https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/leaveyourleaves

Stacey from Briar Chapel in Chapel Hill, Chatham county. Looking for ways to break up the monoculture of my backyard.

I’m joining from Southern Pines. An Edgeworthia is ready to bloom in my yard!

Sanford, expanding my meadow and making it a healthier place.

Stephanie Curtis, Chapel Hill. Berries on American Beautyberry.

Norma Kessler From SoDu Cary ANC

Laura from Lee County I like seeing the seeds disappearing from the zinnias

I just had squirrels turn my lawn into a reenactment of a WWI battle field, complete with artillery craters... wondering what I can do to bring them to the armistice table... not expecting that this morning, but would be nice! LOL

Tiny asters are blooming in our no-mow lawn. Calico Asters, maybe? So cute and beautiful!

Norma Kessler Cary Learn!

Yay Catherine!!! Have loved working with you on the steering committee over the years.

Woot woot Catherine!

Congratulations!!!

Congrats Catherine!

Congratulations!!

well deserved, Catherine! Thank you for all that you've done.

Congrats!

Strong work - love it!

Much deserved Catherine! Congratulations and lovely introduction Allison :-)

Catherine rocks!

Yes Catherine the steering committee is going to have a private celebration with you soon!

The blog post to which Barbara referred: https://piedmontgardener.com/2021/10/14/leave-the-magic-where-it-belongs/

What are your thoughts on electric lawn equipment?

I *love* my ECO electric lawn stuff - mower, string trimmer, and blower (which is much quieter than gas)

Put your questions for Barbara here in the chat!

Wouldn’t your blowing your leaves on your own lawn blow and upset the little insects that overwinter there?

but how do you balance making compost with preserving the leaves for sustaining the bugs, birds, etc?

How about ticks and leaf litter?

I have been raking oak leaves into a large area under the trees which saves time and is good for the environment. I did read however that trees should not have 2-3 inches of leaves right up next to the trunks for some reason, if I remember correctly because it can let pests into the trunk. Comments?

I just got a 80V electric mower that bumps up the power to meet the need and it’s very powerful

Will the slideshows be available to the attendees?

How do I get a sign?

We love our leafy wooded areas but unfortunately so does the Japanese stilt grass. 🙁 The leaves on our alternative lawn areas just get mulched with the mower.

A tree service seminar I went to said piling pine straw high against the tree trunk will eventually harm the tree. Spread it around under the tree canopy like it would be in a wooded area naturally.

Leave the root collar exposed to avoid holding water and pest from the trunk.

Leaves should not be piled deeply against the trunk.

Tallamy insists that oak leaves suppress Japanese stilt grass. See his book The Nature of Oaks. I suspect this takes a few years for the leaves to build up and form a stilt-grass-suppressing layer.

https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/leaveyourleaves

Thank you Barbara! Great information!

It is a beautiful sign!

Larry Weaner advises planting sedge and using a pre-emergent grass specific herbicide to kill stiltgrass until the weed seed layer is exhausted.

Thanks everybody

thanks, Barbara!

I want to send her talk and slides to political aspirants,

Matt you are very funny - Monte Python.

Lawns (or low-growing) shallow-rooted alternatives) can be appropriate and useful over septic drainfields. Just an FYI.

Pros and cons of using pine straw

What about wood chips from tree removal used as mulch?

Pine straw definitely attracts ticks.

what about clover?

I have been transitioning to electric lawn equipment and I do have to say: I am very impressed at the power and duration of my Snapper electric Chainsaw, even for large trees.

Tallamy notes that a number of moth caterpillars actually eat dead oak leaves, rather than green ones. Thus, it becomes important to leave oak leaves beneath oak trees.

I'm very interested in Matt's thoughts on clover lawns. I've read about them, but I don't know if they're realistic. (See, e.g., https://www.treehugger.com/reasons-plant-clover-lawn-4858641)

I’m interested in putting in some fruit and berry plants (blueberries and hazel nut trees)…would I need grass underneath them or what would I put? Also a fig tree

How often should a lawn be aerated

I got a blend at Home Depot in Durham

Would a fescue clover blend do ok with less sunlight?

Chatham Solid Waste & Recycling is clearing out last year's mulch and said that they are not charging their usual fee to load. Wednesday mornings 7-noon https://www.chathamcountync.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/35159/15?backlist=%2fservices%2fsolid-waste-recycling Call ahead to confirm

Our "turf" area is primarily plantain and dutch white clover in partial shade. Easily managed with a reel mower.

great, thanks Lindsay

QR codes are working very nicely

What specific soil prep do you recommend for a meadow being placed on a new (bare) site?

I have a lot of shade on my property…what are good plants for semi shade?

I have other seed suppliers listed on my website for appropriate seed mixes for native NC species https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021-Top-25-Pollinator-Plants-1.pdf?fwd=no

I'm in Guilford County. Does your native plant source also serve other counties?

Ah! Great timing

Can you advise how to control voles in shady leafy/mulched natural areas? I've eliminated most of my grass in favor of native perennials and shrubs, but the voles are running amok.

Bugleweed is a great low growing groundcover, too.

Sorry but bugle weed spread uncontrollably.

Anybody else need a bathroom break….?

yes

Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is on the NC invasive plant list published by the NC Native Plant Society. https://ncwildflower.org/invasive-exotic-species-list/

We can take a break between speakers

How can we control Japanese stiltgrass which is overtaking our wooded non lawn areas. worried it is choking out the native groundcover plants

Can’t resist telling about mowing practice seen in Delhi India at a local monument — fort or something. Two draft steers pulling big reel mower. Cuttings tossed into basket behind. At break, steers snacked on grass clippings out of the basket. Nice, huh?

Bummer! I had no idea about bugleweed’s thug habits, it has been very well behaved in our shade garden.

Ditto question on stilt grass. Help!

RIver oats will take over your world! Taken years to eradicate it where we didn't want it.

I planted River Oats in a large pot and it has been doing well It can be the "thriller" :)

LOVE the Plant Toolbox! Use it daily.

Great presentation, Matt!!

could you please show the resources slide again?

You are awesome Matt!

Matt’s email went by too fast

Thanks, Matt! Great (and hilarious) as usual.

matt_jones@ncsu.edu

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/

snakes are our friends, even the venomous one. learn about them, please.

Any plants that can thrive in northwest side of a building that leans towards damp, but gets intense afternoon sun?

how about woods violets?

D.D. was that for me?

Best way to remove Poke weed on a slippery slope?

pine straw is also highly combustible and best around trees not beds against buildings

Snakes are great!!! I have a few in my front yard. And backyard. I have 4 dogs, 2 very small ones. At first I was scared. But they cerainly keep the our snake friends away from the backyard. After 6 years in NC, I now totally embrace our snake friends. I grew up in a big city in Brasil, never seen snakes before in my life. Except once on vacation on the fields by the beach. So, it is new to me, but I kept an open mind. Now I love to have them in my yard.

https://gardenprofessors.com/

What about mole issues

my issue isn't voles, but moles are tearing up the lawn and field

I have plenty of moles all over my (small) lawn, and this year they’ve been particularly present. I’m assuming they’re helping aerate the area … free aeration!

What's the best way to eradicate Virginia Buttonweed from our lawn?

My lawn is gradually succumbing to wild violets--some are huge!

Extension Gardener Handbook: https://go.ncsu.edu/eg-handbook

Organic Lawn Care Guide https://go.ncsu.edu/organic-lawns

Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/

Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/tall-fescue-lawn-maintenance-calendar

Great job Matt, thanks!

What does the meadow look like in winter?

glyphosate?!😨

Look at all that texture!

It’s lovely

Prairie Nursery's now-mow just didn't do well here. Loved the idea.

I have many excellent fact sheets linked on my website here:

https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-pollinatorlinks/

And Xerces has a great publication on establishing meadows from seed: https://www.xerces.org/publications/guidelines/establishing-pollinator-meadows-from-seed

Since 2017 we've been converting a 1.25 acre hayfield (basically a big lawn) into a food & medicine forest, we now have 150 species of shrubs, trees, wild flowers, many of them native. 40% of plants provide food and medicine and materials for tools. Biodiversity of birds and insects etc has increased dramatically. Native Wild Plum is doing especially well

Hey Debb, is the recording going to be available afterwards? Thanks!

Yes! We will send it out to registrants

If you click on the 3 dots inside the circle at the bottom, will it give you the Presenter View option?

What was the pesticide Debbie uses?

please recommend fire ant treatment

what tree large shrub would recommend for a mostly full sun pollinator area as a focal point? was thinking about oak leaf hydrangea or similar

I love spiders too Debbie!

Lovely photos Debbie

do you have trouble from those pesky orange aphids on milk weed, got any ideas on control?

The photos are all fantastic

Is poke weed something that you pull out?

Link to my upcoming webinar: https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/10/register-now-for-creating-wildlife-habitat-with-native-plants-webinar/

Link to my pollinator garden website: https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-pollinatorgarden/

Kudos, Debbie! Great presentation, spectacular photos -- you're amazing!

Fantastic photos, beautiful variety, texture abounding and probably Piet Ouldof approved! Thank you for this beautiful presentation!

I find that poke weed adds an interesting layer over boxwoods

my milkweed over run with the aphids, degraded the plant. Lady bug larvae hardly touch them.

Debbie is an Ag Superagent!(I also believe she's a Green Witch, but not sure she approves of that moniker)😍

predator insects are a sign of a very healthy garden. Insects feed insects

Wonderful photos and presentation, Debbie! Thanks!

What about deer eating this or similar gardens?

Chatham County is blessed with some of the best agricultural extension agents in NC, including Debbie and Matt!

Margaret, you are a great moderator

Today was my first introduction to Matt. He is indeed wonderful.

Fantastic! Thanks much!

Great!

You outdid yourself today, Debbie. Fantastic presentation!

How about Green Wizard?

Great information everyone, thank you!

Thank you very much!

Thank you for this presentation.

Thank you Margaret for doing a wonderful job moderating.

👏👏👏👏👏 Thanks everyone!!!

Thank You so much for all the wonderful info

Thank you very much

😍

🙏