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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] Re: soil solarizing...actually cardboard

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  • From: "Scott Williamson" <swilliamson@acespower.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Re: soil solarizing...actually cardboard
  • Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 07:40:02 -0500

I did have voles under my cardboard after I put it in place and even noticed
some babies at one point. The other thing I noticed was a large population
of garter snakes later on. They seemed to like the protection and warmth
that the cardboard created and I assume were eating the voles or at least all
the crickets that were there. After that I never noticed anymore voles. And
after a year (or the summer) I really didn't notice either because the
cardboard had deteriorated and sunk down low to the ground. I try to put
mine out a year before I'm planting anything in that location though so it
has a chance to kill off more weeds.

-----Original Message-----
From: tblists [mailto:tblists@pshift.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 7:58 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Re: soil solarizing...actually cardboard


I prepped the soil for my orchard last year: two covers of buckwheat,
established red fescue sod. I'm considering mulching the tree rows after
planting. My thought was to plant the trees (dwarf/semi apple), lay my
irrigation line, then lay cardboard, say 2' wide, for the length of the
row. Then I can woodchip mulch as I get to it. I know of the vole issue
with woodchips and I've had good luck minimizing damage with good
mouseguard management. My question is how the cardboard will affect the
voles, i.e. will it give them a perfect environment all summer long to
tunnel and wreak havoc? I've considered making t-shaped pvc baitstations
running under the cardboard with a capped tube sticking up that I can add
Zn phosphide in the fall. Any advice?

Terry B



>From: "Scott Williamson" <swilliamson@acespower.com>
>Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Solarizing Soil
>I tried it once. It worked OK, but didn't kill off weeds with deep
>roots. I'm currently using cardboard boxes (plain cardboard with no
>coloring or glossing) with a few rocks on the corners to hold them
>down. They are a good mulch and will rot down in a year or two and can
>also be mulched over the top of when you're ready. You can just dig a
>hole through the boxes to put your plant in. It does take a year or more
>to really kill most of the weeds under them though and some persistent
>ones find ways through the cracks as well. And it doesn't exactly look
>pretty if that matters to you.
>
>Scott,
>Indiana Zone 5b

Terence Bradshaw
1189 Wheeler Road
Calais, VT 05648
bradshaw@pshift.com
(802)229-2004

The views represented by me are mine and mine only................


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