Texas hell-strip help
Scott Z8 CenTex
8 years ago
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Hell Strip Hedge Help
Comments (1)Some people hate them, and I can't comment specifically on the salt, but I LOVE my privets. I planted them at about a foot tall, three years later they reached 4 1/2', and now on the sixth (?) year they are probably at or over 6 feet tall. For every 12 inches they grow, cut them back 6". Keep doing this and they'll grow thick and lush. We specifically planted Cheyenne privets. We purchased individual plants from a local nursery, and then planted more which came in a pack of 30 or so which amounted to sticks with roots on them. And we planted them, and they grew. They will flop the first few years before they grow strong enough, like after heavy rains - I shake the excess water off to plop them up again. By the 4th or 5th year they should be strong enough to sustain the moisture. A hedge trimmer will be necessary every year once they're established to shape them. Make sure the bottom is wider than the top when hedging. They respond beautifully to hedging. I have them in rich black topsoil with clay about 18" beneath that. They do tend to drop leaves during a drought though, so it may be necessary to supplement watering during those times. I have them in both full sun and partial shade. They'll get fuller in full sun, but will do well in partial shade too. Planted the second batch at another property with sandy dry soil, and they're performing well so far. This is the second year. Stagger them when planting for full privacy, I think about 18-24 inches apart. Don't plant them in a straight row, unless you have to. aside from privets, I thought I recalled reading that Thuja Green Giants do well with road salt. You can also hedge these at the preferred height, and Green Giants grow FAST....See MoreNatives for Portland Hell Strip
Comments (17)Those curb strips often also have power or phone lines above them, so don't forget to look up and assess any overhead obstacles before planting trees. Avoid cherry trees (especially the native Bitter Cherry, which isn't available in a weeping or dwarf form) because they lift sidewalks. If you plant a tree, remember also to consider how that affects the ability to open doors of cars that park at the curb. Shrubs should be given due consideration, as well. My advice is to stick with low-growing herbs and forbs and groundcovers. A native plant that I think is overlooked is Stachys cooleyi (Common name is Colley's hedge nettle - but a member of the mint family, NOT a nettle at all). Hummingbirds love it. I can send you seeds if you e-mail me form my member page. Other natives are Oregon stonecrop sedum, twinflower, western columbine, deer fern, lady fern, camas, foamflower, piggyback plant, false lily-of-the-valley (has very long roots that can cross under sidewalks and invade your yard), goldenrod, fringecup, Oregon wood sorrel, iris tenax, iris douglasii, nodding onion, pearly everlasting, thrift, wild strawberry, yarrow. I've included a link to a website where you can search for native plants to fit your needs. Here is a link that might be useful: Native Plant Search...See MoreHell Strips 2015
Comments (99)There's not as much red as you see in the photo most of the time. It was just one of those weirdly lit evenings. It reminded me of a moment from my youth when I looked out into the backyard after a tornado had passed close by. My dad was standing out by the fence looking at the sky and everything looked like I was wearing pink sunglasses. He was only about 35 at the time and it's a memory that really sticks in my mind as something rare and transcendent. Remind me which one is the M. riverchonii? I planted three this year that I think I will need to move a bit in the spring. I get the sense that they have a larger spread than whatever site I was looking at said they did. Marie, what you say about the red in the Gro-Low is exactly right. It's almost buried right now by the oak leaves from the neighbor's yard and I don't notice it unless I'm really up close. All those grasses I've got around it are keeping the leaves from blowing on down the street. We'll see if it still has color when most of the leaves are down and I do another raking. Such a beautiful palette in your yard, TR2, especially in that second photo....See MoreHelp with hell strip, overseed?
Comments (1)The seedlings from the spring didn't really stand a chance, not enough time to establish before the heat. Bluegrass can take the sun as long as it has water. Seed and start on deep and infrequent this fall and when next summer comes around, keep an eye on it to see about how many days it can go on a single watering. You might have to water every 2 days, or, having built a deep root system over the course of the year, it might go for a week. Key thing is, when you see drought stress, water....See More- Scott Z8 CenTex thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
Scott Z8 CenTex
8 years agoDragonfly Hollow (z7b,North Texas)
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoScott Z8 CenTex
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7 years agobostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
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