Nature & Wildlife Thread

[Troutredds]

This is cool. Found native Horsetail in the woods.
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Those are cool looking little plants...but believe it or not, they are a very invasive weed species here in the Pacific Northwest. Once established in an area, they spread like crazy and are hard to ever fully remove. Don't get me wrong, they're cool looking little plants - holdovers from prehistoric times.

 

[j.w]

Maybe there is a difference in the kind that are used for our ponds and the kind it the gardens that overtake everything?

WAIT it says this is invasive also!

Online info:

QUICK STATS
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Aggressive
Lighting: Natural
Placement: Edge
Water Conditions: 65-80° F, pH 6.5-7.5
Propagation: Root division
Max. Size: 4'
Color Form: Black, Green
Origin: Farm Raised
Family: Equisetaceae

overview:
The Horsetail Rush, also known as the Scouring Rush, is one of the oldest plants to be used by man. It reaches heights to 4 feet, and is a durable plant. It has jointed, hollow stems that are furrowed and green with black bands that give it a bamboo-like appearance.
Plant in 2-gallon containers in sun to part shade with moist soil to a 2" depth. While the plant remains green year-round, old stems that have died are dried and brown. Prune them out for best plant appearance. This plant can become invasive when planted in soil near a pond or stream. Zones 4-11.


Testimonial:
Melanie Obendorfer
Cypress, TX


I bought one last year and put it next to my pond. It definitely can be invasive and hard to get rid of. I have new growth popping up all over the place but I think this gives the pond a great look!

 

[j.w]

I would not plant the Horsetail ever anywhere near my property after all the web sites I just viewed after posting the one above. It will overtake your yard and you will never be able to sell your house except in the winter when it goes dormant and you can't see it and if it's a rental your landlord will kill you! My neighbor has it in her yard from a load of bad soil used for fill in a garden bed before they moved in. They cannot get rid of it!

 

[Troutredds]

I would not plant the Horsetail ever anywhere near my property after all the web sites I just viewed after posting the one above. It will overtake your yard and you will never be able to sell your house except in the winter when it goes dormant and you can't see it and if it's a rental your landlord will kill you! My neighbor has it in her yard from a load of bad soil used for fill in a garden bed before they moved in. They cannot get rid of it!

I have two neighbors with the same predicament, j.w. That's why I fear it may some day find our pond. It would definitely look nice around our waterfall or pond if contained somehow though.

 

[Troutredds]

Since this is the Nature & Wildlife thread, here's a shot of a coyote walking passed our neighbor's house this morning at 5:45. I took it on the run out our kitchen window with my phone. I think he's hunting the rabbits we have hopping around our neighborhood this spring. Poor little rabbits - but Wile E. Coyote has to eat... I wonder if he uses ACME products, like in the Roadrunner cartoons?

 

[j.w]

That looks like a youngster. Poor little guy looks like he's lost his way.
Here's a photo I took today while on my walk of Horsetail growing on the side of the road. Yikes I hope none of this ever darkens my gardens!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

What a day. I was off on a trail. On my way home I see a car parked on the side of the highway, something big next to it, get close and see a good size snapping turtle in the turning lane, inching out into traffic, trying to cross the highway during 3pm traffic. I pulled over, got out and tried to figure out the best way to grab it. I knew the picking it up by the sides wouldn't work because they have claws, and a ton of strength in their back legs, but at that point it was all I could try. Sure enough it scratched me up pretty good. Then a guy on a Harley pulls up and suggests picking it up by the tail. So here I am with a massive Snapper running across the highway. Got it across and set it in the grass. Hope it kept going and didn't turn back. At the last second I remembered to get a couple photos.

I knew by the size of it that it definitely had some years on it. I knew that I had no idea how to get it across, but I knew I couldn't let it get hit. Its been alive for so long and to lose that life by getting hit by a car would be awful. I saved a small one in a parking lot last year but that was nothing in comparison. This is the time of year where they make their journey to lay eggs, and sadly roads are often in the way now a days.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Once established in an area, they spread like crazy and are hard to ever fully remove.

I have some in my bog so we'll see what happens. My doesn't get the hair-like look to it through, just stalks, while the natives have the hair look.

 

[Troutredds]

What a day. I was off on a trail. On my way home I see a car parked on the side of the highway, something big next to it, get close and see a good size snapping turtle in the turning lane, inching out into traffic, trying to cross the highway during 3pm traffic. I pulled over, got out and tried to figure out the best way to grab it. I knew the picking it up by the sides wouldn't work because they have claws, and a ton of strength in their back legs, but at that point it was all I could try. Sure enough it scratched me up pretty good. Then a guy on a Harley pulls up and suggests picking it up by the tail. So here I am with a massive Snapper running across the highway. Got it across and set it in the grass. Hope it kept going and didn't turn back. At the last second I remembered to get a couple photos.

View attachment 70940
View attachment 70941

I knew by the size of it that it definitely had some years on it. I knew that I had no idea how to get it across, but I knew I couldn't let it get hit. Its been alive for so long and to lose that life by getting hit by a car would be awful. I saved a small one in a parking lot last year but that was nothing in comparison. This is the time of year where they make their journey to lay eggs, and sadly roads are often in the way now a days.

Wow JB! That snapper looks wicked. It's a good thing you didn't get your hands in the vicinity of his head. We want you to keep all your fingers.

 

[Troutredds]

That looks like a youngster. Poor little guy looks like he's lost his way.
Here's a photo I took today while on my walk of Horsetail growing on the side of the road. Yikes I hope none of this ever darkens my gardens!
View attachment 70930

Nice new avatar, j.w. All this horsetail talk turned you into a happy frog.

 

[j.w]

Very nice of you to do that for the big turtle JB. While traveling by car in Florida one year I made my hubby stop while I rescued some big turtles from the road that couldn't seem to make it up the curbs. They were not snappers tho.
We noticed along the way that their were turtles that did not make it off the roads

 

[JBtheExplorer]

After my turtle encounter I decided to look up the best way to move them. The way I did it (by the tail) is not a good way to do it, but now I know a good way if it ever happens again... and so will you guys if you watch this:

 

[j.w]

Nice to know. I bet that turtle was glad when that guy was done hauling him back and forth across that road

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'm freaked out. There are three Yellowjackets in my house... We've already had a few this year, but finding three in a matter of a couple hours makes me really worried. I trapped two in a window and one is on the loose in the basement. I am a terrible aim. Tried to kill one, missed three times and trapped it in the window. Hit the one in the basement and lost it, but its still alive somewhere. I've always been paranoid of wasps, but when they're in your house, they have the upper hand. I've seen a lot of them outside lately too, more than previous years. Not to mention the countless paper wasps, but they usually get water and go on their way, while yellowjackets are always aggressive...

 

[taherrmann4]

Nice to know. I bet that turtle was glad when that guy was done hauling him back and forth across that road

Yes I feel sorry for that demo turtle!