The High Plains of Texas is a short-grass prairie with an extremely stressful environment which limits adapted ornamentals. Plant materials capable of consistent performance have yet to be established for this region. Twelve perennial ground covers were evaluated for urban landscape use. Species were planted in a completely radomized design split in time with four replicates. Ground coverage and distance of spread were evaluated monthly for two growing seasons in 1989 and 1990. Visual ratings of quality as ground cover were also determined using color, growth and density as indices. Sedum brevifolium, Sedum acre, Lysimachia nummularia, Sedum sieboldi, and Arrhenatherum elatius `Variegatum' were the most promising species for all criteria. Sedum acre and Arrhenatherum elatius `Variegatum' did not perform well at temperatures above 40°C. Sedum stolonifera failed to survive in this demanding environment.
ground control where weeds in the furrow were mowed 3 weeks after transplanting; landscape fabric (LF) = furrow was covered with landscape fabric; mowed teff (MT) = teff seeded in the furrow at 4 lb/acre (4.5 kg⋅ha −2 ) and mowed at 3 weeks after
Hawaii has had a large growth in housing, and with the reduced lot sizes of single family dwellings has come interest in using ground covers to landscape limited areas. As residential areas are being located on less desirable lands, there is a need to select ground covers that do well in these areas. The objective of this study was to develop a hypermedia information system to recommend ground covers and to obtain information on individual ground covers. Using the software HyperCard® on the Macintosh® computer, we developed a system that uses the idea of index cards with information being stored on separate screens called “cards.” Using a mouse, the user navigates from one card to another by clicking on a “button” on the card. The user may select up to four criteria from 33 criteria including plant height, elevation, soil moisture, flower color, erosion control, and shade. The program then finds which of 48 ground covers meet the desired criteria and provides information on these ground covers. This easy-to-use system requires no typing except to enter a word to search for. The user can quickly browse for the desired information and save it as a text file or print it. The Farmer's Bookshelf™ provides a tool for extension agents and growers to obtain easily vitally needed information. The program has further application for landscape companies, Master Gardener programs, and in horticultural courses.
.C. Strik, B.C. Martin, L.W. 1995 Effect of primocane suppression date on Marion trailing blackberry. 1. Yield components J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 120 21 24 Bowen, P. Freyman, S. 1995 Ground covers affect raspberry yield, photosynthesis, and nitrogen
Heightened awareness of ecological concerns have prompted many municipalities to promote water conservation through landscape design. In central Arizona, urban residential landscapes containing desert-adapted plant species are termed xeriscapes, while those containing temperate or tropical species and turf are termed mesoscapes. Research was conducted to ascertain landscape plant species diversity, tree, shrub, and ground cover frequency; landscape canopy area coverage; and monthly irrigation application volumes for xeric and mesic urban residential landscapes. The residential urban landscapes were located in Tempe and Phoenix, Ariz., and all were installed initially between 1985 and 1995. Although species composition of xeric and mesic landscapes was generally dissimilar, both landscape types had comparable species diversity. Mesoscapes had significantly more trees and shrubs and about 2.3 times more canopy area coverage per landscaped area than xeriscapes. Monthly irrigation application volumes per landscaped surface area were higher for xeriscapes. Even though human preference for xeric landscape plants may be ecological in principle, use of desert-adapted species in central Arizona urban residential landscape settings might not result in less landscape water use compared with mesic landscapes.
Abstract
Small weighing lysimeters were used to determine potential evapotranspiration (ET) (i.e., ET when soil water is not limiting) rates of turf weeds and ground-covers. When ET was monitored during two consecutive summers, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) had the highest mean water use rate (7.4 mm·day-1). Dichondra (Dichondra repens J.R. Forst. and G. Forst.), a low-growing C4 dicot, and barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv.], a C4 monocot, used the least water (3.9 and 4.1 mm·day-1, respectively). ‘Merion’ Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), a C3 species, and yellow foxtail [Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.] and smooth crabgrass [Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Muhl.], C4 species, exhibited intermediate ET rates. Water use rates of these ground-covers should be considered when using them in landscapes. Eradication of some weeds, such as white clover, in well-watered turf areas may be an effective means of reducing ET.
Three landscape fabrics, Magic Mat®, a heavy black plastic woven fabric with a fuzzy underside; Weed Mat®, a thin black plastic sheet with small holes; and Typar®, a dark gray spun bonded material, with and without a cover of organic oak bark mulch, were evaluated for weed control and ability of strawberry plant roots to establish through the fabrics over a 4-year period. Landscape fabrics reduced weed numbers for the first 3 years in comparison with the bare ground treatment. With few exceptions. the organic mulch did not improve the weed control capability of landscape fabrics. Fruit yield for the Weed Mat and Magic Mat treatments did not differ from the bare ground treatment, but was lower for the Typar treatment when averaged over organic mulch treatments. Fruit yield was higher where the organic mulch was used when averaged over all landscape fabric treatments. Fruit size was slightly larger for the bare ground and smallest for the Typar treatments during the first harvest season, but there was no difference in fruit size by the third year of harvest. Fruit size for the organic mulched plots was slightly larger than that for the unmulched plots the second year of harvest, but there was no difference for the first or third years. The number of strawberry runner plants that rooted and plant row vigor were greater for the Weed Mat, Magic Mat and plots without the landscape fabric than for the Typar plots, particularly in the second and third season. Rooting of runner plants and plant row vigor was better with organic mulch. Landscape fabric tended to reduce extent of rooting, especially in the first season, but it was improved by the application of organic mulch.
Weeds are especially problematic in highbush blueberry which has a long establishment period, shallow-fibrous roots, and poor competitive ability in obtaining water, nutrients and sunlight. Commercial approaches in certified organic blueberry fields compared horticultural management methods in two New Jersey sites. The trials utilized both new and established blueberry blocks having trickle or overhead irrigation. Commercial methods investigated included rotary cultivation, mowing, propane flaming, cover crops, landscape fabric, and various mulches. Mulch comparisons included pine bark mulch, hardwood mulch, coffee grinds, cocoa grinds, municipal leaf mulch, and composted tea leaves. 3' × 12' plots were replicated 4 times in 4 adjoining rows. Applications of 3-4 inches of these mulches within the crop row to a new planting of Duke highbush blueberry have provided a combined weed control level of ca. 95% without landscape fabric and ≈98% with landscape fabric during 2003. Walkway weed suppression in new plantings was achieved with the establishment of two types of fine leafed turf fescues and monthly mowings. Bare ground percentage decreased from 80% to <2% within one year's time as these fine fescues gradually out-competed annual weeds for space. These fescue cover crops increased ground coverage from 8% to >95% over the seven month growing season. Such varieties were selected because they have good germination, require little water, use limited nitrogen and can squeeze out weeds through allelopathy. Applied research studies indicate that several suitable methods can be utilized for effective weed management in organic highbush blueberry production systems.
153 ORAL SESSION 31 (Abstr. 596–601) Woody Ornamentals/Landscape/Turf: Stress Physiology/Crop Protection
Abstract
Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei colorata Rehd.), English ivy (Hedera helix L.), and pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis Sub. & Zucc.), were evaluated for their capability to produce a mat of ground cover plants in sod-like configuration. Euonymus and English ivy produced a satisfactory product in 12 weeks while pachysandra required 16 weeks. Of 7 media evaluated with English ivy as the test plant, pine bark mulch, peatmoss-perlite, and Metro Mix 300 were judged superior in transportability, overall quality and landscape acceptance to peatmoss-Haydite-perlite, peatmoss-Haydite, peatmoss-sand, and hardwood bark. Euonymus and English ivy sods in pine bark mulch and peatmoss-perlite media were evaluated for landscape establishment. Both species rooted into the soil and established without appreciable loss 6 months after transplanting into the field.