Problem #1: Purple stems and headless flowers
The first year that we moved into our house I planted a ton of annuals and perennials in the hopes that my flowers would grow healthy and strong. Well none of my flowers have been healthy, and every year I am disappointed in my flower garden. Some of the flower stems have this purplish coloring on the bottom. Other flowers are so weak that they fall over and decapitate themselves (a picture of this would only make you cry).Purple dots on plant |
The first time I saw this I had no clue what to do, yet last year I came to my senses and had a soil test done. The results of the soil test gave me some insight into some of the issues with my soil. This spring I did see some improvement in the flowers, yet I still have a lot of work to do. I plan on doing another soil test this year and plus mixing in some compost into the flower beds. This way I can be sure that I am doing everything I can to give the flowers a fighting chance.
Problem #2: White and discolored grass
There are parts of my lawn that have white residue on the grass blades. The picture below is just one small patch in my yard.White grass |
This Spring the white spots were really bad, so I turned to my Organic Lawn Care Manual. The book goes into detail about the importance of aerating the lawn because if the soil becomes too hard and compact it can cause some problems such as fungus. In my case the grass was turning white because water could not penetrate the surface, plus air circulation was a problem.
Last weekend we rented an aerator, which has made a huge difference in the grass, and we have less white spots. Of course it will take a little time for everything to clear up, but we have made progress.
Problem #3: Did Nature just throw up?
This one is really weird! First let me give you the background story.Last fall the big tree in the front yard came crashing down in our yard. Luckly it missed the house, but we were left with a big mess to clean up.
Fallen tree in our yard |
Gross...what is that? |
Can you guess what Mother Nature is trying to tell me? Dude, this is way too much mulch. Needless to say, the plan for next weekend is to get rid of the mulch.
Over the course of these three lessons, I now have more insight into the some of the signs that Mother Nature gives you. What kind of signs has Mother Nature give you?
I definitely understand your headache in regard to outdoor space. Our lawn is the worst! We're working on it though!
ReplyDeleteI always thought that the lawn would be the easy part, but it does take some work to make it look nice.
DeleteI feel your pain as well regarding outdoor space. I live in Troy and it's mostly clay so nothing grows without alot of help. A few years back I had a large tree fall down in my yard as well and it was a pain in the butt to get it taken care of, lucky it missed my house as well. Good tip about having a soil test done.
ReplyDeleteSoil tests are really important. Glad I could help
DeleteOh My, I cant believe that tree! Hope you have good homeowners insurance! What a pain
ReplyDeleteThe insurance didn't cover the tree removal because it didn't hit the house. Instead of hiring someone to remove the fallen tree we did it ourselves, which saved us a ton of money.
DeleteThis is a great blog. As a new homeowner, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in these types of issues. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. Being a first time homeowner has really been a great learning experience for me.
ReplyDelete