Help ID Iowa wildflowers or weeds
pcfarm
7 years ago
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Comments (14)
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agotexasranger2
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Help with wildflower ID
Comments (11)#3 is barberea vulgaris (winter cress, yellow rocket) not native that I know of; I agree that #4 is lamium purureum (purple dead nettle, red henbit) and also introduced I believe. My guess (and just a guess) on the fern is cinnamon fern because of the shape of litter from last season....See MorePlant (flower or weed?) ID help
Comments (3)Pokeweed/poke berry is a native plant that provides berries for birds. The berries ripen at different times meaning it provides berries over a long period of time. If memory serves, it is one of the few plants that continue to flower while it is already producing berries. I can understand not wanting it in a more formal landscape, but I think it has a place in a more wild area. I'm growing it in my restoration project. It is great in a hedgerow....See MorePlanting wildflowers in ditch full of weeds
Comments (14)My first question is, who owns the ditch? You may have to get the approval of your local government or utility to do any work in this ditch. If you own it then plug away! As others have said, killing the existing vegetation is the first step. Since this is a ditch then I would say erosion is a concern. Therefore tilling is not a good option (though it works well with repeated disking in less erosion prone sites). Also, as others have said, smothering for small areas, herbicide for large areas. I would use an aquatic approved form of Glyphosate, such as Rodeo, Aqua-Neat or Aqua-Master. You will need at least 2 treatments, one to kill the currently living weeds and a second to kill those that emerge after the first ones die. A third treatment may even be necessary. Give it a month between treatments and watch the weather carefully so you don't apply the herbicided when rain is imminent. Sounds like you could put some wet prairie species in the bottom of your ditch and mesic prairie species along the sides. Rake off all the duff that has accumulated from the dead plants. Rake the soil throughly with a garden rake or dethatcher to prepare the soil as a seed bed. Then carefully distribute your seed, being sure not to spread it too thick in some areas and then run out in others! Once on the ground stomp on the or roll over them with something in such a way that will give you good seed to soil contact. This will be more effective if the ground is moist. For erosion prone areas such as a ditch I recommend putting down erosion control matting material after you throw down your seed. If you are only slightly worried about erosion (little overland flow and little to no water flow in the ditch) a S75 material should be fine (That's Straw with a thickness/density rating of 75). If there is a fair amount of surface water run-off or if there is occational flowing water in the ditch, then use SC150 (Straw and Coir (coconut fiber) materials, and thicker). You will need to use landscaping staples to hold this in place, use as directed by your retailer. Once all this is down, you can plant plugs right through the matting if you wish. Cut a hole in the mating with a razor knife, di stick the plugs in. You will need to add a few staples around each hole you cut in the matting to keep it matted down well on the ground. Mixing plugs into a seeded planting is a great way to get some good progress early on (you will probably get at least some flowers in the very first year) with enough native plant material present to create a solid matrix this will cover bare earth and help fend of the influx of new weeds. Good luck....See MoreID help, weed or wildflower?
Comments (5)Okay, upon further reflection and after reviewing my plants of the rocky mountains book, I agree. You all are right, it is a Hackelia floribunda. Rosie, I was thinking that it could also have been a Hackelia micrantha too but have ruled that one out now. The axillary flowers on mine are tiny without a pedicel so I was thinking it might not be the Hf, but, they are new and will probably develop pedicels as they grow. Plus, mine are so much greener and healthier looking than the photos of the ones in the wild. Well, duh, mine are smack in the middle of my flower bed, my ammended, watered, cared for flower bed. I also found no other mention of any part of the plant being poisonous so I may relocated them after all. Not sure they'll take, they are listed as either biennial or perennial so I'm hoping they are perennial. Well, that was fun, thank you all for the help with identifying and for the links! Jennifer...See Moredbarron
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years agopcfarm
7 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
7 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years agopcfarm
7 years agoway2maykids2003
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agopcfarm
7 years agodbarron
7 years ago
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