permaculture

[kahless@waymark.net]

>In the meantime I've added to an already onerous mowing chore. ( have to mow
>AROUND all those trees now).

I had that problem until I did some studying on tree roots and found
that they grew well past the edge of the tree leaf canapy.  So I just
mulched out further from the trunk.  I spread compost, rock dust (!),
layed out newspaper, and covered the newspaper with all the mulch
I could get my hands on (shrub trimmings, leaves conveniently
bagged up and set on the curb in town).  Then I discovered that tree
trimming and landscape services had an excess of shredded/chopped
brush and tree trimmings.  They were happy to get rid of them, come
and haul it free, small fee to have a truck load delivered.  The mulched
area around the trees got even bigger.  I started getting cardboard boxes
on trips to town since it lasted longer than newspaper.  Cut down the
mowing considerably.  No weeding since nothing gets through the
newspaper/cardboard mulch.  Unwanted seedlings popping up in the
mulch layer are so easily pulled out, it's almost a joke.

A bonus is that once the trees start providing shade, mushrooms grow
like crazy in the wood mulch.

My neighbors are still unhappy.  Tough, their problem not mine.

>At one point last summer I let my lawn get a little long and one of
>my well intentioned neighbors came over to offer to mow it for me
>(no kidding).

Oh, I can beat that - after I moved here and decided to not mow in
the spring (wanted to see what native grasses and wildflowers
did well naturally here), my neighbor came over uninvited and
unannounced and mowed while I was off the property!!  Mowed it
so short that it promptly dried up and turned brown.  Ran right
over a number of tiny little seedling trees.  I was unhappy, to
say the least.  Turns out his wife nagged him into it - seems she
was convinced that that poor little girl that just moved here just
couldn't keep up with the outside chores since "that no-good man"
wouldn't do it.  She meant well (southern manners and hospitality
and all that).  I was aghast and sent my significant other over
there with checkbook in hand.  I'd a gone, but was too angry and
he's more diplomatic at any rate.  He insisted that we not owe
anyone anything, they insisted they were just being neighborly.
He tried to explain that his crazy girlfriend liked the grass long.
He was there for two hours and although we're good neighbors
today, I still don't think they get it.

>Is just letting a lawn go (back to wildness)  a good ( or the best)
>Pc idea ??

I've only got 7 years experience at an unmowed lawn, but my advice
is *mow a buffer zone around the house*.  Why?  Field mice love
long grass.  So do rabbits/bunnies.  Naturally it follows that snakes
love field mice and bunnies.  Everytime it rained, I got mice in the
house.  And baby snakes.  There are still plenty of mice, bunnies,
and snakes around, but since I've kept an area around the house clear
they don't come in the house (much) anymore.  Same for the animal
housing.

>I'm being told that I'll be creating  a mosquitio paradise. IS that so?

Not from long grass.  Now if you've got low areas of water that
stick around after it rains then you'll have mosquitos.  And
dragonflies.  And spiders.  Mosquitos need standing water to breed.
Without that, no mosquitos.  Bet your neighbor has a few things
around that collect water (buckets, tires, garbage cans, scrap
metal, etc.)

>Just what does happen when you let a lawn grow wild?
>(e.g. "they run you out of town" or "you are shunned by the
>community at large" :-)

"They" tsk,tsk and shake their heads a lot.  In July "they" will
worry about your dry lawn being a fire hazard while the fire-
works are shooting off.  At the end of summer, "they" will become
absolutely ballist about the fire hazard and start demanding that
something be done.

I just borrow a bush hog (string trimmer/mower on steroids) and
hack it all down after it gets hot and dries up.  But I'm in Texas
and we're doing the drought thing here.  I don't worry about while
it's still green and lush.  I leave the cut bit on the ground.  "They"
seem satisfied with that arrangement.

Another thing I did was plant lots and lots of mixed shrubs (many
edible shrubs and small nitrigen fixing trees tucked here and there)
on the edge of the property adjoining the neighbor who was the most
bothered by the non-mowing.  I took great care to take note where
the view of my property was from the location of his bedroom and
kitchen windows and planted the fastest growing evergreens to
block that view.  Those plantings got the most available compost,
water, and heavy mulching.  They grew well and created a lot of
goodwill with that neighbor.  Well worth the trouble.

D*mn noisy neighbors.  Otta mind their own business and stay out
of mine!  (grumble, grumble).

On the other hand - they notice when something is out of place.
People that don't belong here get questioned, cars driving through
slow at night get their license numbers reported to the sheriff,
loose livestock gets walked back to where they belong and the
gates closed, fires/flooding/roof damage get prompt attention
and when there's hard heavy work to be done before the weather
turns "they" come unasked, bringing tools and strong backs, work
till it's done, mumble "just helpin ma'am", refuse payment or food,
and go back on home.

I don't worry too much about what they think about how I keep
house or the lawn.  I just try to pitch in and help when I can and
keep those strategically placed shrubs watered!

Samantha in Texas