The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[bamboogardner]

since going to norcal blend and mulch i have not seen a single wilted plant in mine or friends gardens.

So what type of mulch are you using? I read somewhere to stay away from the Cedar and Redwood. I think it was the TLO book by the Rev.

 

[fisher15]

Gorilla Glue gettin' it

 

[grow nerd]

So what type of mulch are you using? I read somewhere to stay away from the Cedar and Redwood. I think it was the TLO book by the Rev.

Quick Googling says cedar acidifies the soil, but also that there are lots of misconceptions / myths about cedar being a bad mulch. Also mentions it inhibits fungal/bacterial growth, maybe also the good kind?

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

I'm using cedar mulch and I've noticed no ill effects so far.

I did some reading and there are apparently some issues with using cedar.

1. Bugs don't like it....which is good and bad. Good because it deters the bad bugs, bad because it deters the beneficial bugs.

2. It takes forever to break down...like years....which is ok by me since I'm just using it to cover part (about 6" away from the main stem) of the exposed part of the buried smart pots . When this grow is done, I'll pull the plants and reuse the cedar in my front yard.

3. Supposedly, when cedar breaks down it leaches N out of the soil. I've decided to counteract this by adding some fish emulsion to every second or third watering for the plants that look N deprived and I bought some Azos which will be used as a one time soil drench for all the vegging plants.

Depending on how things go, I may decide to remove the cedar once the plants get big enough. Seems like black plastic is a good alternative and could work as a good replacement, but that comes with it's own issues too.

HB.

 

[Bulldog420]

Fine redwood mulch for the win.

 

[grow nerd]

Seems like black plastic is a good alternative and could work as a good replacement, but that comes with it's own issues too.

What do you mean by black plastic (is it a product available at retail?) and what kind of issues?

I was gonna do cedar but now I'm thinking either "gorilla hair" (finely shredded redwood) or lava rocks might be best.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Fabric Mulch...Already said it numerous times...

Look @ What commercial ag is doing..Do you see straw all over?? Do you see "Gorilla hair"? No...

What do you see?

Fabric mulch...

Do you guys realize what adding shredded redwood will do to your Carbon to Nitrogen ratio and what Microbes need to do in order to eat up the Carbon ??!

 

[CaliGabe]

Do you guys realize what adding shredded redwood will do to your Carbon to Nitrogen ratio and what Microbes need to do in order to eat up the Carbon ??!

That's why when my best option was to use some bark mulch to cover a few pots I sprinkled some 5-5-5 on top before putting the mulch on.

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

What do you mean by black plastic (is it a product available at retail?) and what kind of issues?

I was gonna do cedar but now I'm thinking either "gorilla hair" (finely shredded redwood) or lava rocks might be best.

From what I've found on the interwebs, having that stretched out black plastic you see on beds in nurseries can raise the soil temp (good), but it can also lead to the roots growing right up to the top of the soil (not so good).

Backyard Farmer, I hear you and I believe I might have to rethink what I'm doing as far as mulch. I got some landscape fabric I could lay down on the tops of the pots, so I might just go ahead and do that. I can move the cedar mulch to another part of the yard that needs some mulch anyway. The fabric mulch seems to be the safest bet overall.

One question, and I'm sorry if you've already answered it before, but...if I'm using fabric mulch, should I put my drippers on the top or the bottom of the fabric?

My guess would be top so I can check on them easily, but having them underneath wouldn't make the drippers that much more difficult to check, would it?

Thanks,

HB.

 

[milkyjoe]

The best is biodegradable non gmo corn starch. Called plastic but it ain't really. If you are veggie farming it heats the soil in may and gets you off to a fast start. It brings the microbes alive by providing warmth. That is its real advantage. Use it when you plant.

As long as it is only mulch high carbon is not terrible. It gets eaten by fungi like fusarium and eventually gets digested down to humus. If your soil has a high humus content you don't need it.

Put the irrigation under the mulch. You are trying to keep water from evapping. Putting the water on top where it can evap...DOH.

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

Thanks, milky joe! Much appreciated.

HB.

 

[Bulldog420]

As long as it is only mulch high carbon is not terrible. It gets eaten by fungi like fusarium and eventually gets digested down to humus. If your soil has a high humus content you don't need it.

This was my thought on redwood mulch as well. When your microlife is alive and well, it should break down a good amount of the redwood mulch over the period of an outdoor season. When broken down it should turn into humus in the end, and the microheard will be loving life. I have witnessed this over many years of growing, however I never thought it would have a negative effect on the microlife. Please elaborate BackYardFarmer.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

I prefer the biology in my soil to work on growing healthy plants instead of decomposing wood mulch.

Fabric mulch for spring,

The trees shade the soil later in the season

If you have a 8x8 mound with a 3" layer of mulch is half a yard...I don't know...it's just not for me....

If you want to use microbe mulch , gorilla hair, or straw ..do it....because I won't be the one dealing with it after.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

To the Biological Advantage growers,

Do you notice that our plants just will keep pumping out healthy growth until you take them off the nutrients??

I'm about 6 weeks in on 8 week varieties and not a "turned" hair in sight??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfGgPyC5TA

 

[grow nerd]

I thought it works like that in hydro too.

 

[DIDM]

Really sux for CA, I even tried to warn and someone laughed, I wasn't joking drought is nothing to laugh at

To not quite quote a sheriff, it's hard to get a jury to lock up a pot grower, someone who steals/wastes water, that's another story

 

[Backyard Farmer]

There's no drought in Northern Cali

Only bad water management practices...

90% of our water is piped elsewhere.

 

[Dr. Purpur]

Yeah, down south

 

[milkyjoe]

To the Biological Advantage growers,

Do you notice that our plants just will keep pumping out healthy growth until you take them off the nutrients??

I'm about 6 weeks in on 8 week varieties and not a "turned" hair in sight??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfGgPyC5TA

Literally they can finish with white hairs and no amber. They turn when they cure. Literally so healthy they do not oxidize. It is freaky and scary til you smoke it...puh pow. Trust me on that one.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Literally they can finish with white hairs and no amber. They turn when they cure. Literally so healthy they do not oxidize. It is freaky and scary til you smoke it...puh pow. Trust me on that one.

Damn, I was hoping the scary part would be after the bioassay...

Scary potent..?!

Thanks for confirming my observation