Search Results

Disposing of Pine Needles and Pine Cones (Yard Trash) #623469

Asked April 24, 2020, 12:44 PM EDT

I have raked up a LOT of pine needles and pine cones from my yard in Jefferson County. How can I dispose of this? If I use bags, this will mean filling over 140 plastic bags which sit in the landfill for many years. We have a burn ban in Jeffco. Any suggestions? Thank you very much Jan

Jefferson County Colorado

Moss in grass in Colorado; mulch vs compost to retain soil; discarding pine needles and branches #622490

Asked April 10, 2020, 10:12 AM EDT


Dear Ag extension.
I have a lot of questions = let me know if I should put them in separate emails!


1. Moss in grass in Colorado! We have a section of lawn north of our house and frequently shaded by the house that has moss in the grass. I thought moss was unusual in the dry Colorado air, but the patches cover a roughly 8x9ft section, and the lawn is developing patches of dry earth between the grass as well. I would like to take out the lawn and plant native Colorado plants or perennials that do well in Colorado, but wanted to get your take on what would do well in such conditions, and how to go about converting the area from patches of dead grass to perennials.  
2. Could you advise on using mulch vs compost to retain soil moisture in Colorado? I am tired of maintaining wood chip mulch, which -I think and correct me if I am wrong - needs to be removed to add any soil amendments and then put back. I had read that you might as well use a compost that would do double duty for moisture retention and a soil aid, and wanted your take on whether or not that would be a good idea, and what you advise for mulching around irises, or a bed with a combination of perennial shasta daisies, catmint and bulbs.
3. Soil recovery after 10 years of landscaping fabric/black plastic. The prior homeowners installed black plastic when planting pine trees around 2002-2004. I hate black plastic and we are now removing it and the trees are mature. The plastic is now buried under almost a foot of pine needles in places and black soil rich with earthworms, with a solid layer of clay below where the plastic was. A small number of surface roots are above the black plastic. How can we accelerate the rejuvenation of the soil now that the plastic is gone? We would like to plant shade tolerant ground cover below the trees where light is patchy. Should we turn the soil to combine the top layer with the clay? Should we just leave it?
4. Best way to discarding pine needles and branches? From the above pine trees on our property (blue spruce, ponderosa, and several long needle varieties) we have dense layers of pine needles. We cleaned the surface of the pine needles to reduce potential fire hazard, in the part of our yard that we have a grill, but there are 5-15 years of needles built up, which are turning into a nice humus layer. Could you advise on how much to remove to avoid a fire hazard but keep the nice humus layer, and what do we do with the pine needles? We have read that they shouldn't be composted so we are currently putting them in the trash, which seems ecologically like a bad idea. What are our alternatives for reducing fire hazard of pine needles waste? We have heard of using the dry long pine needles as mulch in other areas, but want your advice. Thanks! 


Thanks for everything that you do! I understand you are volunteers and appreciate your time!
Best
Jeannie





Arapahoe County Colorado

white needles on Red pine/Norway Pine #596917

Asked September 17, 2019, 3:27 PM EDT

I have a few pines dying from the top down. There are clumps of needle turning white and dying. What is the problem and can I do anything. I have seen a few on a couple of other pines as well

Cass County Minnesota

Sugar ant invasion in the kitchen and bathroom #577398

Asked July 10, 2019, 10:14 PM EDT

What is an effective method of riding these insects that a homeowner can do ? Boric acid in honey ?

Multnomah County Oregon

Ant Problem #567793

Asked June 06, 2019, 12:55 PM EDT

Hello, I'm having a very bad ant problem this year. I'm finding ants in all sorts of locations around my house that have no food. Bathroom, computer room, bedroom, family room, etc, in addition to the kitchen. They seem to be avoiding the Terro ant bait I've been putting out. I'm looking to try to identify the type of ant so that I can put out the appropriate bait. Thank you for your assistance.



Macomb County Michigan

Sick Pine Tree #567427

Asked June 05, 2019, 5:17 PM EDT

Good Morning, I have several of this type of pine tree in my yard.  This one has started to turn brown just in the last two weeks.  All the others are beautiful and green.  I can see no evidence of any sort of infestation.  I fear the tree is dying quickly.  Any recommendations?  thank you, Mark Seglem.



El Paso County Colorado

Ants #555855

Asked April 26, 2019, 9:36 AM EDT

I have ALOT of ants in my yard. Lots of small mounds covering most areas of my lawn. How do I get rid of these ants? I have oak and maple trees but they seem to hang out more by the maple trees.

Kent County Michigan

How to Keep Squirrels away from the Vegetable Garden #466724

Asked July 02, 2018, 11:04 AM EDT

We have had an ongoing problem with keeping squirrels away from the tomatoes. They pick them and bite them and run across the yard. Is there anything I can put down to try and keep them away?

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Insects collecting pine resin? #463728

Asked June 21, 2018, 10:02 AM EDT

Hi! I have some insects who have nested in a cabinet on my porch; they have moved into the small holes where shelf brackets would go. They look like tiny bees or wasps but aren’t aggressive; they have collected pine smelling resin (I think— it’s sticky and smells like pine tar). I’m curious what they are and can’t find anything online. Also any ideas about natural deterrent would be great. Thank you!



Multnomah County Oregon

Vine...to keep or not to keep #461974

Asked June 17, 2018, 4:10 PM EDT

This vine is growing in a rock wall at the house we purchased recently. I need to decide if it can stay or if I need to pull it out. It seems to be growing rather quickly. I’d like to keep it so the roots can help maintain the wall but if it is too vigorous and will overtake the wall and other plants, well it may have to go. Can you help me identify it and its habits? Thank you!!



Carver County Minnesota