider black plastic, but I don't think it will hold up to foot traffic - assuming it can survive the wind. Astroturf Any sort of outdoor carpeting/astroturf appears to be to expensive. Old Carpet Old used carpeting might be a real option if I can find a ready supply for free/cheap though I have concerns about the chemicals and possible smell. I suspect smell (if there is any) would only be an issue when it's wet during the spring. I can't really see it smelling when it's dry which should be the bulk of the year. Stone The more I read the more I'm afraid it won't do much at all for my weed issue after a few years and then I'll just be stuck battling weeds with a ton of rock involved. Organic Mulch I have doubts about being able to make the expense/longevity make sense here. It might be able to work, but so far the numbers aren't looking right. If it was either cheaper, or if it lasted longer, I could justify it. Cardboard I've got doubts about being able to locate this quantity of cardboard, and far more doubts about being able to make it hold up to the wind. I realize I could pin it, but if the cardboard pieces aren't very big to begin with, I think half the mulch will be pins instead of cardboard. Even with the pins, I'm not sure it could manage the wind. The wind gets really rough here sometimes. Aggressive non-mow groundcover Haven't found anything I think would do the job, I could reasonably source and afford, and I could have in place and ready to take over by next spring - I'm looking for a solution that will be working by next spring. Not one I'm going to have to spend a few years getting up to speed. whatever I do, I don't really mind spreading some more of X every year, or rolling out new cover, etc. but it has to be affordable at those replacement rates. I'm trying to stay below $3K for the beds, soil, and mulch. For $3K, I want a minimum of a 5 year solution, preferably more like a 10. If I spend less, I can live with having to spend more on maintenance each year. I forsee getting some good life out of the soil (if properly maintained which I will) and the beds (if decently built which is the plan). My concern point and issue is the mulch....See MoreLooking for drought resistant groundcover, steep slope
Comments (19)We too have two steep hills in our backyard that get barely any water. We're in north GA. When we bought the house there were clumps of English Ivy, obviously doing terribly. You could see the awful erosion all around the clumps. We planted the spreading type of liriope two years ago, and let me tell you we planted three hundred clumps and five have spread so far. We planted the orange wild daylilies here and there, they have become huge and have started to spread. I stuck giant daffodil bulbs and some vinca minor in spots, they are both doing well so far. I will tell you I have creeping phlox out front with good soil and water, and it has covered everything it can reach (hard to weed in). I stuck two of the same plants out back in a corner of the hill to see how it did, and both are the same exact size two years later. Just my two cents to add, hope I helped!...See Moreuncommon shrub suggestions sought...
Comments (42)David, thanks for your reference to this species, O. cacanapa-ellisiana! I did not know about this Opuntia at all until you mentioned it. I just purchased and received cuttings from an on line source. Absolutely gorgeous! Received several LARGE pads for $12.00! I have LOTS of O. humifusa which I also love..., despite the thorns and the prickles. The spineless one is hardy also to Zone 7a..., I hope it too is deer resistant! LOL. BTW, do you happen to know if either of these species is eaten, by humans (I know that there is at least one tropical species is eaten), O. indica (which I do grow but not to eat!) Oh, I am not even that much of a cacti nut..., except for epiphytic cacti, Opuntia and Cereus (so, I guess the more tropical/subtropical species, not so much the xerophytic ones)....See MoreMission Impossible: Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, in Puget Sound
Comments (5)I'm just north of you in BC, so I have much the same conditions - especially the deer part. You didn't say how high you want the hedge to grow. If not too tall, barberry would work well. It is one of the only plants that the deer in our area consistently ignore. Holly would also work but it's considered invasive in BC - don't know if the same is true in WA....See MoreMike McGarvey
8 years agoEmbothrium
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agolilredjenn
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agolilredjenn
8 years agoEmbothrium
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agolilredjenn
8 years agolilredjenn
8 years agomorz8 - Washington Coast
8 years agolilredjenn
8 years agoEmbothrium
8 years ago
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