Diane Turner - Conservation Technician & Outreach Assistant

Are you curious to see how your soil test results stack up against others within Hamilton County, or even other residents across Indiana? We are excited to share our year-end-report from all submitted tests from 2020.  Look below to learn more about averages found in the completed tests  for the last year.     ​

Summaries provided by A&L Great Lakes Laboratories.  

Mark McCauley - Resource Conservationist
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It’s that time of year again, when many landowners begin to think about their lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, trees, and even things like wildlife forage plots and livestock pasture. But there is one thing that is common to all of these, and that is the Soil!  The condition of your soil can affect the quality and feasibility of all the above, and there is a way you can check on certain aspects of your soil, such as fertility levels, organic matter content, pH level, etc.

Our Soil and Water office provides a soil testing service to assist landowners in taking a closer look at their soil.  Along with your test results will come a report, indicating the current levels of various elements, pH, organic matter, but also recommendations of what soil amendments to apply, how much, and when!  We will also follow up with personal questions specific to your site, if you have them.

​We have two levels of testing you can request: Basic or Complete, and the majority of our customers select the basic.
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Basic Test - $35
Analysis includes organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, CEC, pH, and buffer pH.

Complete Test- $45
Analysis includes Basic Test plus conductivity, boron, copper, iron, manganese, sulfur and zinc.

Onsite Service - $50
If you would like the SWCD to take the samples onsite for you (up to a max. of 5), an additional $70 service fee will apply.

For more detailed information on how to take a test, options, etc. see our web site.  You may also fill out the online form through our website and make sample drop-off a breeze. ​

If you haven’t removed the vines already, there are a few methods for removal.

Mechanical treatment

Groundcover: When the vine is growing across the ground and is still small, mechanical treatment is a viable option. To do this, you would systematically remove all vines and root pieces from the area. Any root pieces left behind may resprout vines. This can be a somewhat tedious task--but rewarding!

Tree Climbing: ​If the vines are climbing and taking over a tree, you may not be able to remove all, or any, of the vine. Removal of vines in trees may damage the bark and hurt the tree. The best course of action is to cut the vine at the base and wait. Make sure the two cut parts of the vine are not in contact. You may try cutting a 1 inch section out of the vine to make sure the cut ends can't reach each other. This article has some great photos of what that might look like. 

Herbicide treatment

If the vines on your property area taking up a large area, or starts resprouting after you cut it on a tree, it may need to be treated with herbicide. Not only will you be saving yourself some hard work, but you'll be protecting your soil. When you remove large sections of vines, you can cause a lot of soil disturbance. Not only can this cause erosion and soil quality issues, but it also can stimulate seed growth of any seeds in the seedbank--including invasives. Specific herbicides should be used for these vines as the leaves have a waxy outer coating. This information, as well as when to use herbicide can be found on the SICIM Calendar of Control.​

Taylor Wilson, Urban Conservation Technician

"With the coming of spring comes warmer temperatures and the opportunity to begin yard work and land management. For many, this is an exciting time of year where people can finally begin all the gardening, beatification, and invasive species management plans they’ve been sitting on all winter.

With that in mind, spring can be one of the most overwhelming seasons when it comes to land management. There are so many things that could be done, and most of them are time sensitive. If you're feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. Below are some things that can help you get started.
 
Strategy
The key to good invasive management is having a good strategic plan. Why? For a few reasons. 1. It’s easier to take a large issue and cut it down into steps. Starting to manage invasives without a plan can quickly become frustrating and feel like you’re not accomplishing anything. 2. You can save yourself time and resources by having a good plan in place. You can think of your strategy in two parts: Short term and long term. 

What to ID
Gardening and landscaping require a lot of focus in spring. If you don’t have time to treat your invasives during this time, it’s a great time to identify and mark the invasives you’re going to treat in the summer and fall. Spring can be a great time to ID some of the most common species.

Additionally, in early spring you can still identify some evergreen species as listed in our Winter Invasive Management article. 
There are many more invasive species than the ones listed here. If you aren’t sure what plants you have, consider conferring with neighbors or downloading a plant identification app to get you started. 

​​What to Treat
Luckily, there are few very time sensitive species to manage in spring.  See them below

What Else?
The key to widespread invasive management is education and awareness. As you strategize and manage your property, I encourage you to reach out to your family, friends, and neighbors and explain what you’re doing. It only takes one person in a family, group, or neighborhood to start making an impact. We do best when we learn and work together.
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If you have questions, please reach out to us for more information. Hamilton County SWCD is now offering invasive plant surveys where a member of our staff can visit your property and help you identify species and start to making a management plan. Large properties (acreage) and woodlands are prioritized for this service.  A good way to learn more about invasive species is to join the Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP). The HIP website has a variety of resources related to management and native plants. 
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Diane Turner - Conservation Technician & Outreach Assistant

Outstanding Partner of Urban Conservation -  Zach Sprunger     
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Zach started working with the urban conservation program in 2015 as he worked to increase wildlife and pollinator habitat, reduce runoff, and improve the small woodland area in his sub-division back yard.  In 2019, Zach utilized our Heartland cost share program to add more native plantings and habitat to his property.  While Zach’s work on his own property has been great, he hasn’t stopped there.  He has worked to spread a conservation ethic within his workplace, HOA and broader community. Zach promotes the SWCD and its programs and sales to neighbors and friends and even runs an Instagram account with over 250 followers where he posts beautiful photos of his backyard habitat and the pollinators and wildlife that visit it. 

Partner in Conservation Award - Hamilton County Travel & Tourism

The White River Vision plan is a joint effort between the city of Indianapolis and Hamilton county tourism, Inc.  Their objective was to develop a comprehensive and coordinated regional, community-driven plan to enhance 58 miles of the white river in Marion and Hamilton counties. The goal of the vision plan is to create an accessible, recreational and cultural environment that encourages a unique sense of place for the community as a whole.  Brenda Meyers and the rest of the tourism board should be proud of the work completed on the White River Vision plan and we are proud to call them partners in conservation.