Re: Schinus molle - California Pepper, the scum

---

Carol,
It sounds like what you are intending to plant with
the Sambucus counteracts what the local Fire Dept's
concerns are, which may be to create a clear zone of
vegetation between structures and tree vegetation on a
hillside slope.  If you do back up to hillside areas
and in particular if you are above one, it makes sense
to plant for fire safety and follow the directives of
your local fire dept.

I would suggest that root competition and lack of
available water which the pepper tree will suck up
will be as limiting to growth of understory as tree
litter.  Starting off with larger sized plants with
good root balls and planting now during the winter
rainy season may insure more success, with whatever
you use below.  Things like Agave attenuata, Aloe
saponaria, Sedum dendroideum, Aloe arborescens are all
succulents that come to mind that will take partial
shade and tree root competition.


--- Carol Joynson <peabodys_gardener@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I love the shop-vac story!
>
> I hadn't thought about the water issue - I had
> thought of trying something like Sambucca to fill
> the middle range since the fire department wants the
> pepper six feet above a shed that's partly under the
> pepper canopy, leaving a strip of open view about
> where a full-grown elderberry would fill -in (or
> manzanita?). Then habitat and food closer to the
> ground - preferably with thorns as anit-cat
> barriers.  On the other hand, it's clay, downhill
> from a watered area, and there's a stand of bamboo a
> little further along doing just fine thank you.
>
> I'll start looking at leaf types and water-use. And
> an outlet by the shed for the shop-vac.  Thank you
> both, you've given me hope.
>
> Carol
>
> ``Never attribute to malice that which can be
> adequately explained by stupidity'' - Hanlon's Razor
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: N Sterman <TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com>
> To: peabodys_gardener@yahoo.com; medit-plants
> <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 11:11:26 AM
> Subject: Re: Schinus molle - California Pepper, the
> scum
>
> Carol, I grow lots of different plants in the shade
> and litter of the pepper tree.  I too love it
> despite its warts.  Allelopathy has not been a
> problem at all.  
>
>
> The biggest problem, as you suggest, is the litter.
> Large plants with large, succulent leaves like
> agaves and aloes fare best though I have to brush
> out the centers every so often.  Fine leaved plants
> like the Australian natives (even large ones) and
> low growing ground covers simply get buried in the
> litter.  
>
>
> Thevetia thevetiodes does well.  The litter seems to
> slide right off the Thevetia foliage.  Larger
> salvias are fine.  Pholmis does well too as do the
> larger native grasses.  
>
>
> I recently heard about a woman who uses a big shop
> vac to vacuum the litter out of plants beneath her
> pepper tree!
>
>
> Nan (in San Diego County)
>
>
> On Dec 31, 2006, at 10:56 AM, Carol Joynson wrote:
>
>
> I know I should rip it out. Evil incarnate etc.,
> etc.  But 1) it's huge and provides wonderful
> privacy on my hillside, 2) can't afford to (do you
> know what they charge!??!! - worth it considering
> the location, but not in my budget).
>  
> So - it's sitting in the middle of my lotline where
> the native hedgerow is going in.  I would like to
> get as close to it as possible, maybe some
> understory.  Have heard the tales of alleopathy,
> have searched for details on web, nothing except
> some docs that suggest the real problem is
> suffocation: the tree puts out massive amounts of
> litter.  Even found a piece suggesting they would
> make great farmland reclamation trees in Africa: low
> water requirement, enormous biomass contribution.
>  
> Does anyone have anything  specific on what sort of
> California native (or other medit type, but this is
> for the birds and beasts) could possibly grow in the
> understory of a Schinus molle?  I'm more than
> willing to provide a weekly shake-out for the litter
> problem until the undergrowth is high enough (and
> I'm rich enough) to remove or severely cut-back the
> big tree.
>  
> Thanks,
> Carol
> Eagle Rock (Los Angeles, NE)
>  
> ``Never attribute to malice that which can be
> adequately explained by stupidity'' - Hanlon's Razor
>
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