going native on our land - Ask Extension
1. We eradicated Tansy by pulling the plants, seeding, then mowing for a number of years to prevent its return. we've been successful. we are hoping t...
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going native on our land #878450
Asked July 23, 2024, 2:57 PM EDT
1. We eradicated Tansy by pulling the plants, seeding, then mowing for a number of years to prevent its return. we've been successful. we are hoping to turn the area (40 by 100 feet or so) into native plants that do not need maintenance. Do you have suggestions?
2.We have another area (40 by 50 feet or so) that we want as a yard. Would you recommend native, mowable grass?
3. Could you give information on eradicating Buckthorn, Lupine and poison ivy?
4. Any idea why 20 year old crab apple trees are suffering this summer? The leaves are very small.
We live on five acres between Duluth and Two harbors on an old homestead that was hayed for decades. We've let it go back to woods but these toxic plants are coming in fast.
Thank you
St. Louis County Minnesota
Expert Response
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1. There are many resources for finding and maintaining native gardens. Here is a good one:
https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/native-plants
2. Mowability is why Kentucky blue grass is popular. Native grasses mostly can't be mowed. But small ones look good in a mass planting. Consider native sedges for part shade and prairie grasses like prairie dropseed in sunny areas:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/rosy-sedge
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/search?scientific_name=Carex&wh
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/prairie-dropseed
3. There is a lot of information out there about removing buckthorn (repeated pulling and treatment with glyphosate):
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/rockcountygardening/files/2014/11/Buckthorn-MN-DNR.pdf
and poison ivy (hand removal- wearing plastic gloves, of course-and trash-do not burn!-or glyphosate):
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/weeds/factsheets/poison-ivy-clemson.pdf
https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/poison-ivy-2/
https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=745575&p=6243487
Not so much for lupine, which is a native and liked by some:
https://extension.wsu.edu/whitman/2013/11/lupine/
4. Many apple trees are suffering from apple scab this summer, probably due to the weather:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/apple-scab
1. There are many resources for finding and maintaining native gardens. Here is a good one:
https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/native-plants
2. Mowability is why Kentucky blue grass is popular. Native grasses mostly can't be mowed. But small ones look good in a mass planting. Consider native sedges for part shade and prairie grasses like prairie dropseed in sunny areas:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/rosy-sedge
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/search?scientific_name=Carex&wh
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/prairie-dropseed
3. There is a lot of information out there about removing buckthorn (repeated pulling and treatment with glyphosate):
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/rockcountygardening/files/2014/11/Buckthorn-MN-DNR.pdf
and poison ivy (hand removal- wearing plastic gloves, of course-and trash-do not burn!-or glyphosate):
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/weeds/factsheets/poison-ivy-clemson.pdf
https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/poison-ivy-2/
https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=745575&p=6243487
Not so much for lupine, which is a native and liked by some:
https://extension.wsu.edu/whitman/2013/11/lupine/
4. Many apple trees are suffering from apple scab this summer, probably due to the weather:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/apple-scab
