February 14, 2023
Nice Instrument for Rocky Clay Soil + Timber After Ice
Issues are trying mighty vigorous within the backyard simply two weeks after the ice capades. As buds abound, Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo’ unfurled tiny, aromatic flowers for tiny pollinators, like this hover fly that stopped by on a Sunday stroll.
Many people are nonetheless cleansing up toppled timber. If you happen to’re in Austin, listed here are pointers for curb assortment.
In case your reside oak or pink oak timber had been broken, these wounds have healed already. Since that is prime time for oak wilt transmission, instruments MUST be disinfected between new cuts that you just or an arborist make on the tree and the injuries painted instantly (a transparent spray paint works). Usually, we don’t prune prone oaks between February 1 and July 1 except they current a security hazard, which can apply right here. Get extra recommendation from the Texas Oak Wilt Partnership about ice-damaged timber. AND, discover a licensed arborist on your space on the Worldwide Society of Arboriculture’s website.
This cool climate is a wonderful time to plant perennials, shrubs, and even timber. However whenever you’re on clay soil—or worse, rocky clay soil—sustainable backyard designer Leah Churner at all times grabs her decide (additionally known as decide mattock) to get the job completed.
She demonstrates the way it got here in particularly helpful when designing Lori Najvar and Glen Chappell’s hillside backyard to interrupt up dense clay soil and pry up rocks. There are even shorter, handheld kinds. (Lori & Glen’s backyard story coming your means February 23.)
Trying on-line, there are numerous choices for picks, mattocks, or decide mattocks. This Outdated Home explains the variations: “A mattock has a broad blade on one finish of the top and a decide or axe on the opposite, which makes it good for digging, prying, and chopping. A pickaxe has a decide on one facet and a chisel on the opposite, making it good for prying.”
After watching Leah’s demonstration on our December taping, director Ed Fuentes gave me a double hoe/hand hoe cultivator for Christmas, a device I’d at all times deliberate to get however by no means did. Wowsa! It’s nice! Do word: for decide/decide mattock/hand hoe cultivator, do decide one thing that’s actually sturdy. Through the years, I’ve completely bent a couple of digging forks. In the end, they turned backyard artwork.
Watch Leah dig in proper now!
Thanks for stopping by! Linda
