HOW TO GET RID OF STANDING WATER IN YOUR YARD
Do you have one or more areas in your yard that hold water after a rainfall? This is a common problem, and sometimes difficult to solve. Over the years I’ve talked with dozens of people trying to battle this problem, and on several occasions I have been hired to solve the problem. So what can be done?

Too often people come to me asking what kind of a tree, or what kind of shrubs can be planted in a wet area to dry it up. This is the wrong approach. Most plants, and I mean almost all plants are not going to survive in an area where the soil is soggy for extended periods of time. The roots need to breath, and planting a tree or shrub in a water area will kill it.

Another common approach is to try and fill the area with topsoil. Depending on a variety of variables, this can work, but many times adding additional soil to a wet area will only shift the water to another area just a few feet away.

If you are lucky enough to have some natural fall to your property, or a drainage ditch nearby, this problem is easy enough to solve. If you happen to live in an area that was developed over the past few years, there might even be a system to remove storm water nearby. In many new home developments I’ve seen stormwater catch basins already installed in backyards. Trust me, this is a good thing. There is nothing worse than having a soggy yard all the time.

If you are fortunate to have some fall to your yard, or a stormwater system that you can drain water into, this problem is easy to solve. Make sure you check with your local officials before you do anything at all with a storm drain.

All you have to do is go to your local building supply center and buy some 4” perforated plastic drain pipe. The best kind for this purpose is the flexible kind that comes in 100’ rolls. This type of drain pipe has small slits all around the pipe. These slits allow water to enter the pipe so it can be carried away.

Just dig a trench from the center of the low area you are trying to drain, to the point that you intend to drain it to. Using a simple line level you can set up a string over top of the trench to make sure that your pipe runs downhill all the way. A line level is a very small level that is designed to attach to a string. Any hardware stores sells them for just a couple of dollars. Set the string up so it is level, then measure from the string to the bottom of your trench to make sure you have constant fall. You should have 6” fall for every 100’ of pipe.

The highest point is going to be the area that you are trying to drain, so you only want your pipe deep enough at this point so it can be covered with soil. Once the trench is dug just lay the pipe in. At the highest end of the pipe you’ll need to insert a strainer into the end of the pipe to keep soil from entering the pipe. Cover the pipe with some washed stone, and then backfill the trench with soil. The washed stone creates a void around the pipe so that the water can find its way into the pipe.

Washed stone is usually inexpensive stone that has been washed so it is clean and free of mud. The only part of the pipe that needs to be exposed is the low end, where the water exits the pipe. Do not put a strainer in that end.

If you do not have anywhere that you can drain the water to, you still might be able to do something. But first consider what is happening, and why the water is standing where it is. Even if you have well drained soil, water cannot soak in fast enough during periods of heavy rain, and it runs across the top of the ground and eventually finds the lowest point, and either leaves the property, or gets trapped.

If you have well drained soil, the trapped water usually soaks in. If you have heavy clay soil, the water lays there, and the soil underneath becomes very compacted, and the problem compounds itself. The more water that stands, the worse the drainage gets.

What I have done in areas like this, where there is standing water, but nowhere to drain it to, is to install a French drain system that actually carries the water away from the low area, and allows it to seep into the ground over a larger distance, where the soil is not quite so compacted. To install this French drain system you do everything exactly as explained above, except instead of draining the water to a lower area, you can send it in any direction you like. Even in the direction from which it came, which is uphill.

When installing this type of system, it’s a good idea to dig a number of shorter trenches, all heading away from the area where the water stands. Using the line level, make sure your trenches fall away from their point of origin so once the water enters the pipes it will flow away from the wet spot. What is going to happen is that during times of heavy rain the low area is still going to trap water, but much of that water is going to seep into the drain pipes and eventually leach into the soil under each trench.

Research has shown that earthworm excrement, also called
castings or vermicompost, improves the aeration, porosity,
structure, drainage, and moisture-holding capacity of soil.

Many studies prove that when compared to conventional
composts, vermicompost is less variable and much more
stable. Mixing vermicompost into the planting medium
essentially eliminated the need for additional fertilizer in
the production of tomato plugs as one example.

Studies show that earthworm castings increase height, stem
diameter, enhance root growth, increase dry weight, and
produce more flowers per plant than peat moss.

Redworm castings are the richest and purest humus matter in
the world. Humus is believed to aid in the prevention of
harmful plant pathogens, fungi, nematodes and bacteria.

One pound of worms can convert one pound of pig manure into
compost in 48 hours!

Worms consume three times their weight a week or more. Red
wrigglers are very active, reproduce quickly and consume
their own body weight of waste every 24 hours. Therefore ten
pounds of worms will eat ten pounds of waste in 24 hours!

Worm castings provide a rich source of a variety of
essential plant nutrients.

Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher
than in the soil and organic matter that the worm ingests.”

How to use worm castings:

When planting vegetable and annuals line the rows and holes
with about two inches of castings. About every eight weeks
side dress the plants with one-half cup of castings per
plant or one cup per foot of row.

For perennials work one-half cup of castings into the soil
in the spring, middle of summer, and early fall.

For pots and hanging baskets add one-half inch castings to
the top and water in. Then reapply every eight weeks.

Roses appreciate four cups of castings per plant.

So how does one get rid of the rash producing plant? Here
are some tips:

* Poison Ivy control is most effective May through July
while the plants are flowering.

* Pulling out the plant with rubber gloves is temporarily
effective but the plants roots will regrow.

* Never burn it as the smoke from the burning plant can
cause very serious respiratory and eye problems.

* Mowing the plant will eventually kill it but be sure to
use a mower with a collection bag and don’t touch the
remains when emptying it. This method will take several
years to completely eradicate the plant from your yard.

* Don’t use a weed-eater as that will only spread the
broken pieces of the plant everywhere. Dried poison ivy is
just as poisonous as fresh. It is said that even 100 year
old leaves can still cause a reaction.

* Suffocation with black plastic has been known to work.
This too takes time.

* An organic method consists of spraying the plant with
salt water. A ratio of one cup salt to a gallon of water
with a few drops of liquid soap added to help the mixture
adhere to the plant.

* Broadleaf herbicides work but will kill any neighboring
plants. Usually poison ivy is intertwined among plants that
you want to keep, including trees. Using selective
herbicides like Roundup can be applied to the plant stems as
they are cut off to prevent resprouting.

Foxtail is a common annual grass usually considered a weed.
It grows one to three feet tall, with branching and some
spreading at ground level. Leaf blades are 4 to 15 inches
long. Flower heads are dense spikes with yellow to reddish,
green or purplish bristles. As foxtail matures, seeds are
formed at the top of the stalk. The bushy seeds are what
gives the plant the name of “foxtail”.

When mature, the seeds detach easily from the plant. This
is natures way of making sure that the plant reproduces.
The seeds easily cling to clothing, fur, and hair. The
seeds always move forward thus penetrating the skin.

The seeds found in the ears, eyes and nose are very serious
and can become life threatening. But no body part is
immune. The seeds have been found in the urethra, vagina,
anal glands, brain, and spinal cord. In one case a
veterinarian found the seed in the lung but the original
site of entry was the paw. The seeds also gain entry
through open wounds.

Foxtail seeds are very tiny so veterinarians usually go by
symptoms.

If in the nasal cavity, the dog sneezes repeatedly and
violently often hitting the nose on the floor. If a bloody
discharge is noticed assume it’s a foxtail seed.

If in the eye, the dog paws at the eye and the eye waters.
If an eye is glued shut it is most likely a foxtail seed.

If the seed is in the ear the dog shakes its head violently
from side to side. Sometimes the dog paws a the eyes or
ear, shaking the head and squints.

In the mouth foxtail seeds can cause gagging or difficulty
swallowing. If the seed gets caught between the teeth, in
the gums, back of throat, or tongue problems can result.

If the seed lodges in the paw or under the coat a lump will
form that is painful to the touch. Other symptoms include
rubbing the head on the ground and going round in circles,
licking or biting at the rectum or other body parts, or
yelping or shining for no obvious reason.

Foxtail seeds can cause fatalities when they reach internal
organs.

In any case, do not attempt to treat the animal yourself.
Get professional help.

Get rid of all foxtail in your lawn or yard. If foxtail
grows in your yard mow the grass often, especially in late
spring when the plant grows most rapidly. This prevents the
plant from ever setting seed.

Avoid parks, or other recreational areas where you know
foxtail grows.

Always brush and inspect your dogs coat after being in
grassy areas. Dogs with long hair are even more likely to
attract the seeds than shorthaired breeds.

1. Check with your local gardening center or florist for the best type of roses to grow in you climate. If you are a novice, you should look for disease resistant types of roses because they require a lot less maintenance.

2. When planting roses, you want to pick a spot that is well lit in the morning. You also want an area that is sunlit for at least 6 hours a day. Roses need a great deal of light if they are to grow properly.

3. Pick an area that has plenty of well drained soil. Great soil has a PH level where the amount of acid in the soil is at about 5.5-7.0. You can get a testing kit for your soil at any garden center.

4. Organic matter like manure or lime helps to nourish the roots of your roses. You should soak the roots in water or puddle clay for many minutes, and cut off the root’s ends that are broken.

5. The first 3-4 weeks after planting your roses, you should water them often. Usually this is when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Roses need a lot of hydration and food to remain healthy.

6. Four weeks after planting, you should start soaking the bed every 2 weeks or so. You should do this in the morning for the best results.

7. Begin fertilization approximately 3 months after planting. Use 3-6 inches of mulch to control the moisture, temperature, and to stops weeds from coming up. Mulch also helps to lock in the vital nutrients your roses need in order to remain healthy.

8. Planting in the Spring is the best.

9. You want to plant your roses in an area that is well circulated with air. Your roses will not grow in an enclosed or tight area.

Make sure there are no air pockets around the roots when you replant them. When possible, it is always better to dig a ball of earth with the plants when you transplant them. The rule of thumb is 12” of root ball for every 1” of stem caliper. If the diameter of the stem of a tree is 2”, then you should dig a root ball 24” in diameter.

Don’t be afraid of cutting a few roots when you transplant. Just try not to cut them any shorter than the above guidelines allow. Cutting the roots will actually help to reinvigorate the plant. It’s a process simply known as root pruning. When the roots are severed, the plant then develops lateral roots to make up for what is lost. These lateral roots are more fibrous in nature, and have more ability to pick up water and nutrients.

Some nurseries drive tractors over the plants in the field with a device that undercuts the roots of the plant just to force the plant to develop more fibrous roots. This makes transplanting the plant the following year much more successful, and makes for a stronger and healthier plant.

The old timers root pruned by hand by forcing a spade in the ground around their plants. If you have a plant in your landscape that is doing poorly, a little root pruning while the plant is dormant could bring it around. It’s worth the effort.

In researching this article, I found one instance where a homeowner was so incensed by the weeds in her patio that she set fire to them with a blowtorch!

Luckily, several items provide better service as a weeding tool and there are several better alternatives for brick patio weed control.

Of course, the best method of brick patio weed control is proper installation of your brick patio.

Start with an under-layment of pea gravel, topped by a layer of sturdy landscape cloth and cover with it with a layer of sand.

This will give your brick patio a firm footing as well as cramp the style of any weeds in the area.

Nevertheless, if your brick patio is already installed and running rampant with weeds, here are some tips to help you succeed in to keep it weed free without a lot of agonizing work.

First, to make your brick patio weed control plan a success, implement your plan before weeds flower. This keeps weeds from going to seed and helps make a short-term plan last for a longer time.

For the following tip and other tips that involve weed dousing of one sort or another, use a piece of cardboard or scrap of Plexiglas to protect nearby plants.

One of the best ways to kill a vegetable of any kind is to cook it.

Boiling water is a natural and very inexpensive weed-wilter and works to kill most forms of annual weeds. It also kills or weakens many types of perennial weeds.

A teakettle is your weeding tool. Fill it with water and bring it to a boil. While you’re waiting (because a watched pot never boils, you know!) go outside and cut the culprits down to their crowns.

When the water begins to boil, grab the kettle (using a potholder) and pour the water on the crowns of the weeds, holding the kettle high enough only to avoid splashing. Killing weeds with boiling water will also scald any biological organisms that get splashed, but more will return as soon as the soil cools.

Vinegar will kill most weeds. However, grocery store vinegar is normally a 5% solution and is too weak to do the job. Ten-percent vinegar will kill most weeds and usually is found where canning and pickling supplies are sold.

A 20% solution of vinegar kills really stubborn weeds, but is frequently more than twice as expensive as 10%. Try to control the weeds with the 10% before you make the investment in a stronger solution.

Spray the vinegar directly on the weeds, using the shield mentioned above and taking care not to inhale fumes. You may also want to wear gloves and eye protection as a further safeguard.

In my experience these measures will keep all brick patio’s free from weed without a lot of back breaking work.

You need a compost bin, and the type you decide on rather depends on the size of your garden, but there are a couple of options:

A purpose built plastic bin purchased from a garden centre, not too expensive; and you just fill up from the top and a few months later, you can take compost from a small hatch at the base.
Alternatively, if you can wield a saw and some nails, you can make a wooden slatted enclosure, one metre square - or you can buy them ready made - and cover it with a piece of old carpet to keep the worst of the weather off.

What you can compost:

- all uncooked vegetable and fruit peelings
- teabags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
- egg shells
- dead flowers from the house
- and from the garden, soft prunings spent bedding plants, dead leaves, lawn mowings
- spent compost from hanging baskets or containers
- some dryer materials such as shredded paper, rabbit and guinea pig bedding.

The only thing you have to be careful about is to mix different types of material; if you have too many grass clippings in a big mass, they will turn soggy and slimy, or if there is too much paper and prunings, it will be too dry. So keep an eye on it, especially if you are using the wooden enclosure, and mix it with a fork occasionally.

What NOT to compost:

- all meat products and bones; bread, cooked food - these will attract vermin
- dog or cat waste
- woody material - which takes too long to compost
- weeds - these can ‘infect’ your compost with their seeds
- anything that is non-biodegradable, such as plastic.

And because you won’t always feel like taking a trip to the compost heap when it’s wet or cold or every time you peel vegetables why not keep a lidded container by the back door which you can fill up and then make the trip to the compost bin every one or two days?

Over a period of time - 3 months to 1 year, depending on conditions - all this matter will have broken down into lovely dark brown crumbly compost, which you can fork into your beds and borders. It makes an excellent soil conditioner and can be used as surface mulch, helping conserve moisture and discourage weeds.

Many gardening experts describe the Aspidistra as one of the toughest and most adaptable house plants. Its long blades of slender dark green or variegated dark green and white leaves shoot straight out from the soil but in clumps and up to 75 cm in height and 15 cm wide.

It is such a low maintenance plant much like an even-tempered woman who does not need any fussing over but still maintains its sweet nature. It needs very low light, average temperature and humidity and just occasional watering.

Other plants that do not need much light

Low-light plants are usually defined as those that can survive in 25 to 75 foot candles - that is, a spot that is 4 to 5 metres from a bright window, just enough light to read by comfortably, but where artificial lighting switched on by day would give a brightening effect.

You can easily find the Aspidistra in your local garden center nursery. In addition, five other plants that will suit very low light situations are the following:

Aglonema (Chinese Evergreen) which are among the few plants that prefer only moderate light and adapt well to low light. It has large dark green oval then tapering leathery leaves later developing a caney base.

Drachaena deremensis varieties (also know as Happy or Fortune Plants) which are slender leafed and usually white variegated. The Drachaena family are caney plants crested with decorative rosettes of straplike foliage.

Holly fern which adapts to low light and Boston fern a fishbone type of fern that will remain in low light for many months but need a spell in brighter light to rejuvenate.

Neanthe Bella or Parlor Palm which is more suited to low light situations than most palms.

Sanseviera (also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue) which stands low to very bright light has waxy, erect straplike leaves usually with cream-colored margins and an unusual banding of the grey-green center.