Give Cotton Burr Compost a try in 2015.
I have an F-550 diesel truck with dual wheels in the back.
Terrible on MPG, but can pull plants and small trees out of the ground without
much trouble. Since we (Possum Employees) do not compete with our customers, we
do not offer this service for hire; however, when my mother needed to remove a
bed of junipers at the end of her drive way that were blocking her view, it was
time for some “plant pull’n”! Can I get a Yee Haw?
Of course, I made sure there were no irrigation lines, gas lines
or fiber optic wires in the area before I wrapped the chains around the plants.
If the plants were anything besides old nasty juniper, I might have tried to
transplant them (see last week’s article about transplanting at possumsupply
.com).
After my truck gently yanked the juniper out of the ground,
I removed the soil from around the root system and any other severed roots that
didn’t get ripped out of the ground during the initial thrust of diesel power. I
ended up with an area about the size of an Impala hood of bare dirt. Knowing
that my mother had an old variety of St. Augustine (Raleigh), I decided to let
the grass grow in from the sides instead of trying to locate a few pieces of
Raleigh sod or put in a different variety.
Around this new bare spot, I spread cotton burr compost.
About a foot into the area where the existing grass is and a light layer over
the bare dirt was all the cotton burr it took, and about 6 months later the
area is almost covered. If I thought about it or had the time to think about
it, I could have put a little booster application on every month. The most
amazing thing is how green this area where I applied the cotton burr compost is
6 months ago is in the middle of winter compared to the surrounding area. We have
had a lot of rain in 6 months and the organic product is still amending the
soil.
One of the best examples of the long lasting effects of
cotton burr compost is at Blackbaud Stadium – home of The Charleston Battery.
Since the field is sand based for fast drainage, when Shannon and Kevin re-sod
the 9 X 9 goal mouths, they add cotton burr compost to hold moisture while
establishing the new sod. If you know where to look, you can see different
shades of darker green grass from their addition of cotton burr compost over
the years.
Cotton Burr Compost - give it a try in 2015! Spread one 2
cubic foot in a 7 x 7 area and see how your yard responds!
