The learning curve

Solarization of the yard is the process of covering your yard, usually with plastic, to kill off unwanted weeds or grass.  Here are some helpful links to give you more information.

Solutions for your life UF - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in856 

Wayne Schmidt's soil solarization page - http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/solarization.htm 

Popular mechanics - http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/lawn-garden/4350153

The learning curve is a favorite phrase I use in reference to failed experiments.  A few months back (like the beginning of summer), my husband helped me cover up the back yard to solarize the lawn.  I wanted to kill off the grass so my daughter could plant her butterfly garden.

Ugly right?

On Wednesday, we took the cover off.  Yep, it's the learning curve.  Under the tarp we found green.  Not what we expected.  The funny thing was that all the grass had been killed off! The spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) and really soft nice looking clover that grows under the oak tree where growing very nicely if a little flattened.

Still ugly!

We had done solarization on the side where the veggie patch is growing.  It worked great for that.  Perhaps the tarp let in too much light with out being folded?  What ever the case my husband (such a good man) helped me fold the tarp and cover a smaller section.  

We did discover this...

My husband said "Turbo snails!?  It eats other snails."  All I could think of was the racing snail from The NeverEnding Story!

What would we do with out the Internet?  The same research would just take longer.  The snail answer is Rosy Wolf snail (Euglandina rosea).  It does eat other snail and is native to this area.  Good snail!

The soil under the tarp looked good.  So to save face I took a box of seeds a good friend of mine had given me and sprinkled it around.  It is the American Seed wildflower sunny area mix.  With luck something will grow...if we can keep the chickens out of it.