It is a gorgeous 60 degrees here today (don't be jealous though it's just a freak warm day). So what else would I do but push all other obligations to the back burner and get out into the garden? In finishing the digging and mulching of my garden paths today I learned a few things.
#1. I was reading, but should have been practicing what I was reading a long time ago! When I decided to switch to raised beds at the end of last season I tilled, dug, and shaped a couple areas with no real plan. Once I shaped the beds how I wanted I covered them with a few layers of news paper and then covered that with just a little wood chips, and then covered everything with hay. When I was digging this area up today to finish my garden, I noticed that there were a ridiculous amount more worms in this area. And that's after only about 3 or 4 months! And not only that, but the soil was much much healthier looking. Needless to say this settled the decision of how I will top my beds this year! Newspaper and hay all the way!
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02071243.jpg[/img]
#2. Blood meal stinks. Literally. I thought it may be a good idea to add a bit to a bottle of water and let it dissolve and then water my seedlings with it once they have gotten a few true leaves. Well the first problem is it doesn't dissolve that quickly. The second issue is that it clogs up a spray bottle with a quickness. And thirdly, it STINKS! Once it has dissolved a good bit, It smells just like a dead rotting carcass. I will not be doing that again.
lessons learned!
Learned a few things today
Last edited by GardenRN on Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jeff
USDA Zone 7a, Sunset Zone 32.
Failure is only a fact when you give up.
USDA Zone 7a, Sunset Zone 32.
Failure is only a fact when you give up.
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
I also LOVE the paper and mulch trick. Like you, I tried it once and have never looked back.
[url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21761]Last year, I upped the ante by using HAY[/url]... in spite of ALL the naysayers (that I'd read about over years and years of gardening). I'm gung-ho for hay now.
[url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21761]Last year, I upped the ante by using HAY[/url]... in spite of ALL the naysayers (that I'd read about over years and years of gardening). I'm gung-ho for hay now.