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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] ??no-till??

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] ??no-till??
  • Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:29:12 -0600


I wouldn't want that problem with cardboard either, and I don't want to cut
off all air to the soil beneath during the winter. I haven't tried
newspaper because I'm talking about a fourth of an acre, and I doubt
there'd be enough newspaper left after the winter to keep perennial grasses
from sprouting through it, esp if it's moist. I won't have carrots in rows
but scattered uniformly over 3' x 8' beds. And Roma bush beans are seeded
directly rather than transplanted, so like carrots they need a fairly open
surface at first. It appears cover cropping for the small market garden
has to be done differently from the tractor farm.

paul, tradingpost@riseup.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 7/12/2006 at 12:42 PM Marty Kraft wrote:

>I tried cutting holes in cardboard with a hole saw and planting garlic
>through the holes with spacing on 4 inch centers. As the cardboard
>dried it warped and buckled. Not good. Mulch over cardboard to keep
>moist. Remember the warping problem. Between rows on carrots might work
>if it is put down after the carrots are up.
>
>Marty Kraft
>Kansas City
>On Jul 12, 2006, at 12:18 PM, jim allAn wrote:
>
>> Interesting. It brings something to mind. Could cardboard be used
>> to
>> suppress weeds around such crops as tomatoes or peppers. It probably
>> would
>> not be practical for crowded crops like carrots, or would it?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Dan Conine" <dconine@dotnet.com>
>> To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:37 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] ??no-till??
>>
>>
>>> Hi Paul,
>>> Do you get Countryside magazine? (http://www.countrysidemag.com)
>>> I have read articles about people using mulch methods in there a lot.
>>> My
>>> first thought is to suggest you try the newspaper methods first to
>>> knock
>>> down the grasses, especially with the transplanted type crops. If you
>>> can get started the fall before, then lay newspapers down where you
>>> want
>>> your garden to be next spring. Real thick layer to kill everything.
>>> Then, in the spring, peel them up where you want to plant, put some
>>> compost down, potatoes, then straw (or grass) mulch over the top. Let
>>> the potato sprouts find the soil on their own.
>>> Coffee grounds, chicken litter (will you be able to have a couple of
>>> chickens? or even some chicken feed to encourage earthworms to feed on
>>> moist soil (light layer of newspapers for shade), this should till
>>> things quite nicely for the next year's seeded crops.
>>>
>>> Just what popped into my mind from what you seem to be trying to do.
>>>
>>> Dan Conine
>>> Belgium,WI







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