Just another reason not to mulch with straw...
amunk01
6 years ago
It's apparently way too comfortable!
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hazelinok
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Why is it so hard to find straw? What's a good mulch for veggies?
Comments (24)Cow manure is not a mulch, though it's a wonderful soil amendment. My dad grows in pure composted manure spread on top if his lawn. But if any weed seeds blow in they will love it as much as the veggies. Best cheap/free mulch I've found is newspaper weighed down with burlap. Last year I used hay on top of burlap, the hay tends to blow away and the burlap decomposes within a year, newspaper takes longer and will blow away. Ants tend to build nests under the burlap but the worms love it too, this year I pulled the decomposed burlap off and left the sides of the mounds exposed, put what little hay I had just around the plants (didn't want to hold a lot of moisture in, June was so wet), didn't replace the burlap and the weeds (crabgrass, ragweed, and bindweed) are terrible, I'm going to have a big cleanup job when harvest is done. But for strawberries the best mulch really is straw if you can find it (and I thought $7/bale was high!), in my zone I use leaves and pine boughs to cover for the winter. I got small bales of straw on sale last year after Halloween, also that's the time of year to ask on Freecycle and Craigslist too. Leaves just mold and cause mold/disease on the plants when used in strawberry bed. Pine needles might be good alternative to straw, I just don't have enough clean ones around here with the oaks and maples mixed in with white pine and hemlock....See MoreHow to plant seeds in thick straw mulch
Comments (15)Wow, I thought this thread would have died out and so hadn't checked back for a little bit. I've been having some troubles with slugs where there's sparsely planted lettuce/spinach/beets, and I do not particularly like to hand kill them (though if I had fish, that sounds like a great idea for food). I have had good success with all my transplants into the garden, but would definitely like to direct sow a lot more. I was looking into Masanobu Fukuoka's seed ball method, but I'm not sure what kind of clay to use or where to get it. Since my last post I've pulled back the mulch around my beds to sow seeds, which I actually like a lot. Now there's a nice border of mulch matter around my beds that are still steadily decomposing, and the soil is good and warm. It was also a nice chance to peek at all the different bugs under the mulch layer. Now I'm considering finally investing in some diatomaceous earth for slug control. Thanks for reminding me of its existence....See Moresheet mulching with just straw?
Comments (2)The newspaper works as a light block, prevents unwanted plant growth from getting the sunlight they need to grow. The straw, or other material, placed on top of the newspaper is there to hold the paper in place and hide it somewhat. You can use just straw as mulch, but it needs to be thick enough to keep any plants that might want to grow, and you don't want to grow, from getting the sunlight they need. A "book" from the straw bale, not shaken loose, works quite well. If you are using straw, or any other material, as a mulch do not add compost or any other nutrient source ("fertilizer") with that mulch because that can help support that unwanted plant growth which is the opposite of what you want....See MoreStraw for mulch?
Comments (26)I have used straw for mulch many times, but not usually alone by itself. In the fall I collect all of our fallen leaves and chop them up with the mower. I combine that with used straw from the chicken coop, and also grass clippings from the summer mowings. So right now the main mulch in the cutting garden is grass clippings. In another month or so the chopped up leaves will go into the mix - and the used straw from the chicken coop. I've used "fresh" (non-chicken coop) straw as well, but I run it through the mower first so it breaks down faster. The beds are covered with this mixture through the winter. For annuals that get planted in the spring I uncover the row areas I need to warm up the soil a bit before planting. I've never seen voles here but we do have the shrews others were talking about. Thankfully their main diet is not vegetation. Our cats bring them to the back porch as "presents". :) There are still some weeds that pop up around the edges, but thats about it. The layers of built up mulch keep the rest at bay - and build good quality soil at the same time. If you don't have access to a lot of grass or fallen leaves - offer to pick others up from the curb. I cringe when I see all those bagfuls on the curb for the trash man to take. I've helped myself to many in the past! :)...See More
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
6 years ago
amunk01
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoAmyinOwasso/zone 6b
6 years ago
Eileen S
6 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
6 years ago
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Okiedawn OK Zone 7