Do This:

Care of the Area at the Edge of the Woods  

A) Create a Soft Transition Zone

• Stop mowing right along the edge: Allow a 5-to-10-foot border of the woods to grow naturally instead of cutting grass right up to the tree trunks.
• Protect tree trunks: Keep lawn mowers and string trimmers away from tree bark to prevent fatal wounds that invite disease and fungi.
• Use natural mulch: Lay a 2-to-3-inch layer of shredded hardwood mulch or leaf litter in a band along the edge, keeping the mulch several inches away from the actual tree trunks.

B) Manage Invasive Species

• Spot invasive plants: Watch for aggressive non-native plants common in Glenmore like Japanese stiltgrass or Lespedeza, which grow along the edge of the woods, and other invasive plants like, olive shrubs, Japanese barberry, privet. .
• Pull or treat carefully: Ask your sector leader (see chart below) for advice about identifying and how best to treat invasive plants
• Consider weed whacking certain invasive plants like Japanese Stiltgrass and Lespedeza 10 feet into the common area ONLY from mid-August to mid-September. Doing so will help control these pervasive plants and protect your yard. 
• Limit chemical runoff: Avoid spraying broad-spectrum herbicides or heavy lawn fertilizers near the tree line, as runoff harms native woodland understory plants and tree root systems.

C) Enrich the Soil and Handle Leaves in Fall

• Leave the leaves: Rake or blow SOME lawn leaves up under the trees from which they fell, and SOME of them into the edge of the woods or have your landscaper shred them with your mower and let them decompose naturally to feed the forest floor. Many butterflies lay eggs on these leaves near their host plant

• Leave stems and seedheads on some flowers, like coreopsis, or monarda in fall to feed the birds in fall before cutting back to 8 inches in December.
• Plant native understory: Check with your sector leader first regarding species, but consider filling bare spots in the shaded transition zone with NATIVE deer-resistant Virginia shrubs like spice bush, red chokeberry sweet pepperbush, or native ferns.

D) Take Advantage of Glenmore’s Leaf & Stick Clean Up

• Look in the Community News and Notes to find dates for Late Fall Leaf Clean Up and Spring Stick Clean Up is usually in March

Not That:

Do Not Discard Vegetation, Branches or Trash in the Common Area

A)  Don’t Discard Dead Vegetation

• Do not toss your dead house or garden plants in the common area. They may attract unwanted wildlife, or go to seed and escape cultivation. They may be the next invasive species in the woodland!
• Do not discard your Christmas trees. Look for scheduled Christmas tree pick up in January
•  Although we recommend blowing excess leaves onto the EDGE of the woods, too much of a good thing is not good. 2-3” deep is recommended.

B)  Don’t dispose of Trash

• The Warriors have found broken flowerpots, water bottles, glass bottles, doggie doo bags, metal objects and other discarded items in the woods These are trash and belong in the trash. They are unsafe for us humans, animals and plants.
• Check your property for materials left after construction projects like, chunks of concrete, orange or black woven retention fabric, pressure treated lumber, and hardscape materials.

C)    Don’t stack tree branches

• Or limbs in piles from your yard in the common area. While naturally fallen trees and logs are important to the forest as they hold water, and their decomposition improves soil health, large piles of branches and brush create a potential fire hazard. Dispose of this refuse on GCA limb pickup day on November 2nd; pickup starts at 7 am.  

Bestselling Author of Nature’s Best Hope and How Can I Help?, Douglas Tallamy, says “along with owning a piece of the earth comes the responsibility of being a good steward of the piece.”