permaculture

[Lisa in Oregon <lisamaciver8@yahoo.com>]

We use old hay, tucking it up around the plants as they grow so just 
a few inches of leaves peek out, leaving some in flakes, and shoving 
some down between the stems as they get large.  I toss on weeds from 
other areas too.  We grow in beds and the mulch gets 2' high, might 
be harder in rows.  It eats up several bales for 100sgft. I bury the 
seed potatoes barely below the soil level (clay), the potatoes grow on 
the dirt-mulch boundary and if the mulch isn't think enough, the 
potatoes get green.  We don't seem to end up with weed problems using 
old hay for potatoes (but then, this is all drip, no rain). When 
potatoes are harvested the mulch is reused on winter crops.  
 
Lisa in Oregon

> > I am growing a test plot (about 18 row feet) under shallow  
> > cultivation. No trench, seed taters buried 4 inches, and mulching  
> > with straw. My question about specific mulching technique: how  
> > dense? How closely packed between plants? Should I lay down and  
> > bury side shoots, or gather the plant into a central bundle and  
> > mulch around it?
> >
> > If anyone has experience with this, I would greatly appreciate any 
> 
> > help!



       
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