Reclaimed the back yard, not much to go :)

GrimLore

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As many of you know we got hit with a bacterial infection in the soil in Spring of 2015. This place we bought was not draining properly so since then I cleaned up the infection, destroyed the lawn doing topsoil removal, and have bought nursery plants of similar species to test. A few days ago a crew came in and took to down to all right down to the soil, removed some. replaced some, sloped it proper, put in sod and mulch. Plus a few other things. I since have put the test plants and some of my Wife's stuff in place on VERY old planks and a few tables built from 235 year our barn shingles. All were stained to appear similar in color -

Most of the back and future home of new stock -
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The front, again, so far -

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Grimmy
 

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sorce

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Nice...is it black mulch?

Looks clean.

Sorce
 

LanceMac10

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Real nice. Wonderful green grass for me to pass out on! Sweet!!:p
Like "Uncle" @sorce said, real clean......:cool:
 

GrimLore

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Nice...is it black mulch?

Looks clean.

Sorce

Thank you, and yes it is triple ground black mulch, very small and soft. The ground is sloped underneath it so it varies from 4 to 5 1/2 inches to look more level.

Grimmy
 

GrimLore

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Real nice. Wonderful green grass for me to pass out on! Sweet!!:p

Thank you, it is really durable and very soft to walk or pass out on :rolleyes: I actually had them put in a fescue grass mix because the fancies don't like being walked on when wet and therefore useless to me. Bonus - Thomas likes it so I mow less :p

Grimmy
 

Cadillactaste

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It must be a good feeling to see green on the benches...looking good Grimmy! The weeping conifer in the front...it's zone is zoned 6 I believe...very nice I've looked at them at nurseries an hour from us. But...we are zoned 5.
 

GrimLore

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It must be a good feeling to see green on the benches...

Yes as I mentioned earlier to you a whole year with nothing but mud and empty pots was tough. These test plants will do nicely for now. After we spoke I counted just the test trees and plants out there not including landscape or her flora. Turns out to be 27 so far in a postage stamp lot :rolleyes:
That Weeping Blue atlas Cedar is the one I moved from the farm last year as we only had problems with one tree out front. They grow a bit fast in full sun so could be not such a good choice in landscape but I have time.

Grimmy
 

rockm

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Nice work. I'm sure it was a pain to do.

FWIW, I'd get everything up off the ground by at least two feet. I've got some kind of crap in my backyard soil too. Killed two really nice trees I collected a couple of years ago. I had left their pots on the ground (they weighed 100 lbs a piece) on the ground. A thunderstorm kicked up and rain splashed dirt into the pots, even though they were at least a foot tall. The new trees both had foot long extension growth. That foliage was yellowed and dead within three days. Fastest moving infection I've seen. Didn't affect any of my other trees, which are all up on platforms, shelves or monkey poles over 24" tall.


From a Vanderbilt U. study
"Studies have shown that rain drops fall at speeds up to 20 mph and can throw soil particles as much as five feet horizontally and two feet vertically. Drops come in sizes ranging up to six millimeters in diameter. A six millimeter drop weighs 216 times more than a one millimeter drop. In addition, heavier drops travel at higher speeds than small drops. This means that large drops carry hundreds of times more energy than small drops. In general, the heavier the rainfall, the larger the drops. That helps explain why erosion is generally greatest during short-duration, high intensity thunderstorms."
 

LanceMac10

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Nice work. I'm sure it was a pain to do.

FWIW, I'd get everything up off the ground by at least two feet. I've got some kind of crap in my backyard soil too. Killed two really nice trees I collected a couple of years ago. I had left their pots on the ground (they weighed 100 lbs a piece) on the ground. A thunderstorm kicked up and rain splashed dirt into the pots, even though they were at least a foot tall. The new trees both had foot long extension growth. That foliage was yellowed and dead within three days. Fastest moving infection I've seen. Didn't affect any of my other trees, which are all up on platforms, shelves or monkey poles over 24" tall.


From a Vanderbilt U. study
"Studies have shown that rain drops fall at speeds up to 20 mph and can throw soil particles as much as five feet horizontally and two feet vertically. Drops come in sizes ranging up to six millimeters in diameter. A six millimeter drop weighs 216 times more than a one millimeter drop. In addition, heavier drops travel at higher speeds than small drops. This means that large drops carry hundreds of times more energy than small drops. In general, the heavier the rainfall, the larger the drops. That helps explain why erosion is generally greatest during short-duration, high intensity thunderstorms."


That sounds pretty gross...did you ever come to any conclusion on what kind if "disease" it might have been! Very scary sounding
 

rockm

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Had to have been something in the mulch. Never figured out what it was. Happened a few years ago. It offed a damn nice bald cypress and a killer bittersweet trunk.
 

LanceMac10

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Mulch, huh...I'll definitely have to look into that more thoroughly.
I've been having a few small "problems" overwintering every so often. Considered adding mulch into my equation.
Thanks for the reply!:cool:
 

GrimLore

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I've got some kind of crap in my backyard soil too.

What we had in the soil is gone and now that the drainage is proper is very unlikely to return. It was the result of long stretch of warm dark rainy early Spring conditions coupled with poor drainage. It starts in the soil and then goes airborne like pollen. I worked closely with Agri Departments and used treatments of a bactericide to rid the property of it and of coarse send anything affected off to landfill. As a precaution I did additional heavy treatments to old, new soil and the turf that was brought in. All the pots also got a LOT of scrubbing with bleach as well as the fence, wood slabs, stones, tools, etc... It is called pseudomonas syringae and had wrecked a few farms in PA that Spring as well.
Noted though and although I am not done yet all potted plants get raised off the ground here at least a couple of inches to promote good drainage and air circulation. As an additional preventative for insects getting into the base of all containers and possibly carrying in problems I use a drainage layer of Perma Till and they all avoid it.
Sounds like you had a different problem but the heads up is greatly appreciated ;)

Grimmy
 

GrimLore

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I've been having a few small "problems" overwintering every so often.

Never used mulch but use Pine Horse Bedding. It is Kiln dried Pine shavings and clean, never have even seen it mold here.

Grimmy
 

JudyB

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Glad to see you finally back in the game. A lot of work, but now you can chill, and enjoy it.
 

CWTurner

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Nice neat yard Grimmy. But where are the weeds?

After all of that work, aren't you worried that a neighbor's untreated property will reinfect yours? Looks like you have close neighbors. (sorry, don't mean to jinx you)

This modern mulch thing is way out of hand. Used to be mulch was home made from your fall leaves. Or you bought pine straw or salt hay. Modern mulch (from the big box stores) is just ground up wood with some dye in it. I've heard of some problems with that (artillery fungus) but not the bacteria that you describe.

a LOT of scrubbing with bleach as well as the fence, wood slabs, stones, tools, etc
My next door neighbor put up one of those white vinyl fences that look like drive-in movie screens and she's always scrubbing it to keep it white.
CW
 

AaronThomas

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Looks great Grimmy!
You must be very excited to have your space all cleaned up!!!!
Congrats!
 

watchndsky

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looks great - im sure that was a lot of work

but after hearing your story im about paranoid as hell now. i freak out a little every time i see a spot on a leaf or anything unusual out back. scary to think you can do everything else right and some invisible germ whipe out everything like that.
 

Vin

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I'm really happy that you've finally been able to get your yard back together. You've done a great job with the layout. I especially like the tree that is kind of "spilling" out of the display area into the yard. Looking forward to seeing you build your collection back up again. Pseudomonas syringae can kiss your ass!
 

GrimLore

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After all of that work, aren't you worried that a neighbor's untreated property will reinfect yours? Looks like you have close neighbors. (sorry, don't mean to jinx you)

Funny you mentioned it as they had their yard done at the same time. I talked to them when I contracted the work and told them it would up their sales price :p I know the contractor so I was able to do a good preventative spraying in between the processes. All of the soil was stripped out right to the fences to start, I treated, they put in fresh, I treated again, etc... It was overkill as the soil samples prior came back clean.

This modern mulch thing is way out of hand.

That isn't bagged but the triple fine ground bought by the yard. Both that and the sod came from the top nursery here and the only place the landscaper will use. He shrugged a bit when he saw me treating the mulch anyways and spreading granular pesticide on the sod :rolleyes:

I guess I am paranoid enough :oops:

Grimmy
 
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