permaculture

[kenny swain <monkeywrenchsc@yahoo.com>]

Hello, 
Looking for some advice for the best strategy to begin transitioning my 
conventional lawn/tree area.  I just purchased a home and it has a big front 
lawn that I'd like to use for gardening and a privacy hedge.  I am 
considering sheet mulching, but am confused as to which method/materials to 
employ - I'm not sure if at the end of the day it matters whether I do it 
correctly.  There was a significant amount of ivy (English I think) which I 
have removed and have heard mixed advice as to whether it is okay to 
chip/shred and use as mulch.  Also, will the sheet mulch kill the ivy if I 
don't get rid of all of the runners/roots?  I'd like to take a pc design 
course, but work too much and can't afford to take off a week+ of work.  It 
seems as though I can't find a happy medium in the books I've read -they're 
either written with large scale applications in mind or are too vague in 
instructions.  I'm pretty excited to begin, but don't know where to begin.
Thanks for any help. 



>From yarrow@sfo.com  Tue Feb 23 01:48:51 2010
Return-Path: <yarrow@sfo.com>
X-Original-To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Received: by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix, from userid 3002)
        id 8F1514C014; Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:48:51 -0500 (EST)
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on malecky
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.0 required=5.0 tests=RCVD_IN_DNSWL_MED
        autolearn=disabled version=3.2.3
Received: from sfo.com (sfo.com [66.160.191.54])
        by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BDA3C4C013
        for <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>;
        Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:48:50 -0500 (EST)
Received: from 66-81-213-62.nocal.dialup.o1.com ([66.81.213.62]:49152)
        by cp01.sfo.com with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
        (envelope-from <yarrow@sfo.com>)
        id 1Njoa0-0001D2-10; Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:49:13 -0800
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-Sender: yarrow@sfo.com@mail.sfo.com
Message-Id: <f06110401c7a924d4b1e8@[66.81.213.62]>
In-Reply-To: <73885.34969.qm@web52802.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
References: <73885.34969.qm@web52802.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:45:42 -0800
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
From: yarrow@sfo.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
X-ACL-Warn: {
X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse,
        please include it with any abuse report
X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - cp01.sfo.com
X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - lists.ibiblio.org
X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12]
X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - sfo.com
X-Source:
X-Source-Args:
X-Source-Dir:
Subject: Re: [permaculture] transition from urban lawn to permaculture
 landscape
X-BeenThere: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9
Precedence: list
Reply-To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Id: permaculture <permaculture.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture>,
        <mailto:permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture>
List-Post: <mailto:permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture>,
        <mailto:permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:48:51 -0000

No, it doesn't matter if  you do it "correctly," whatever that is.

I haven't taken out ivy and mulched, but judging by how vigorous the
ivy I have dealt with is, I wouldn't risk using it as a mulch, and
I'd try to remove as much as possible. But before the rainy season
ends, my top priority would be protecting the soil (with mulch). It
won't kill the ivy, but the ivy will be easier to pull out of mulch.

  I've used a lot of mulch at the community garden, and successfully
reduced bermuda grass and bindweed from major problems to occasional
sprouts. My rule of thumb is that if weeds are a problem, it's a
waste of time to mulch without cardboard or newspaper (4-5 sheets)
underneath -- blocks light and keeps weed seeds from germinating.

If your lawn grass is bermuda (large dry patches this time of year),
it will take more persistence to get rid of it, because it will keep
trying to come  up.

The #1 thing to do, if you do nothing else, is mulch. The sooner you
do this the better, because all the spring weeds are flourishing
right now, and it's a good idea to protect your soil. The easiest way
to start is to get a lot of newspaper or cardboard, a hose (to water
down the paper so it won't blow away before you can get it covered),
and a truckload of mulch (free from tree trimmers). Some people
caution against using walnut or eucalyptus mulch, but if you aren't
planting transplants in it right away, I don't think it makes any
difference.

If you want to plant a food garden with transplants or seeds this
year, I'd do the mulching asap, then get some compost and plant your
new plants in compost pockets.

Or if you want to spend a year building your soil, keep layering
greenwaste (mulch, coffee grounds, etc.). Organic gardeners say,
"feed the soil, not the plants."

How much mulch? The standard is 4 inches; 2 inches minimum. Pull it
away from the trunks/stems of shrubs and trees so that it's not
choking them. If it's all lawn and no tree canopies (feeder roots go
out at least 3x the canopy width), you can even pile the mulch a
foot high, if you have enough energy to haul that much mulch around.

At 10:24 PM -0800 2/22/10, kenny swain wrote:
>Hello,
>Looking for some advice for the best strategy to begin transitioning
>my conventional lawn/tree area.  I just purchased a home and it has
>a big front lawn that I'd like to use for gardening and a privacy
>hedge.  I am considering sheet mulching, but am confused as to which
>method/materials to employ - I'm not sure if at the end of the day
>it matters whether I do it correctly.  There was a significant
>amount of ivy (English I think) which I have removed and have heard
>mixed advice as to whether it is okay to chip/shred and use as
>mulch.  Also, will the sheet mulch kill the ivy if I don't get rid
>of all of the runners/roots?  I'd like to take a pc design course,
>but work too much and can't afford to take off a week+ of work.  It
>seems as though I can't find a happy medium in the books I've read
>-they're either written with large scale applications in mind or are
>too vague in instructions.  I'm pretty excited to begin, but don't
>know where to begin.
>Thanks for any help.
>