OT: Suja - St Lawrence Nurseries

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Earlier you asked about my experience with them and I said I
hadn't any. Well, the trees arrived last night and I'm
really happy with them. Beautifully shaped - excellent
pruning job, nice rootsystems, and practically invisible
graft unions.

Suja...

Thanks! I've ordered way too much stuff so far this year, and have been
uniformally pleased with the quality.

shore...

It's pretty amazing that trees come in the mail. What have
you been putting in?

Suja...

I'm creating a woodland garden and introducing some natives. Currently, the
uncleared lot, about 4 acres, is overrun with every invasive in the book -
poison ivy, poison oak, japanese honeysuckle, non-native shrub honeysuckle,
multiflora roses, etc. I cleared about 1/2 an acre this spring, and
introduced some native shrubs/trees/plants. Among the things I've planted
have been Ilex glabra, a couple of deciduous hollies (I. verticillata),
various Viburnum dentatum, Fothergilla, native Witchhazel, Lindera, Illicium
floridanum, Aronia, Fringetree, etc. I just got my new batch of plants
from Lazy S's, and it contains Red Buckeye, Bald cypress and some Willows.

shore...

Very nice! It sounds like a huge job, though. It was
clearing about 1/2 acre with inadequate tools that motivated
me to go out and get a proper tractor.

Suja...

It is a lot of work, but something I enjoy. After doing stuff that makes
your brain hurt or dealing with idjits all day, it is really cathartic to
get out there and kill stuff with your bare hands. I figured that clearing
about 1/2 acre per year is okay by me and my wallet. One of the real
problems with clearing and then not doing anything with the cleared space is
that the offspring of all the stuff you just cleaned out will make an
appearance with a vengeance. If you put in stuff that have a headstart, and
give them some attention for a year, you have a shot at not falling behind
again.

How did you get rid of the invasive vines? I have a real

Suja...

Most of what I have is entrenched. Massive vines that are 50 ft. up in the
air and strangling the trees. I saw them down, and on the stump, brush on
undiluted Round-Up or Brush-B-Gone. The smaller stuff, I do as much hand
pulling as I can, but for the nasties, break out the herbicide. One thing
you have to keep in mind is that these things excel at conquering disturbed
areas, so if you whack something back and get some control over the area,
you'll have to put something in there that competes effectively and would
keep the seeds from sprouting.

problem with some unidentified and apparently unidentifiable
vines (I've shown them to people at Agway, people at Cornell
Cooperative Extension, etc.) and nobody knows what it is,
but it's a real problem. I'm mostly dealing with it by

Suja...

That's pretty bizarre. Pretty much every invasive in the country is
extensively documented. Do you think it is possible that you just have
something that is not ordinarily found in your neck of the woods? Send me
pics (I think you have my working email ID) and a description of anything
not captured by the pics if you can - some of the gardening folks I know are
quite good at playing 'ID that plant!', so you may get a name to go with the
weed. Of course, that may or may not help you figure out how to get rid of
the things.

mowing, mowing, and more mowing, but on the west side of the
house near the septic field I'm doing repeated applications
(over a period of years) of Triclopyr.

ObDog: Too hot.

Suja...

I hear ya. Ended up taking the dogs out later than usual for their morning
walk, and Khan was not happy.