Native Plants
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Monday - October 26, 2009
From: Oak Lawn, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Turf
Title: Did my neighbor's zucchini affect my apple tree from Oak Lawn, IL
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
My neighbor planted zucchini plants near a flowering non-fruit producing apple tree in my yard. Soon afterwards in July the tree began to shed leaves. Could the zucchini plant have caused this?ANSWER:
At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are dedicated to the care, preservation and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown. Neither the zucchini nor the apple tree is native to North America. In addition, most vegetables and fruits have been so hybridized that it would be impossible to determine their origin in any case. Since we have no information on these plants in our Native Plant Database, we will just be guessing, but our guess is that the answer is no. Unless the zucchini is so rampant (which we understand they can be) that it is growing up over your apple tree and shading out the leaves, it's unlikely that the zucchini is a threat. For better information than we can give you, contact the University of Illinois Extension Office for Cook County. The horticulturists at county extension offices often are very knowledgeable about fruit and vegetable plants.More Turf Questions
Compare Natives to Lawn for Carbon Footprint Benefits in Durham, New Hampshire
September 22, 2010 - Are there carbon sequestration rate tables for turf (lawn) and bushes, shrubs, trees? I want to compare the carbon footprint benefit of lawn versus the same area put into native plantings.
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Las Vegas lawn grass for Dallas
February 13, 2009 - Dear Smarty Plants,
Every time we go to Las Vegas I admire the beautiful grass in the lawns of most of the strip casinos. It looks like a fescue but it is just as beautiful on the hottest summer day...
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Evergreen plants for shaded lawn in Austin, Texas
December 31, 2009 - I want to replace three scrawny ligustrums on the shady north front of my house with native plants. I'd like evergreen plants that don't need much maintenance. I'm not looking for a hedge, but some...
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Source for nitrates and phosphorus (P205) for lawn care
July 04, 2008 - I recently supplied soil samples from my back yard to my local extension here in Austin. I have a hybrid Bermuda turf grass (TIF 419) that has had its share of ups and downs, and wanted to assess the ...
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Did pre-emergent herbicide for lawn kill oak tree in Austin?
May 10, 2010 - Your article in today's (May 1st)Austin American-Statesman advised against using herbicides around oaks. Does that include the "pre-emergents" that the lawn care companies use in the Spring? I ha...
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