In my area, they only shred Xmas trees for free mulch. You can even see bits of tinsel left in there. But they get shredded, then by the time we go to get it, (May) it has had a bit of time to "settle down". But, it's mostly needles, and not that much wood. So, what's gonna grow in it? Another thing that happens is old pallets, and lumber from build sites get separated. and shredded, but these get sold in bags. Call and ask what they shred.

I have two new strategies I'm trying this year. I did row covers last year. They worked, but were kind of a PIA. Firstly, I'm painting the leading vines with Sevin. That way, the Sevin doesn't get everywhere. Not on the leaves, flowers, or fruit. Just on the vines that the SVBs are trying to penetrate. Just the leading vines. Not the leaf stems. I don't care if they kill a leaf. Takes about fifteen minutes every two weeks to do this, though when the vines are tangled, it gets a bit confusing. A cheap one-inch paint brush works great. I suppose a sprayer with a narrow spray head would work as well. Secondly, I'm mounding dead leaves and mulch on the vines. The leaves stick up out of the mulch. If you bury the vines, the SVBs can't find them. If the vines root, so much the better. Of course, at the end of the season, you just dig the mulch in. Now, this is for vining squash. Might not work as well with upright squash. So far so good. No SVB damage seen.

edie, I know what you mean. When I 1st planted my Hales Best, it didn't do much either other then struggle after every rain from the dirt splashing onto the leave. After that, I put just enough straw under the plants keep the leaves from getting dirt on them from a rain. Like your's, my melon patch took off after that and has been going crazy, even over the bare dirt. Take a look at my melon patch now. The cantaloupes are taking over everything! It's crawled over my broccoli and going into my peppers now. It's even over run my watermelon.

I'll try to cover the first part of your questions. Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) and Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata) can both be grown from semi-ripe cuttings this time of year. Take a cutting containing 3 leaf nodes with a good firm base (semi-ripe stem). Remove any blooms or side shoots and the leaves from the bottom node. Wound the base of the cutting and immediately apply rooting hormone. Plant in a soilless mix, and keep the mix evenly moist. A summer "cold frame" can be used to ratain some moisture. Of course, this must be placed in shade to keep from cooking the cuttings. Also, make sure there is some ventilation so the plants won't rot. The Chocolate Vine might be easier to root via layering. Choose a stem that can easily reach the ground and can be removed without damage to the plant's aesthetics. Cut a slit about a third of the way thru the vine from the lower side of the vine where the vine reaches the soil when bent down. Use a coathanger or earthstaple to hold this area against the ground and cover with a thin layer of soil or mulch. The vine will form roots at that slit and when it's established, you can remove the newly rooted stem from the parent plant and plant up on its own. If you have questions about this or some part of it doesn't make sense, email me.