2025 Lawns & Gardens Thread. Making Lawns Great Again

[backedgeapproaching]

In case anyone was thinking about planting a willow tree anywhere but an open field

https://www.mynbc5.com/article/holy-moley-rutland-dpw-going-viral-after-pulling-100-feet-of-roots-from-pipe/67951864

 

 

 

[jbenedet]

On 9/27/2025 at 1:57 PM, jbenedet said:

Any effective recommendations for a repeat chipmunk digging holes in my front lawn other than my 22 magnum? 
 

After this third offense, beginning to feel like maniscalco’s father.

 

 

Turns out that I don’t think chipmunks/raccoons are the problem I thought they were. They were actually helping my new grass. They were digging small holes in my lawn, yes, but to go after a more serious new-lawn pest: slugs. Didn’t make this connection until yesterday when I noticed a few slugs in my grass….

[Chrisrotary12]

Why does my tree look like it was burned?

[SJonesWX]

I’m no expert, but looking at the second pic looks like a lightning strike

[Damage In Tolland]

I don’t think so . Strikes usually peel the bark . Plus he hasn’t had a tstorm in several years 

[dendrite]

My guess would be some kind of cambium damage running up the tree and some black mold growing in the crevice. Is the base of that tree actually two trees that merged?

[CoastalWx]

I've seen that before on my oaks. Doesn't seem like a big deal?

[dendrite]

My oaks took a major color turn overnight. This wind is ripping most of the leaves off the other trees now. My armstrong red maple is a deep red/burgundy right now. 

[tamarack]

1 hour ago, dendrite said:

My oaks took a major color turn overnight. This wind is ripping most of the leaves off the other trees now. My armstrong red maple is a deep red/burgundy right now. 

Our 20-foot-tall sapling is mostly changed.  The 90-foot by 24" specimen is just beginning to turn.

[jbenedet]

So turns out I have a black walnut tree on the southern edge of my property. Perfectly placed to filter out the worst of the afternoon summer sun. It’s a beautiful tree, generally. Problem is, in the fall for approx 1 month it produces the food for just about every chipmunk and squirrel within a one mile radius. 
 

I have decided to put up with it and let nature take its course, outside of me discarding the old walnuts which land on my property, and spray foaming the areas these critters make for homes, I’m letting them be. Saw a large red tail hawk hanging out three houses down on the powerline during this morning’s dog walk, gazing at my tree…. So the medium to long term game is winning…

I’m all for this route even with the short term sacrifices, and very pleased that the ecosystem is healthy enough around me to make it a possible homeowner strategy.

[dendrite]

23 minutes ago, jbenedet said:

So turns out I have a black walnut tree on the southern edge of my property. Perfectly placed to filter out the worst of the afternoon summer sun. It’s a beautiful tree, generally. Problem is, in the fall for approx 1 month it produces the food for just about every chipmunk and squirrel within a one mile radius. 
 

I have decided to put up with it and let nature take its course, outside of me discarding the old walnuts which land on my property, and spray foaming the areas these critters make for homes, I’m letting them be. Saw a large red tail hawk hanging out three houses down on the powerline during this morning’s dog walk, gazing at my tree…. So the medium to long term game is winning…

I’m all for this route even with the short term sacrifices, and very pleased that the ecosystem is healthy enough around me to make it a possible homeowner strategy.

Those are nice trees. I love large black walnuts or hickories. Most hickories are really slow growers at first so when you plant one you’re basically planting it for future generations. I have some butternuts I started from seed years ago, but like most native trees today, they develop diseases after maturity and begin to decline rapidly.

[jbenedet]

7 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Those are nice trees. I love large black walnuts or hickories. Most hickories are really slow growers at first so when you plant one you’re basically planting it fpr future generations. I have some butternuts I started from seed years ago, but like most native trees today, they develop diseases after maturity and begin to decline rapidly.

Agreed as I’m learning.
 

Mines about 20 years old as I can tell from its about 30 ft size. Beautiful canopy that can expand out broadly as it can reach up to 100 ft high.

I think the key is having it properly placed. Mine happens to be in a good spot where the falling walnuts are not a hazard. The walnuts produce juglone which nourishes the tree but is toxic to many competing plants. It’s also in a good spot on that front, as it’s in an area where neither me nor my neighbors want growth or meticulous landscaping. It’s all good at minimizing weed growth.

[dryslot]

My citrus trees have been pretty tolerant of the 30’s at night, But I was taking them in and back out on sub freezing nights but I think there going to remain indoors from here on out with temps now reaching the 50’s it’s staying in the 60-70F range in the Green House, My Lemon and my lime tree is blooming big time, I have 2-Washington Navels, 1-Myer Lemon and 1-Key Lime tree.

[dendrite]

20 minutes ago, dryslot said:

My citrus trees have been pretty tolerant of the 30’s at night, But I was taking them in and back out on sub freezing nights but I think there going to remain indoors from here on out with temps now reaching the 50’s it’s staying in the 60-70F range in the Green House, My Lemon and my lime tree is blooming big time, I have 2-Washington Navels, 1-Myer Lemon and 1-Key Lime tree.

Where are the pawpaws?

[dryslot]

1 minute ago, dendrite said:

Where are the pawpaws?

Next year.

[cut]

6 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Where are the pawpaws?

What is that? Looks interesting.

[dryslot]

8 minutes ago, cut said:

What is that? Looks interesting.

Papaya.

[dendrite]

1 hour ago, dryslot said:

Papaya.

Two different things. Pawpaws are native to north america/ontario and are hardy to zone 4. 

[dryslot]

6 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Two different things. Pawpaws are native to north america/ontario and are hardy to zone 4. 

 I'm in zone 5b here so don't think they would fair well permanently outside.

[dendrite]

1 hour ago, cut said:

What is that? Looks interesting.

Pawpaw/asimina triloba

I have about 40 different tree cultivars in the yard and another hundred seedlings growing in pots. They’re North America’s largest native fruit. They’re tropical in origin, but evolved to handle cold winters. There’s still a lot of tropical characteristics to the trees and fruit. They’re sort of their own taste, but some have hints of custardy banana, vanilla, melon, mango, or even coconut. There’s quite a few people growing them in New England now. Next season I’ll try to post some of the CT/MA/RI growers if anyone wants to try some. 

[dendrite]

9 minutes ago, dryslot said:

 I'm in zone 5b here so don't think they would fair well permanently outside.

Pawpaws…not papaya. They can handle -20s fine. 

[dryslot]

1 minute ago, dendrite said:

Pawpaws…not papaya. They can handle -20s fine. 

I just looked it up, Looks like the names get confused some.

[dendrite]

Just now, dryslot said:

I just looked it up, Looks like the names get confused some.

In some parts of the world people call papaya “pawpaws” so yeah…there can be some confusion. But we have our own pawpaw. 

[dryslot]

4 minutes ago, dendrite said:

In some parts of the world people call papaya “pawpaws” so yeah…there can be some confusion. But we have our own pawpaw. 

Did you plant it in ground or container? It also looked like it took some time to set fruit.

[DavisStraight]

15 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Pawpaw/asimina triloba

I have about 40 different tree cultivars in the yard and another hundred seedlings growing in pots. They’re North America’s largest native fruit. They’re tropical in origin, but evolved to handle cold winters. There’s still a lot of tropical characteristics to the trees and fruit. They’re sort of their own taste, but some have hints of custardy banana, vanilla, melon, mango, or even coconut. There’s quite a few people growing them in New England now. Next season I’ll try to post some of the CT/MA/RI growers if anyone wants to try some. 

Do you scoop the meat out and eat it or more like an apple?

[HIPPYVALLEY]

10 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

Do you scoop the meat out and eat it or more like an apple?

Scoop.  It’s very much like a little custard cup.  

[dendrite]

15 minutes ago, dryslot said:

Did you plant it in ground or container? It also looked like it took some time to set fruit.

In ground. They handled the Feb 2023 -18° with -45° wind chills fine. Grafted trees take about 5 years. Seedlings 7-8. It depends on genetics too. 

7 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

Do you scoop the meat out and eat it or more like an apple?

I pull the seeds and then scoop it. When they’re really ripe they have a custard like texture.

You should hit up the guy in Marlborough next fall. His entire 1/4 acre is pawpaws and persimmon.

FYI…I’ll move all of the plant posts to the garden thread. 

[dendrite]

14 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

Scoop.  It’s very much like a little custard cup.  

I assume you’ve tried them. Any particular variety? The wild seedling ones can have some weird flavors or unpleasant aftertaste. But seedlings with two high quality parents generally produce very good fruit as well.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

18 minutes ago, dendrite said:

I assume you’ve tried them. Any particular variety? The wild seedling ones can have some weird flavors or unpleasant aftertaste. But seedlings with two high quality parents generally produce very good fruit as well.

My neighbor has a few trees. I’ll ask him what variety they might be. They are fairly sweet and tasty once you know what to expect with the texture.
He buys a lot of stuff from a local native plant farm. 
https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/for-your-garden/nasami-farm/

[tamarack]

That's impressive. 
Maybe they would survive at our 4B zone - median for winter's coldest is -24.  We were told that Reliance peach would make it here, and as that's my favorite fruit we planted a whip shortly after we moved here in mid-May of 1998.  Summers 1998 and 1999 saw great growth but the following winters killed back most of the increase.  2001-02 never got below -12 and the following summer we had 100+ sweet tennis-ball-size fruit.  Then Jan-Mar 2003 brought 12 mornings at -20 to -29 and the tree was dead, other than a weak below-graft sprout that showed up in June 2003 and died before first frost.