Mulch. Just do it.

[h.h.]

Mulch is said to draw nitrogen, but I'm not sure from where. Would it be only the top couple inches where the mulch is in contact?
I lightly topdress my mulch. I usually end up with layers, from mulching, then over time, adding compost, EWC, and mulching again, then maybe more compost. I figure that takes care of any N problem.

 

[heady blunts]

N is tied up when you put too much carbon heavy material down on a living soil. remember the magic 30:1 C:N ratio? well it goes for mulch too. if you put a bunch of wood mulch (500:1 C:N ratio), any microbiology that wants to break that down is going to need some N to make the process work. i think you're correct in the assumption that it mostly affects the top layer of soil.

this is why jay is always recommending a diverse mulch full of weeds and green material. if you keep your mulch at a good C:N ratio, it will break down in good time and pass nutrients and organic material down to your soil.

 

[h.h.]

Certainly good advice, Keeping things in balance. Once again emulating nature at it's finest.

 

[mostnonymouse]

And try not to mist your bulbs...

 

[jaykush]

this is why jay is always recommending a diverse mulch full of weeds and green material. if you keep your mulch at a good C:N ratio, it will break down in good time and pass nutrients and organic material down to your soil.

even better is if you keep the diversity high, there's no need to pay attention to C:N ratios.

 

[Scrappy4]

And try not to mist your bulbs...

Sage advice!

 

[cannadiancream]

Last Year first time outdoor. Noticed at one of my spots after slipping on a mossy rock that under the moss it was wet and cold in the heat of the summer. So I used that and it definitely kept the watering down. wish i would have figured it out at the beginning of the drought lol. Is there any problems with doing this as i did the same this year on my containers

 

[IC BUDZ]

Im not exactly sure if anyone has metioned this i didnt read the whole thread just skimmed thru it. Last year i actually tried using mulch on my indoor growring and i was infested with gnats and i thought it was directly related to this ? maybe it was just the mulch i had bought it was coast of maine dark pine i believe. I had to cover every pot with a layer of sand and covered the top with plastic that killed most of them but even then the gnats were crawling in through the holes in the bottoms of the pot

 

[jaykush]

there is your problem, you bought mulch. when you should have just made some mulch.

 

[mad librettist]

you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows...

 

[descivii]

Ya don't tug on Superman's cape and ya don't piss in the wind....

 

[descivii]

Polycropolis

Polycropolis

I hadn't really thought about a name or what I would call it but I've been using living mulch, companion planting and polycropping principles since birth practically. There's also a shot of my rose/fruit tea that I make a few times a summer.

Starting top left.
Pic 1 is Sedum carpeting among roses, lilly trees, columbine and much more outside the pic.
Pic 2 is a mix of Crystal Delight and Gurney Whopper strawberries among potatos, blueberry, a rose and some iris
Pic 3 more strawberries, cucumber, another rose, dill, chive, green onion and lilac
Pic 4 My general backyard with too much to name but the bald spot in the center of grass is a Raspberry burm
Pic 5 is obvious... It's a THC Bomb and it insists on flowering despite it being mid-late June
Bottom left
Pic 6 is Potato in a pot surrounded by more potato, creeping charlie, clover and grass. (helps keep tatos cooler in hot weather)
Pic 7 The rogue seedling that germed, flowered and revegged without any influence from me, it simply survived. About 6 months old now
Pic 8 is my rose tea stuff

 

[3rdEye]

Your garden looks beautiful descivii. What a thumb!

 

[mad librettist]

nice garden!

It does seem like a relatively logical jump from polycropping outside to at least having ground cover inside. But this is the first thread I know of!

So far my actual polycropping attempts are not going too well. Purslane does not respect LED's.

I like the color of your groundcover in the first pic. what is it?

 

[descivii]

Thanks 3rdeye

MadLib,
It's a sedum in flower. I edited my post to include some description
Thats too bad about the purslane, that shits tolerant to everything else. I think I'm gonna try a mix of dandelion, Bolivian Jew (Tradescantia minima), and possibly one more thing.
J

 

[Jack784]

btw guys, the crab shell meal you see on the surface is there because the gnat and springtail populations exploded when I put that one in the closet. The walls were just crawling.

I used the vacuum cleaner to suck most of them up and put out a thin layer of crab meal. 2 days later and the gnats are like 20% of what they were. I don't understand why this works, but gnats don't like crab meal.


I read this and had to respond so i am not sure if it was already answered but I believe I have an answer to the reasoning. From what i understand there is chitin protien ( or something like that its been a while...). From what I am led to believe the microbes that feed on this consume shells or skeletons. Since the fungus gnats have a shell chemically similar the bacteria or fungi ( can't remember) consume the gnats or root aphids.

I got this information when reading about organic methods to control or eliminate root aphids. A commercial nursery in Cal uses a biological inoculant and then feed it with micronized crab shell to boost the microbes. When they consume all of the crab shell they turn to anything else in the soil ie root aphids etc.

P.S. love the living mulch

 

[Bennyweed1]

I hadn't really thought about a name or what I would call it but I've been using living mulch, companion planting and polycropping principles since birth practically. There's also a shot of my rose/fruit tea that I make a few times a summer.

Starting top left.
Pic 1 is Sedum carpeting among roses, lilly trees, columbine and much more outside the pic.
Pic 2 is a mix of Crystal Delight and Gurney Whopper strawberries among potatos, blueberry, a rose and some iris
Pic 3 more strawberries, cucumber, another rose, dill, chive, green onion and lilac
Pic 4 My general backyard with too much to name but the bald spot in the center of grass is a Raspberry burm
Pic 5 is obvious... It's a THC Bomb and it insists on flowering despite it being mid-late June
Bottom left
Pic 6 is Potato in a pot surrounded by more potato, creeping charlie, clover and grass. (helps keep tatos cooler in hot weather)
Pic 7 The rogue seedling that germed, flowered and revegged without any influence from me, it simply survived. About 6 months old now
Pic 8 is my rose tea stuff

That is a gorgeous paradise you have built! Wow it simply looks amazing.

 

[descivii]

Thanks Benny,
BTW, that backyard shot is where I wake N bake....east facing for sunrise. My yard is tiny, very urban plot in the city but my neighbors can't even see me. I love my little sprawl

 

[GoneRooty]

BTW, that backyard shot is where I wake N bake....east facing for sunrise. My yard is tiny, very urban plot in the city but my neighbors can't even see me. I love my little sprawl

Way to turn an urban city plot into a tiny organic paradise!! Do you get enough sun for solar hits in the morning? That would be a great way to start the day.

 

[CC_2U]

btw guys, the crab shell meal you see on the surface is there because the gnat and springtail populations exploded when I put that one in the closet. The walls were just crawling.

I used the vacuum cleaner to suck most of them up and put out a thin layer of crab meal. 2 days later and the gnats are like 20% of what they were. I don't understand why this works, but gnats don't like crab meal.


I read this and had to respond so i am not sure if it was already answered but I believe I have an answer to the reasoning. From what i understand there is chitin protien ( or something like that its been a while...). From what I am led to believe the microbes that feed on this consume shells or skeletons. Since the fungus gnats have a shell chemically similar the bacteria or fungi ( can't remember) consume the gnats or root aphids.

I got this information when reading about organic methods to control or eliminate root aphids. A commercial nursery in Cal uses a biological inoculant and then feed it with micronized crab shell to boost the microbes. When they consume all of the crab shell they turn to anything else in the soil ie root aphids etc.

P.S. love the living mulch

Jack

The chitin in the crabshell encourages soil microorganisms to exude enzymes known as chitinases. These enzymes break down chitin which is a component of many insect eggs (and other organisms as well).

I started adding 1/2 oz. per 1 s.f. to the top of the worm bins each week based on a study from Cornell University in their ongoing vermicomposting experiments that are now in their 13th year.

CC