Application

Textraw is Beauty that Lasts: synthetic pine straw needles which maintain their beauty for years. Achieving that long-lasting beauty depends on proper site selection and maintenance. We call this TLC – for Textraw Landscape Conversion. TLC is about making good choices that produce an environment which is healthy for plant root systems, consistently attractive, and cost-effective. It isn’t by accident that nurseries grow plants in greenhouses. The greenhouse environment provides the ability to control temperatures, humidity, and protection from insects and disease. The controlled environment produces healthy plants.These plants are then transferred out of the controlled environment into the garden. It stands to reason that maintaining control of some elements of that environment will produce healthier plants.TLC consists of three basic elements of Best Practices:

Stay Put

StayPut Textraw StayPut is made for severe slopes. As shown on the left, the recommended ½ pound per square foot 3.5” deep Textraw is shown on a 60 degree slope. After mixing 1:1 with water, StayPut has been applied at a rate of 500 sq ft per gallon. StayPut is also ideal for border edges, acting like a long-lasting “hairspray” to maintain carefully formed tuck-and-rolls, or in areas with moderate water flow and leaf fall, to prevent Textraw from migration. Stay Put acts as a surface tackifier, maintaining maximum volume of the installation every time it is fluffed.

Site Selection

Leaf-fall. Heavily wooded landscape requires additional maintenance due to leaf fall. Leaves can be either blown off or vacuumed from Textraw which is installed with a coating of StayPut spray. (Such areas may be better designed with shade-resistant ground covers.) Pine Trees. Once natural needles intermingle with Textraw, they will stay intermingled. We recommend that Textraw not be installed under pine trees. Flood areas. Textraw is heavier than pine needles and water. Downspouts. Textraw, which is installed along the drip-line beneath the eaves, effectively disperses rainfall, eliminating splash at the foundation and loss of soil. But use appropriate diverting methods for downspout flow, such as concrete pads or buried flex hose. Traffic Areas. Parking area installations should be designed with consideration given to foot traffic. Walking on Textraw in no way damages it, but the use of stepping stones or equivalent footpaths will reduce product loss and migration due to foot traffic. Use of border edging and Stay Put is recommended.

Site Preparation and Installation

Stripping vs. Top-dressing. Textraw recommends coverage of 1/2 pound per square foot. This produces an installed depth of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. Each roll of Textraw covers 50 sq ft. The old decomposing mulch should be removed, and the soil treated with pre-emergent, to kill any ungerminated weed seeds. If Textraw is applied as a top-dress over old natural straw, seeds in the old straw will continue to germinate, requiring repeated treatments to control weeds. This decomposing material also blocks airflow to roots, impedes evaporation, and promotes a welcoming environment for termites, roaches, mold, and mildew. That means more labor and chemical treatments. While the installation may look good initially, the needles cannot be fluffed without mixing the two layers, and the only option will be to continually add layers of Textraw top-dressing. Tuck & Roll / Borders. Along all border areas, Textraw should be tucked and rolled for optimal appearance. Borders and edges should be clearly defined, to prevent grass runners from impinging on planted areas, and to assist edging and mowing. Slopes. Textraw stays in place very well on steep slopes. On slopes over 30 degrees, we recommend an overspray of Textraw Stay-Put. Stay-Put . Stay-Put is a water-soluble, environmentally friendly tackifier that cures in 24 hours, and will increase the surface adhesion of Textraw. It is dispensed from a standard back-pack sprayer. Stay-Put is also recommended for: border areas, where it will maintain the integrity of the border edge around the base of trees in the construction of tree surrounds in areas where there is leaf-fall or pruning. With Stay-Put, leaves can be blown or vacuumed without disturbing the Textraw needles.