RE: Mulching the New Herb Garden and Looking Around - June 1, 2019 @goldenoakfarm
I never use straw as I find it dangerous, hard to work with, and it doesn't do the job well. It's dangerous because when it gets wet, it is VERY slippery.
I have used hay exclusively since 1992. Put down correctly and with timely renewal, there is very little problem with weeds. But if you don't get it down in time, watch out! Here's my post about using hay mulch:
https://steemit.com/gardening/@goldenoakfarm/about-using-hay-for-mulch
Last year was a bad hay year here and there was little mulch to be found. So I didn't mulch in the fall. I now have a big source of organic mulch hay and have a mess to clean up before I can mulch. That's why the New Herb is taking so long to do.
Once I finish it, I get to start in the Big veg garden which is even worse. This was mid May...
Thanks a ton. Very useful post about mulching with hay. Tomorrow, I'm going to get myself some. I'm so frustrated by the straw. I work in raised beds and containers. It's really hard to fit it in properly, and the blades of grass are just growing through it.
But it's not really the weeds I have problem with. I mainly want to limit the times I need to water the plants. And I've already noticed, straw isn't doing the trick.
I should actually train the plants to go without water for a longer period of time. But it's like 40°Celsius in the greenhouse, and since nothing is planted directly in the ground they have no access to groundwater...
If you stress plants by withholding water, their production and health declines. They must have water to take up nutrients from the soil...
Just make sure you put it down thick enough. Most people do not, and that's where the trouble starts.
I know people who 'train' their plants so in the end they only need to be watered like 3 times a month. I spoil my plants too much when it comes to watering them 😂
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