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topicquestion
Using Horse Manure for the Garden
July 07, 2016
Can you use horse manure for decomposed matter for your flower beds, etc.?
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Problem with Adding 5 inches of Mulch and Soil Under Juniper
July 03, 2016
My landscaper added about 3" of mulch and 2" of dirt under my ashe junipers to create a planting bed. Several have turned gold/yellowish this winter including a female tree. They are still flexible an...
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Using seaweed in compost
October 05, 2015
What do you think about using seaweed in compost? I live on the Gulf Coast
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Oyster Shell source in Austin
September 18, 2015
Hi, I was not sure who to reach out to, but I work for Quality Seafood here in Austin, and we have several gardeners who take our old oyster shells and grind them up or put them in their gardens for ...
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Can oak pollen be composted?
April 28, 2015
I have quite a few live oaks in my backyard and my flower beds are filled with pollen stuff. Can I compost and mulch over this or is it a good idea to rake as much as I can out first?
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Ground Arizona ash wood suitable for mulch?
April 23, 2015
We cut down a 40 year old Arizona ash tree and had the stump ground into mulch. Can we use this mulch in our vegetable garden and flower beds
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Converting a Texas backyard to grow Xerophytic native plants
January 09, 2015
I am planning the conversion of our backyard, about 4000 sq ft of largely St Augustine, into a grassless landscape of hardscaping and native plants. I’ve been an avid gardener of rock garden plants i...
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Calcium from Eggshells for Ferns?
December 15, 2014
I was reading recently about beneficial additions to the soil/plant. The first was about soaking used egg shells overnight and then pouring the water onto ferns. They said that the calcium in eggshell...
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Is mulch from hackberry and chinaberry trees safe for flowerbeds?
September 17, 2014
We had to remove several large hackberry and china berry trees. Is its mulch safe to use in garden and in flower beds?
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Late planting plum tree from Lago Vista, TX
May 01, 2014
I have two plum trees in plastic containers that I purchased in March. For a lot of reasons, we didn't get them planted. I have kept them alive by watering consistently, but I am now wondering what...
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Plants to grow under elm tree in Amarillo TX
May 01, 2014
I have a large elm tree and I can't get seem to get anything to grow under it. I was wondering if there are any shade-loving groundcovers that you would recommend (have tried English Ivy, hostas, an...
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Mulching tree root in San Angelo, TX
April 02, 2014
San Angelo, Texas is in a drought stage. Will it help our trees to mulch the base of them?
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Recovering neglected garden space from Grapevine TX
March 22, 2014
I live in Grapevine TX (Dallas). I just moved into a house where almost the entire large backyard is covered by oak trees that shed tons of leaves throughout our mild falls/winters. The yard has not...
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Sheet mulching before planting Habiturf from Grand Prairie, TX
March 03, 2014
Have you tried sheet mulching as a bed prep and to kill bermuda grass before planting habituff?
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Revegetation of school site with meadow plants from Austin
December 23, 2013
We are revegetating a hill country school site (typical calciferous soil stripped of vegetation & minimal topsoil) with a native seed mix equal to Native American Seed "Meadow Mix". We have an abund...
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The Pros and Cons of Using Stone Mulch for Plants and Wildfire Safety
December 04, 2013
I am trying to grow native plants that are wildfire-resistant. I want to avoid the use of flammable mulch -- especially in beds next to the house. I'm considering river rock or crushed stone, but one...
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Use of cedar/juniper mulch in wildflower meadows
August 31, 2013
What to do with freshly shredded cedar/juniper mulch? We have a pile of freshly ground cedar mulch that we can either keep in a large pile until it has composted(but the neighbors are complaining), or...
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Trees for clay soil from Charlotte TX
August 25, 2013
We have an area in our yard that even Esperanzas won't grow. It is near another that does great. Six Esperanzas are planted in a north/south row about with 10' between plants, the southern most plan...
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Problem With Vegetable Garden Soil
June 09, 2013
We live in Liberty Hill on 25 acres and we are working to restore native grasses and plants. We are ardent supporters of the Wildflower center. I say this because my question is not "typical" of wh...
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Non-native, invasive creeping fig in Webster TX
May 26, 2013
We've recently moved into a new home in the southeast Houston area. The back of our property has a long concrete wall (gets quite a bit of sun), which we thought we could cover with a spreading vine....
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Can non-native coleus grow in mulch from San Antonio
May 12, 2013
Can Coleus plants grow in Mulch only?
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Chlorosis on plants in Austin
April 09, 2013
I have several plants that have chlorosis on the new growth. I did an at-home basic soil test. Ph came out at 7.5 (the highest the scale went, so it could be higher than that). Nitrogen and phosphorus...
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Amending soil for butterfly garden in Houston
April 01, 2013
My girl scout troop will be planting a butterfly garden at a middle school in Houston. In researching plants to use, we have come across some such as echinacea, rose vervain, galliarda and Texas gay...
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Allelopathy of American elms from Dallas
March 24, 2013
Are American elms at all allelopathic?
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Surface tree roots hurting grass in Houston
March 21, 2013
We have 2 mature Arizona Ash trees in our yard (30-40'). One of them is in a sunnier location and has developed an extensive network of surface roots (up to 1 to 1 1/2" Dia.) between the tree and th...
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topicquestion

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