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Wow! This must be the best place for silvermound! I've never seen such a huge mass before! And all from just two plants! What is your secret? Do you have a fertilizer recommendation? Very striking hillside indeed!
I yanked these out of the back yard 2 years ago because they were too big, too much work and I knew I'd have to do nothing with them if I put them on the hill. They get very woody and take constant pruning and look awful if you have to prune them back to the hardwood.
The down hill slope is about 1/2 acre of open space that adjoins our back fence. It is full of 4-5' high brush and weeds by June each year when a crew comes through and cuts a 30' fire break from the back fence downhill. Because of the updraft all the weed seeds drop into the back yard, the pond, the family room, etc, etc. So I've been encroaching for a couple of years, with the main objective to get the weed line far enough away that it doesn't hit the yard.
The plants are on a drip system, get no fertilizer or care and are planted in solid adobe type clay soil. I can pretty much only plant in the rainy season because you can't get a shovel into it in the summer.
The major challenge is the colony of pocket gophers and the competing colony of ground squirrels. The gophers tunnel and eat from the roots up and their partners in crime just start at the top and eat plants all the way to the ground.
This picture is how the Artemesia looked in 9/01 right before I yanked them out.
To give you some idea of what the hill is here's an image taken in the summer of 2000. The red line shows approximately the area that I keep clear of weeds and have started planting. The yellow line shows the area I eventually hope to expand into, which ends at a concrete drainage run.
This should keep me busy for a few more years and I always have someplace to put those "this just doesn't work for me" plants.
Hi! You're up pretty late yourself! And I'm still up. Ever since I retired last year I find it such a kick to stay up as late as I want (can!) and sleep as late as I want!
That hill sounds like quite a challenge. But with your green thumb, I'm sure you will get it beautiful in no time. Actually that second picture of the silvermound in your garden is beautiful too! And what a breathtaking place you live. Those brown hills will just sing with your plants!
