Dymondia

[Allen Repashy]

Please help me get this forum cooking and post some experiences, ask questions, share photos... Here is a link to the Dymondia Plant Profile Article I wrote.

Allen

[Reppsody]

About a year and a half ago, we replaced our grass lawn with Dymondia. Though it has grown slowly and some areas died off for some reason, it has done fairly well; with one exception - there is a ton of clover weeds growing in the Dymondia. I regularly pull it out by hand, but this process in extremely time consuming and never-ending. I'm wondering if anyone knows how to easily kill of clover in a Dymondia yard. Any other helpful tips in regard to Dymondia maintainance are welcomed. Thanks.

mike

[Allen Repashy]

Hello Mike,

Thanks for joining the site. I so far haven't tried anything other than pulling weeds. I have heard that Dymondia can be effected by some weed killers though. I would suggest that you try a very small spot if you start going the chemical route. So far, my established Dymondia has pretty much squeezed out all but the occasional weeds, but I have no clover around here and it sounds like I should count my blessings.

Please let us know if you do some trials, there are a lot of people that would be glad to learn from your experience.

I would love to see some photo's of your lawn and add them to the Dymondia Gallery

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

I get weeds also...though not bad. Problems is getting them out of the thick mat of Dymondia. I'm going to try using a strong mix of round-up and apply it to the weeds with a paint brush, leaving the Dymondia untouched by the brush/R-U.

[Kandy Cron]

I'm a newbie to this kind of thing so hope we can trade some good ideas. I just had some lawn ripped out & landscaped with drought tolerant plants. From what I read, the dymondia seems to be the perfect solution for the ground cover but now I have grass shoots coming up EVERYWHERE!!!!! I've been pulling it out by hand; what a pain. I'm into low maintenance & this is ridiculous! No joke, I'm spending about 2 hrs a day! The round up & paint brush idea isn't bad (considering the alternative). I also think there are weeds coming up in the patches of dymondia that were planted from flats but I have no idea what the plant looks like as it sends out new leaves. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

[Allen Repashy]

Hi,

It sounds like your old lawn was not effectively removed if it is sprouting back up. I have never removed a lawn, but know you have to get it all or this can happen. Many people treat the whole area with an herbicide like roundup before they replant.... but this might create a problem when going to Dymondia depending on the product used. I really can't tell you what to do from here.

lawn tips How to Remove a Bermuda Grass Lawn

[Kandy Cron]

Definitly the lawn was not removed properly but besides that, I really like the plants the landscaper put in. They said to use round up for now & then a pre-emergent after the grass is dead. I'll let you know how it goes. When I remove the rest of my lawn, at least I've learned to kill it first!

[edisann]

Hi,

I am planning on planting dymondia on my front lawn. I appreciate very much if you can share some instructions to plant and care for this ground cover.

I would also like to know what it means by 50 cell plug tray.
How many tray do I need to plant 500 for square ft area?
How much distance should I plant apart per each cell plug?
I can wait for it to grow laterally but do you know how fast it grows?

Any information is deeply appreciated.

[Stan]

I havent grown it,but I am impressed how well it covers and thrives with little care..when gas stations use it and it still looks tight and dense,its a great alternative to ice plant.
I would guess that every plug should be in the range of 3" apart. That would hinder weed seeds from germinating.

[Allen Repashy]

Hey folks,

I just put down some Ronstar on a section of Dymondia based on a recommendation of a landscaper that said he has done it. It won't kill weeds that are up, but it kills any seed that germinates, so it could be a great way to keep things looking good. I have been using it with my Agave in containers and it is pretty amazing stuff.

I put it down a week ago and so far the Dymondia doesn't seem to be bothered. I will update as time goes on.

Allen

[AmyA]

Happy to find these great forums through my search on Dymondia.

Does anyone have experience planting it in the shade? My front yard has several large trees and therefore receives only patchy sun throughout the day. I read that Dymondia will not grow as *quickly* in the shade...but if it will eventually grow, I think it's worth considering.

I want a low, drought tolerant ground cover that requires only partial sun. Does such a thing exist?

Thanks for any advice~

[Boo Hollow]

Originally Posted by edisann

Hi,

I am planning on planting dymondia on my front lawn. I appreciate very much if you can share some instructions to plant and care for this ground cover.

I would also like to know what it means by 50 cell plug tray.
How many tray do I need to plant 500 for square ft area?
How much distance should I plant apart per each cell plug?
I can wait for it to grow laterally but do you know how fast it grows?

Any information is deeply appreciated.

Edisann -
A 50 cell plug tray means that there are 50 individual cells lined up in a 5 row by 10 row pattern within a 10 inch x 20 inch standard tray. This means each cell is about 1.5 inches square (depends on the vendor). Dymondia is a relatively fast grower. If you want fast growth and work with some weeding issues to get it going, plant each plug on 6 inch centers. The way to figure out how many plants is to measure each side of the area you are trying to plant. If you use a square, that would mean each side is roughly 22.36 feet long. So lets use 22 feet to make it easier. On six inch centers or 1/2 a foot, divide the sides by .5. So 22 divided by .5 = 44 + 1 for the outside row = 45. Multiply your needed plants by each value - so 45 x 45 = 2,025 plants divided by 50 = 40.5 50 cell plug trays. I have seen prices per plug range from 39 cents to 1.19 each. So your cost could be between $790.00 - $2,410. The average is around 65 cents each, a bit less in flat form. For a more economical method, space at 12 inches apart so that is 23 x 23 = 529 plants x .65 = $350.00. Good luck and hope this helps.

[agavemonger]

Hi, everybody!

I have used Dymondia on several large projects in Southern California and have the following results to report.

First of all, make sure Dymondia is your weapon of choice. Many other groundcovers and spreading perrenials are also very nice ( I.E. Black Mondo Grass, Red-Hot cat's tails, etc.) I like Dymondia A LOT, but it has it's issues also. However, few groundcovers look better with blue cycads and granite boulders!

First of all, don't even think of planting until the area is totally weed and lawn-stolon free. Bermuda, St. Augustine, and other stolon-type lawns MUST be removed CAREFULLY first.

To get started, get the lawn HEALTHY by watering and fertilizing for a few weeks. Then cut it reasonably short with a lawn mower. Spray carefully and thoroughly with Round-up @ the recommended strength for tougher plants (on the stronger end of the spectrum). In a week or two, re-spray any areas that are not brown and thoroughly dead. Then start watering and fertilizing again to bring up any unkilled stolons and weed seed; mow and respray the area with Round-up when the area weeds look healthy. Continue this process until all stolons are killed for sure. This process should probably take many weeks or even months when properly completed with due diligence!

It is better to plan this process for the spring and early summer months to be sure the lawn stolons are actively growing, and therefore that you get them all. Bermuda and St. Augustine can go dormant in the fall, and you may be tricked into thinking you have gotten rid of it completely just to have it reappear with renewed vigor in the spring! All it takes is a few un-seen stolons to defeat your best efforts.

The only other way is to physically remove the top 12" or so of soil with back-breaking labor or heavy equipment and haul away. Then you must replace the topsoil. Believe it or not, this process is often cheaper and faster than the roundup method and has many advantages; The most important being the time factor involved.

Shortcutting these above procedures virtually guarantees an excersise in futility and failure, ESPECIALLY with stoliniferous lawns.

Once you are sure the area is completely stolon-free and more or less weed free, prepare the area by properly tilling the soil with a Troy-bilt rototiller or it's equivelant, introducing some mulch or other organics to make your soil richer and more friable. let it "cool down" for a few days, then you can plant your Dymondia on one foot centers, stand back and watch it roar to life.

Dymondia is usually available in flats for 7-10 dollars a flat from wholesalers or backyard-grower types. Also, most people who have it are usually willing to give you their "extra" for free if you are willing to dig it out of the area where it has run amok. This way, you can think ahead and divide it into flats or pots well ahead of your planting dates. Properly fertilized clumps in good soil are astoundingly fast growing and a cinch to redivide. We're talking loaves-and-fishes here, folks! This can save you hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars in plug purchases. Save your hard-earned plug-money for Kelly Griffin's Aloe selections!

I know that this task seems daunting, depressing, and defeating; but unless you are really wanting a nice garden, you probably will not be able to succeed with a half-way attempt. Weeds are the absolute bane of any garden or nursery project; defeating them completely is ALWAYS the first order of business! Believe me, dealing with weeds on an ever-continuing, exhausting basis will defeat your garden plans much faster than the initial costs of correct weed removal and soil amendment!

More later...

The Monger

[Matt Maggio]

If you live in an inland climate with warm summers, you may also try a process called solarization for preemptive weed abatement. This will require initial removal of as much surface weed material as possible, together with sharp rocks and other debris that may puncture the plastic sheeting used in the process. This technique is only practical for broad, continuous areas free of twists, turns and other obstacles. Moreover, the selected area should be tilled lightly and smoothed of any lumps prior to laying the plastic. If tilled too deeply, weed seeds and regenerative parts may be placed beyond the reach of lethal temperatures.

The plastic should be clear - don't use black plastic as this does not trap as much of the sun's energy as the former. The plastic should form a tight seal against the soil - any air gaps will create a thermal buffer zone before the soil. Having it tight will also keep the plastic motionless in the wind, thereby preventing air movement underneath. The edges of the plastic can be sealed by piling soil on top of the edges. Another tip: irrigate the soil heavily prior to laying the plastic. The moisture will allow more heat to be conducted deeper into the soil profile, and throughout air spaces. It will also help maintain the high temperatures once they are achieved.

If done correctly, and performed during an extended period of 90+ degree weather conditions, lethal soil temperatures of 130 - 150 degrees F can occur on enough days, down to a depth of up to 8 inches. To do enough damage, these temperatures should occur for a least 7 cumulative days. This may mean leaving the plastic intact for a few weeks or more, depending on the weather.

No herbicide will kill weed seeds directly, but this method can, in addition to killing rhizomes and stolons. Such is important since weeds withhold germination of the entire seed bank by nature's design. Solarization, however, has its limitations. Most mortality will occur in the top several inches of soil, and things may be missed deeper down. A round or two of spraying may be necessary afterwards, not only to test the efficacy of the solarization treatment, but also to kill any stragglers. Weeds on the edges of the plastic are mostly likely to escape.

In addition, some fresh compost and/or mycorrhizal inoculum should be incorporated post-solarization and before planting to discourage pathogenic fungi from rapidly recolonizing the newly sterilized soil.

As far as Dymondia, all I can add is that it requires a lot of water during establishment, but quickly puts out deep roots and becomes quite drought-hardy in time.

Matt

[jackthemaniac]

Dymondia is usually available in flats for 7-10 dollars a flat from wholesalers or backyard-grower types.


Best I've seen is $12.

Thanks!

[David Feix]

Patterns in the landscape by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

I completely agree that Dymondia makes an excellent foil for succulents in a landscape setting, as well as a great walk-on low growing ground cover for low traffic situations. In this tiny, 18 foot deep backyard, I used it to provide overflow space while entertaining, and to keep the garden from looking too "swalloped up" by all the lush plantings at the perimeter. The inset concrete squares were intended to provide a space for a portable gas bbq, leaving the adjacent concrete patio and built-in concrete benches free for guests. The Dymondia here was completely filled in after just 6 months from initial planting, with pop-up drip spray heads on twice a week irrigation on sandy loam soils that were originally dredged bay mud in this part of Alameda, California.

[Steve Mudge]

Nice looking design David!

The nursery trade used to sell a clover weed killer---it was a high nitrogen fertilizer basically that the clover couldn't take (apparently due to their ability to generate nitrogen in-house---more N was too much)....don't know if that's still around though.

Using Roundup is way cheaper than removing 12" of topsoil and replacing with new topsoil, at least in SoCal where hauling/landfills are at a premium and getting good replacement topsoil is very iffy---usually those topsoils are just mixtures of silts and compost and don't really form good loamy friable soils in the long run.