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  • From: "mcoldiron" <mcoldiron AT crcom.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Mulch Question and Request for Advice
  • Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 14:52:56 -0500

Thanks for the info Richard.

I currently have a little over 6,000 GL of water storage capacity, pumps, filters, drip line, valves to isolate the different rows, etc. Also have a 1024 GL water trailer for hauling. I do need a water collection system from the barn and other buildings. Another project I suppose.

You mentioned reusing mulch chips. How would that be done without mixing it with dirt? How about the size of the chips. Seems like that would cause problems if plowed under each year. The idea was to make them small and plowing them under. I've heard that too much organic material, like stalks and the like, will tie up the soils nitrogen for a year or so making it hard to grow anything until the material has decomposed. Know anything about that?

As mentioned in my original post, I have plenty of elm and mesquite wood available for mulching. Anyone know of a good pto chipper that will handle about 10" logs? Also need a good splitter.

Thanks
TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b

----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Stewart" <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Mulch Question and Request for Advice


I am using sawdust and shavings (not unlike what you would use for
horse bedding in a stable). It works OK. I may not have figured out
how to use it properly. The best stuff I have found to date for
mulch is UV resistance landscaping fabric. Water when you need, run
the drip tape on top, great to recycle again for further use. Lucy
at Boulder Belt pointed me in that direction last year. The folks at
Half Pint are doing it too, but a much more massive scale.

My problem with wood chips is content. Lots of stuff gets mixed in,
including seed base. Shavings and saw dust do not have this issue
but you better know what you are getting. You get something with
pressure treated stuff mixed in or something natural that might kill
off your plantings (say, fresh walnut) and who knows what happens.
So far I have used ONLY on Garlic and green onions, since neither has
a broad leaf and can withstand getting pile of it put around it
casually and quickly. 6" deep and compressed to half that and I am
still getting plenty of weeds. I think if it was used in conjunction
with a propane burner for initial weed removal and then covering once
initial germination happens things might go better.

As to the hauled water...the economics work if A) You can haul a lot
for a little not too far away and you can B) avoid watering too
much. I use a gravity system based on 1500 gallon tank that is set
on a slop 45' above my irrigated plots. The water is distributed
down the drop through a 2" pvc/foamcore hybrid pipe (foam and PVC is
cheaper than pure PVC) and it reduces to a simple 3/4" garden hose
hooked up to a 1/2" basic irrigation system (including filter...you
ALWAYS need a filter). I have a 350 gal tank that I have strapped to
my roll on roll of bed on a CHevy 3500 HD that I can take off on on
really quickly when I need the bed for another job or need a another
bed (like a dump bed or hay bed). I never have more than 700 gallons
in the tank at a time because we have had a good rain season and need
it less than I had thought I would (not a bad thing) and if you do
not use it quick enough algae will build up (I do not use treated
water). I use it to irrigate 13 500' rowx of beans, squash zucs,
cucs, tomatoes, and peppers. Each group of similar vegetables has a
valve system and with emitters every 12" I am running through 3.7
gallons of water per minute per 1000' foot section using simple drip
tape (which is why I have the valves...right now my beans and peppers
need the water, not the tomatoes, and squash). That is what I think
is a minimum for a good saturation. The valves also allow me to
maintain good pressure, which is key. To many 500' runs on and only
the first 100' or so gets watered. Not good. Irrigate, work.
Change irrigation area, work, etc.

The irrigation system works great. I have had a 2 week period of no
rain and I had to haul a whole lot of water. My hauling distance is
about 1/2 of a mile . What would make the system rock is if I had a
roof nearby to direct the water to the tank to supply the first 1500
gallons before I needed to haul more, then it would be VERY efficient
and sound. It takes 3 minutes to unload the 350 gallon tank and 2-5
minutes to travel one direction, and 20 to 30 minutes to load
(depending on if the system is in use elsewhere) using the pressure I
have at my stables with a standard pump and pressure tank designed to
handle a 32 horse operation and the associated use.

You need a decent sized main tank and a decent hauling tank. One for
good head pressure and the other to reduce your fuel costs and travel
time (another cost). Then you want the main tank on the highest
point. You could also water from the tank you are hauling. It might
be, what(?), 4 or 5 feet off the ground which helps a lot, but will
not be better than a massive amount of water in a tank at ground
level. Surface area, volume, and height are your friends and uphill
grades and friction are the enemies.

This is not so much a recommendation as sharing my experience so
far. I could be WAY off base and simply not found a good method
yet. I may shoot a video of the entire process and put it on Youtube
to help visualize what is a fairly simply process.

Hope it helps (or at least makes sense even if it doesn't help :) )

Cheers!

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1848

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
rstewart AT zoomtown.com



On Jul 1, 2008, at 8:14 PM, mcoldiron wrote:

I farm in a very arid region of west Texas. This year has been
especially
hot, dry, and very windy. The ground water quality is poor, making
normal
irrigation impossible. However I believe, on a very limited basis,
using
drip tape and hauled water, irrigation can work with heavy mulching.

The only mulch I can imaging working is wood chips. Straw will
just blow
away. Plus, I haven't found a good source of straw. There's
plenty of elm
and mesquite wood here to make mulch.

Anyone out there with experience using wood chips?
Problems?
Size of chips?
Depth of mulch?
Recommended equipment?
Other?

Thanks

TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b

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