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I have a new site to tame. It is a slope at my driveway entrance leading to a busy highway. It is thick with what have been identified as dogwoods, I think red-stem dogwoods- which sound valuable but are rangy, wild looking plants 1 to 2-foot high, with incredibly strong root systems. I want to clear them from a space maybe 10 by 30 feet to make it look like there is civilization of a sort on the site.
Among them are some Virginia creepers, which I would like to cover the slope instead if I can root out the dogwoods.
If I do get them out, how do I prevent the slope from eroding down its bank before the creepers take hold? Do I need a jute system? I have tons and tons of pine chips on the site from the clearing. Are they too big to be of any use in the solution?
just plant the virginia creepers among them and they will climb on them possibly suffocating them out in time.that way the soil won't wash away until the creepers are established. and if the dogwoods shade them a little it will cause them to grow faster into the sun.
Be careful with Virginia creeper--it's very invasive. It grows wild down here and every time I find it on my property, it gets a good dose of Roundup. It will cover more than the trees you don't want!
We live on the coast in Oregon, and had new construction on a hill -- used the jute to hold things in place until we were able to decide on plants. Planted it with a winter rye -- held up just fine. Getting the grass out later was the issue. The jute really held the slope in place. The red-twig dogwoods are probably red osier dogwoods and can cost a pretty penny at the nursery. Their beauty is in the fall / winter when the twigs are a brilliant red -- rather than just pulling and tossing -- why not contact a Master Gardener group or a garden club and they could come take them out and pot them up for a plant sale -- a charitable donation for you and a wonderful profit for the group! I would leave a few on the site just for the winter / fall beauty.
Thanks! I know the creeper is invasive- but this is New York, not the South. Still, I'm reconsidering ferns instead. Know what might be the best shade fern for banks?
Wait- I have to comment on the Master Gardener. This was a great post- I went right to the Co-op Extension and left a sample of my dogwood. When the MG got there next day she said it was a plain old native dogwood. Better advice than the local nursery.
