Digging new lines on the Septic Tank

This young palm tree was growing next to the septic tank.



I later treated it with Garlon 4.

The larger tank is the septic tank itself and it can be emptied.  The recommended amount I have heard is every three years.

I have partially opened the septic tank and noticed that it is full of silt.

The septic tank leaching line  was extended all the way into distribution box.

This silt is very nutrient rich.

This ground is where the leaching begin to leach.  I will continue to excavate this area as a possible  pace to begin the new lines. Evidanced in the picture is the gas line.

Check out the collection of videos I made.

http://www.youtube.com/user/eathfriendlyplants

Sabal minor is primarily found in moist habitats and has inflorescences which extend beyond the length of the leaves. Sabal etonia is found in drier climates, inflorscences are shorter than the length of the leaves, leaves have a midrib, and the species is endemic to Florida. Sabal minor will tolerate very temperate climates as far north as Washington State and New Jersey.

Sabal palmetto and Sabal etonia have costapalmate leaves.

Definition of Costapalmate

Merry Christmas

I had diner last night with an environmental consultant, his wife, her father and a couple friends. We discussed the fertilizer ordinance and retoring my sandhill. The wife grows shitake mushrooms and can use the laurel oaks from the land. We need to get the feuls down so that we can burn the eight acres. By letting her harvest the laurel oak sapplings for mushrooms we are achieving our goals cooperatively.

Florida Native Plant Society visits San Felasco Hammock

On November 21 st the Paynes Prarie Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society organized a field trip To San Felasco Hammock State Park.



Alan Shapiro of Grandiflora Nursery formerly San Felasco Nursery stands beside the frond of what we believed to be a seedling of Sabel minor.



This is an old pump we encountered on the trail.












This is one of the infamous white oaks, Quercus alba, that lives in the Hammock.

Today I Initiate Plans to Put Metal on my Roof

I am hoping to resurface the roof using shhet metal according to code and apply for a permit to do so. If this is successful I hope to build a shed in back of my house that has a green roof. Hardware for the green roof is readily available. Building it according to code would be a challenge.

Native Floridian Milkweeds

This was an exerpt from the minutes of the Central Florida Native Plant Society Meeting:


SPEAKER--Steve Farnsworth “Milkweeds of Florida”

When he agreed to do this talk, Steve Farnsworth thought that Florida was host to 10-12 native milkweed species. He has since found out that there are 21 species. At one time the milkweed plants belonged to the Asclepiadaceae family, but that changed. They are now in the Apocynaceae family. Milkweeds have a number of identifying features:

1. Milky toxic sap

2. Annual tops and perennial roots. When transplanting by roots, make sure to dig 2-3 feet in order to ensure plant survival.

3. Unusual five-petaled flowers with staminal hoods. These are designed to get an insect's foot inside the hood to pull out the pollinia. Milkweeds generally do not self-pollinate.

4. Long seed pods--The silky hears on the seeds in the pods are good insulation; better than down in vests and comforters.

Sandhill Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata)--Has pink veins on leaves. Flowers bloom in spring. grows along road shoulders. Difficult to transplant.

Velvetleaf Milkweed (Asclepias tomentosa)--Grows in Sumter and Citrus counties and is also found in northern, central, and southwestern Florida.

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)--Grows throughout Florida. Identified by little clusters of white flowers. It is a very wispy plant with opposite whorled leaves that is common in sandhill regions.

Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis)--Purple/pinkish flower that is found in northern and central Florida, including Citrus County.

Carolina Milkweed (Asclepias cinerea)--Wispy plant that grows in northern Florida.

Largeflower Milkweed (Asclepia connivens)--Robust, frilly large flowers that can grow in wet pineland areas.

Florida Milkweed (Asclepias feayi)­--Very attractive white flower that grows in the drier side of pinewoods located in central and southwestern Florida.

Longleaf Milkweed (Asclepias longifolia)--Grows throughout Florida with 6 in. leaves and whitish-purplish flowers.

Pineland Milkweed (Asclepias obovata)--Only found on the Florida Panhandle. It is the only milkweed with distinctively wavy, curly, hairy leaves. It has yellow flowers with orangish hoods.

Michaux's Milkweed (Asclepias michauxii)--Has clusters of pinkish flowers with greenish petals. It grows in northern Florida.

Savannah Milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata) This milkweed is found throughout Florida in wet flatwoods. Flowers are greenish-yellow, sometimes cream colored.

Southern Milkweed (Asclepias viridula) Grows in northern Florida in wet grassy flatlands. The greenish flowers are not showy. This is a threatened specicies.

Curtiss' Milkweed (Asclepias curtissii) This milkweed is one of the easiest to transplant because its big fat root is not buried very deeply. It grows in scrub habitat and is endangered in Florida.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)--Grows 5-6 ft. tall like a small shrub. It has pinkish flowers. The plant can easily host a number of butterfly larva without being destroyed like most other milkweed plants.

Fewflower Milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata)--Grows to approximately 2-3 ft. tall along the edge of marshes or wetlands. It has showy orange flowers that attract butterflies as a nectar source.

White Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias perennis) - This milkweed is shade tolerant unlike most other milkweed species. It also doesn't have tufts of hairs around the seeds to help carry them into the wind. Regular seed distribution is by floating on water.

Red Milkweed (Asclepias rubra) - This gorgeous purple or lavender flowered milkweed with long, narrow leaves grows in the Florida Panhandle.

Redring Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)--Grows on edges of hammocks in northern Florida.

Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis)--This is a rockland milkweed that grows on limestone outcrops near the surface scattered throughout Florida. It has purplish stamens on large clusters of flowers that attract butterflies.
Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica)—This flower attracts Monarch Butterflies and can survive better than native milkweed species being eaten as a larval food plant. It is a Florida exotic that is native to tropical America. If grown instead of native milkweeds, please keep it in check as it will spread, especially in wetland.