Turf Health: ID and control of Red Thread

What is Red Thread?
by Cheryl Cone

Red thread is a common disease in lawns of western Oregon and Washington. Diseased areas of lawn vary in size and shape and appear scorched. This time of year you will often see red at the tips of the dead grass, thus the name “red thread.” Red thread occurs during the cool, wet periods from fall until spring and is caused by a combination of two fungi. Only the leaves and leaf sheaths are attacked. Lawns that are growing slowly because of the lack of nitrogen are most severely affected. Red thread is seldom serious enough to kill the lawn.
 

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Pruning Hydrangeas

Knowing if your shrub blooms on old or new wood
will help you make timely cuts

by Janet Carson
Although hydrangeas do not require annual pruning, occa­sionally snipping these plants can improve their performance.

I know people are confused about how to prune hydrangeas because I get asked about it all the time.

Photo/Illustration: Melissa Lucas

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Native Plant Selection Guide

Native Plant Selection Guide

from the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services

Introduction

The table is a compilation of information from several sources (see Publications in Appendix). It is designed to help select the "right plant for the right place." It does not include the complete list of plants native to the Portland area. It does include those most commonly used in residential settings, most readily available at retail nurseries, and plants suited to a wide range of growing conditions.

click on link for full article including table: www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm

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Calculating Areas

LANDSCAPE MEASUREMENTS:

Many landscaping projects begin with determining the area to be improved. This is usually calculated as square footage.  Once the size of the area is known, the quantitites needed of many landscape materials can be calculated.

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Calculating Quantities of Materials

UNITS OF MEASURE

Once the square footage is determined (see Calculating Areas) the quantities of bark, compost, feritlizer, peatmoss, seed and other materials can be calculated.

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