What tips would you share with a new neighbor in Mountain City?
To me, first and foremost, “Learn about oak wilt.” Basically, one uninformed neighbor can open a can of worms (an unsealed wound) that can cause the destruction of many of our live oaks over a period of years, as oak wilt spreads through the oak roots interconnected under Mountain City.
TexasOakWilt.org maintains current guidelines for prevention. Have you reviewed recently? They’ve changed.
The unsafe period for pruning is February through June. Now.
From July through January, when pruning is permissible, always paint fresh wounds immediately and disinfect pruning tools between trees. The entrance of the beetle that carries the “disease” takes only a moment into an open wound. Think: “wind, hail, vehicles, construction, squirrels, birds or pruning.”
By the time oak wilt damage is seen above ground, the roots have become infected and oak wilt creeps through the roots. Some trees survive. Many die. Many have died in Mountain City.
Red oaks need watching. If a red oak is showing signs of death or has a “fungal mat” (smells like bananas) on the trunk, that tree must come down immediately. Debris from a diseased red oak must be burned, mulched, or buried.
When folks move in from “a big city”, they usually have no experience with septic systems.
Garbage disposals rank high on the list of “use sparingly” out here. Eliminating or minimizing the use of a garbage disposal can reduce the amount of grease and solids entering the tank, accumulating as sludge and scum and possibly clogging the drain field.
Newbies and guests need to know the toilet rules: no cigarette butts, no paper towels, no tampons, no Kleenex.
There’s good reason to baby your septic system. If /when a septic system fails (or if you remodel and add even a half-bath without taking a faucet away), the County requires a new septic system that complies with current code. Our old systems are grandfathered in.
Running water to use a disposal also wastes an enormous amount of water, a precious commodity.
A few years back in an extreme drought when the water levels in the Mountain City Oaks Water System dropped precipitously, “we” (Mountain Cityians) learned to conserve water. We learned to turn off the water while brushing our teeth. We learned to turn off the shower water while lathering. Some saved into a bucket (and still do) water that’s run while warming up the shower.
It helps to clue new folks into the value of deer resistant plants. Ron loves to tell the story of deer pulling up his plastic poinsettias. Just because they do not eat a particular plant for years, does not mean they will not eat the foliage in times of drought.
Remember our “Mr. Cowbird” from last nesting season? He’s baaaaaack. About three weeks ago it started again. Peck, peck, peck on the windows (office and kitchen, wherever we go) at the clear acrylic feeder. This fellow is not pecking at a reflection. He taught me last year that he wants millet.
Please let new neighbors know that Montage always needs tidbits. ptom5678 (subject: tidbit) or (512) 268-5678 Thanks! Love, Pauline
