Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Ok our winters are not that bad maybe down to 40's
but what do i mulch with last yr all my Naners where doing fine but the artic Blast made me cut them to the Rhizome ( i think i cut too much)
But what should i use for mulch here in florence Oregon ?Tammy

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I have alot of mahogany Chips from making stuff . is that ok to use or will it kill off my plants .
I know Cedar is bad to use grins .

Tammy

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I take all the old leaves or broken leaves and chop them up into small pieces then place them around the bananas and throw some manure on top. Water in real good and watch it decompose right before your eyes! The redworms really like it too and they leave worm casting in the process, a win win!

Some of that redwood mulch will tend to acidify the soil which hasn't hurt my plants any. When we bought this house all the gardens had a thick layer of redwood nuggets on them. Over time it has been turned into the soil and decomposed. I have since tested the soil ph several times and it's pretty neutral. I have a really hard time keeping my clay soil loose around here. Maybe someday it will relax and make my life a little easier.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

The cheapest one is composted horse manure that I haul away from a friend's horse ranch.

Next would be the free compost given away by the city. After having that horse ranch owner as a friend, I no longer fall in line very early for free compost.

The third one, still cheap, is the composted steer manure from Walmart. They sell from $0.86 to $0.99 per cubic ft. Home Depot sells them too, from $0.97 to $1.49 per cubic ft.

These are all superb for bananas if you have drainage.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Can you use the fresh manure or does it have to be composted? Cuz I also have horse friends and got to thinking.................

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Unless it's goat or rabbit droppings, you'll want to compost the manure - it can be very rich and burn even nanners. Mix it in with lotsa other stuffs in a new bed and let it cook over the winter and it should be pretty happy in the Spring. Or just dump it in a compost pile - mix in leaves and whatnot to diversify the mulch.

Have fun,
Mike

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

the best of all, free. wet newspapers about 1 inch or 2 thick. pour chopped leaves/grass on that. My banana trees by the deck were over 15 feet. leaves are bown now, but the stem is still green. the compost is about 6 inches thick on them. I think they like those corms/roots toastie warm!

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Right on ill get some papers and some Goat manure maybe that will help.
Hi all hope life is well im working Grave Yard shifts and hardly have time with anything except the Fam Damily. Grins Happy holidays. Tammy

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

My city has all three for free (leaves/compost/woodchips). I use the woodchips the most and some of the compost. I like the way woodchips conserve water and probably add nutrients.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Here in NC I use pine straw to insulate. In the spring, I will just spread it around as I use pine straw as my landscape material of choice. Red

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I use pine staw too, because that is what all the pine trees in my yard drop everywhere. I also get horse poop for free from a guy down the road.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Who do you call for free compost or woodchips in the city?
And how do you chop leaves to small pieces?
I am all ears!!!!:islandsharkbanana:

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

you can call the street department or the sanitation department. if that doesnt work call city hall.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I don't know how it is where you are, but here the free mulch has a lot of trash in it.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Any other suggestion?

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

in the "mulch" the city gives away here, you get...of course free of charge..leaves, small twigs, grass clipping, the occasional snake, maybe cat poop, and doggie poop( the poop part depends on how many animals run free at the lot they have) and all kind of "organic matter". i went to look at it cause i was gonna get some..i figured hey it will compost. till i started walking through it. that stuff was NOT going on my plants! not even my outside plants. one suggestion: go around to your neighbors yards and tell them if they will bag the leaves and grassclippings youll take them. you can eve tell them youll bag it and they will be more then happy to let you.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

that's yuke! i guess not me.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

the free compost here is full of nutgrass seeds and nuts, not good.

this past year, I used cardboard to cover the nutgrass (from free compost), and topped it with compost, coffee grounds, and lawn clippings. When spring rolls back around, I'll add some chicken poo and fish emulsion. I probably have about an 8" layer of mulch down, will add more this weekend when I mow.

so far so good,
-Ethan:aliennaner:

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I use a bit of shredded paper (getting rid of old bills) mixed in with sea weed, lots of seaweed from the winter storms.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I think it is worth to invest on paper shredder then?
What about how do you shred the leaves or make it smaller?

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

I have a chipper/shredder, and I'm not afraid to use it!



I run all my fruit tree branch trimmings and leaves thru it and use the resulting mulch on all my beds. The better it looks (just branches/no leaves), I use it for decoration, I'll shred with leaves on to make a nutritious topdressing that'll feed the plants as it breaks down, but it doesn't look as nice. I've used shredded paper, but we don't make enough of it.

I got 2 fullsize pickup truck loads of composted horse poop from my back neighbor. I put one truckload on my rear plantation (15'x20' to a depth of 12-18"). I pulled it up around the stems and pups for winter protection. I'll pull it off in spring.




I mulched during the growing season with ground eucalyptus trees (whole ground trees, not bark)



that were available after CA passed a fire supression law and moved the fuel free zone from 30' to 100' from a structure so the local parks department had to remove the trees in the parks away from neighboring homes and shred them on site. I got 2 large pickup loads of that and one is now under all that horse poop.



I'll re-apply the other truckload of Eucalyptus mulch (now being stored) in the spring for a decorative top dressing.

Next winter I'll use all the liquidamber leaves (2 trees out front) for protection.

Tree trimming companies have tons of mulch that they haul to a landfill, or...maybe...haul to a co-generation power plant. Most times they have to pay to get rid of it. Some may deliver, but most will require you to haul it away. Get to know your local tree trimmers and equestrians.

The local greenwaste that the county picks up and shreds is usually contaminated with various trash that homeowners put in the wrong can. They don't even offer it to the public anymore and instead, cover garbage with it at the landfill to keep out the gulls, turkey vultures, and other vermin.

I started out shredding bamboo poles...lots of them...

I wish I could get some of that seaweed!!

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

you can order sea weed at the grocery store or an asian grocery store. i tried to get the local tree trimers to drop me a load after they were trimming trees in my hood, they never showed up! i was very upset. works well for pathways, compost buckets, and a winter coat for roses too.

Re: Mulching what are you all using ?
 

Sorry but these are for food condiments and not for fertilizer. It will cost you an arm and leg to order a pound of those.

Microfarmer: You gave me some ideas where I can get those compost.