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  • From: Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>
  • To: midwestpermaculture@yahoogroups.com, grazersedge@yahoogroups.com, permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Living mulch garden update
  • Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 12:48:56 -0500

Folks,
I'm still happy with the living mulch garden. We haven't had a decent rain in my area for over a month, but the clover is still holding up nicely without irrigation. I have been watering the crop plants, either spot watering for tomatoes, squash and other clumpy things, while I broke out the soaker hose for the more solid row crops. I have a few potatoes showing signs of blight, but do not think the LM is a major factor. Must admit poor luck or skill with potatoes through the years. Most of the various crops I have are thriving, though I think some are a little smaller than the clean tilled gardens in my neighborhood. I think the mulch keeps the plants much cleaner though and I'll get my yields. About half the tomatoes are fruiting already, so I think it's going well. I have applied no N this year, and think the Alice clover is meeting the needs. I have identified positively two types of predatory insects and provide some food crops for them (small flowered weeds and buckwheat) and some bowls with water and gravel in them for water.
I was so disgusted with the cool spring that all the peppers and egg plants ended up in 6-10 inch (18-30cm) pots. I toped them off with smooth river gravel and have been really happy with their progress. While the plants in the smaller pots are a bit stunted, most of them started to fruit very promptly and if blooms are an indication they will yield adequately. A habanro pepper I kept as a house plant in a 12 inch (36cm) pot this winter is an absolute marvel, fruiting well with early small fruits giving way to good sized specimens. If I can find the window space I'll be keeping many of these plants this winter. FYI - I clipped blooms all winter on the pepper and think the plague of Asian lady bird beetles kept the usual bugs off.
I also have some garden going on the S side of an E-W row of 40 foot red pines. It's all climbing stuff, pole beans, aggressive tomatoes and cucumbers. The tomatoes are bigger than the same variety in the LMG, which I cant figure out. The beans are comparable in spite of heavy bug chewing early on, and they have an unlimited amount of trellis, how I'll pick them isn't clear yet ;<).
my rock garden just pleases me, and is a good hot place for the potted peppers and strawberry plants. I've taken quite a shine to Mississippi river gravel, very colorful. Nothing quite as nice as watering this stuff to bring out the color and sitting on the porch with a cold beer while the sun goes down. Here's hoping you garden looks good to.


Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM





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