Homestead mailing list

[tonitime AT juno.com]

I'll second that, but with a pretty huge garden - i've no choice but to
use spoiled hay rolls.  One thing that helped was the heavy paper layer
below the hay mulch.  Still, both the manures from nearby horse and
cattle farms has introduced a few new and difficult weed pests onto our
farm in abundance - and way too quickly for me to keep up with.  I use
solely organic growing methods, and so often wish that i could zap areas
with some roundup or such, but sighhhhh, cannot do it.  I have resorted
to something i said i wouldn't do - cardboard topped with temporary
plastic sheeting for some heat-loving crops.  These mountains are so, so
full of life -that nothing is squelched for more than a few months!  This
is both our blessing and bane.
One thing i finally treated myself to is a new Stihl cultivator, as i
practice low-till methods.  Couldn't stick with no till due to the
increase of harmful larvae each year in my raised berm beds. Every 3 or 4
years each area gets turned over now.  It is obvious that i cannot hand
dig such a large garden anymore, and some equipment has become a
body-saving treat.  This little tiller is a pretty strong helper, and a
brand we like to use. This year has brought us a hydraulic woodsplitter
and the mini-tiller.  Last year one  of the bigger HP and width  riding
mower.  Now i must have a fuel, oil, and preservative budget that is
sometimes hard to deal with!

I know one good answer to the work of mulching such a large area is to
find the right Poolboy to assist me ;-)  er.....Pondboy, to ive out here
in our log cabin.   On thinking further, i need two of them - a loving
couple of fellas
perhaps,  to keep them content out here.  One could be the domestic type
and the other a brawny, woodsy sort.  Yes!  That may well be the answer
to ALL my difficulties.    
And  a pair for Bev, too.......as working off the farm kind of  women
never have enough time or energy for all those homesteady things that
call out to us!

Glad spring toya,  out to mulch my three new Hardy Kiwis and maybe
sprinkle them with a lil Holy Water and sumptin to insure their
successes~  a friend dug up and gifted us with 2 gals and a
robust-looking guy to put between them:)   Plant gifts are so wonderful.

I am putting  in 2 asian pears, one local pear, three apple, and two
crabapples for this weekend!  I am about dug out for the day.   A
forester pal grafted them all, and hasn't found land to plant them on
yet, and they called on a bunch of friends to adopt their young fruit
trees. 
La Dolce Vita , All!
Toni



Be careful with using hay as a garden mulch without composting it first. 
I 
had access to rotted hay so it was applied heavily on my garden.  It 
introduced grass seeds that took a long time to eradicate.
Don Bowen