Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Re: Market-farming Mulch on a big scale - Willie

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Re: Market-farming Mulch on a big scale - Willie
  • Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 20:30:15 -0500

> As a farmer who never seems to have enough organic
> matter in my soil, I literally cringed when you
> mentioned burning off your mulch. Are you dry enough
> where this won't decompose through the winter? Do you
> plow under your residues? If so, can't you turn under
> the mulch as well?

I don't THINK it will decay sufficiently over the winter. We will see.
I use semi-permanent beds which I rarely plow up. I have buried drip
tape that I try to use for several years. When I do turn under, I use
a three bottom turning plow that works well IF there is not too much
surface residue. This thick hay, I would have to disk in probably
several times before I could turn. The heavily mulched area is a minor
portion of that field and I wouldn't want to do all that plowing unless I
had reason to work on a larger area.

I do incorporate minor amounts of residue by mowing and then refreshing
the beds with my disk bedder. I usually have to hand clean the tops of
the beds prior to planting; I need a better planter, I'm still using a
Planet Jr. But that residue is nothing compared to several inches of
dense hay.

I LIKE to burn. It gets rid of some potential bug, weed, and disease
problems and the ash is very good fertilizer. Some of my most
productive areas are where big brush piles were burned.

--
Willie, ashamed that dixie chicks are from Austin
Are YOU an html abuser? http://www.expita.com/nomime.html
Linux system uptime 107 days 41 min minutes




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page