ok to mulch or not to mulch..
well I always have mulched..but this is proof for anyone who cares
I have been fancying up some herb beds and had some black mulch left over from one bag when i took a break and I put it on the porch tomato and one of the cukes..
I fully intended to come back and do the second one but it's been raining almost every day and I wasn't thinking that it was THAT improtant
wellllllllll
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/rain_010.jpg)
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/rain_012.jpg)
so pics of the two container cukes from several angles.. the mulch one is larger.. in about a week.. wow
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/mulch_10.jpg)
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/mulch_11.jpg)
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/mulch_12.jpg)
(http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/55/53/83/mulch_13.jpg)
oh those are a few of the butternut trees i have to find a home for.. thanks to the squirrels
planting them in the garden .. i just hve never been able to compost a tree..i have to plant it somewhere
We mulched for years in the garden(non food items) and found without the leaves that fall from our big tree do it just fine, and seeds that fall from other plants can grow where they wish...much better..not so pretty, but now all the plants are filling in so much we dont need mulch anymore.
Nice title Sky.
I only used alot of mulch to get something started or not blown away. When I grew my new lawn it had over 2 inches of mulch on it [chicken droppings that were processed not to smell] backed up with 3 or more inches of hay. It was the best lawn I ever planted. I never removed the mulch or the hay. Too lazy. It just worked its way down into the ground. I even rolled it down several times. This area then attracted the Earth worms and they took over the mulching underground. Before the area had no worms to speak of. I do not know how that lawn is today, I have not seen it in years since I moved. But if and when the worms got tired of the place I would have done the process again. By the time of moving it was at least 5 years and still growng strong.
If you feed the worms, they will do the work.
Hi sky
does make a difference to add mulch; I grow my tomatoes and peppers in raised beds with miracle gro potting soil, which is just fancy mulch with plant food in it; but it drains well and still helps retain moisture for the root system...
only other thing i do is to add a little more miracle gro and a little oscote plant food 8)
seeker