[Market-farming] Black Plastic Mulch Overheating
lucy Owsley
boulderbelt at voyager.net
Thu May 8 08:38:14 EDT 2008
Allan
Not really. The IRT mulch I was referring to was left behind on a
farm we left 3.5 year ago. We went back last week to raid the
asparagus patch we also left behind and noticed that the IRT mulch we
had put down for strawberries was still there (but no strawberry
plants had survived). And with strawberries we do leave the mulch in
place 3 to 5 years (how ever long the berry plants continue to
produce). We no longer use IRT mulch having replaced that with woven
black landscape fabric because it lasts a lot longer than thin
plastic mulch and will not be damaged by mowing/weed eaters.
For most crops we lay down the mulch 1 or 2 weeks before we plant and
than in the fall when the crop is done we take up the mulch.
Strawberries are the one exception to this because they are in the
ground for several years.
We also use straw to mulch a lot of crops such as raspberries,
blackberries and asparagus.
One reason we do not leave the mulch down forever is because voles
love to make their homes under the mulch and get to be a very very
bad problem. So much so that the strawberry mulch is partially lifted
after it is down 12 months-we undig the edges so we and the dogs can
get underneath to kill the little suckers, it also allows us to put
down compost. After 12 months the berry plants are more than big
enough to hold the mulch down.
On May 8, 2008, at 8:16 AM, Allan Balliett wrote:
> You lost me, Lucy!
>
> Are you putting down mulch and leaving it down for 10 years and
> re-planting the same holes each years...with the same crops?
>
> Tell me more!
>
> Tell me everything!
>
> I'm all ears!!! (And eyes!) -Allan ;-)
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
Eaton, OH
http://boulderbelt.blogspot.com
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