I want to solarize the small lawn (60x30) which contains a few loblollies and is edged by pin oaks, all over 50 feet tall. But I am wondering if I will harm the trees. I wanted to solarize because there's a fungus coming up in the old roots of a since gone pin oak.
Any advice or experience with this? ???
I've not heard of the terminolgy "solarize the lawn", and wonder what you mean by it. The best I can imagine is opening the lawn up to let sunlight shine on it. Am I close?
Or does it have to do with some solar panels that heat the lawn? That sounds a little far fetched, so suspect it isn't what you mean. :)
Solarize
Prepare ground -- till, amend -- etc .... soak it ... cover with clear 1ml plastic....seal edges .... do this in heat of summer.... wait 30 days...remove plastic ......
voila!!! no weeds or fungus left in the ground ! It's the latest natural pest and weed control method for crops, veggie gardens, home gardens.
great fungus killer.
U of Illinois is one good source for information.
Oh-h-h-h-h! Is that what you call that. I 've been doing it for years and didn't know that it was a legitimate process. I leave my truck and car and tools and hoses and chairs and logs and boards and.....and..... .....stuff. laying around and my wife brow beats me about killing the grass.
:D Just wait till next time...... :D
"I'm Solarizing the yard dear." :D :D
Yeah... The only thing you are missing is the sun actually getting to the lawn ....
Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll have to find another excuse. :D :D
HI Jan
Getting back to your original question...
I can see that being an effective method for removing weeds from a garden or preparing a new lawn area but it doesn't sound like a very good idea to do that around tree roots. The same process that kills the fungus will probably damage the tree rooots and maybe kill them?
The fungus will be growing in the remaining fragments of the old trees roots, the parts you see above ground are just the 'seed heads' really. The fungus will die out once it's broken down the bits of wood underground. If you kill off the fungus now it's just going to come back in time because the food source is still there.
I'd just mow the mushrooms and let nature take it's course :)
ian
I agree with Ian, let nature do its work.
The fungus attacking the old roots probably will not attack live roots.
There are also good fungi that the roots on the live trees depend on. One of those things that a lot of people overlook, since you can't see them. Solarizing (sounds a lot like sterilzation) may harm some of the live roots or fungi that you want.
My 2 cents.
Tree roots need AIR, was well as water and nutrients.