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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] mulch and arthropod herbivore habitat

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  • From: Toby Hemenway <toby@patternliteracy.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] mulch and arthropod herbivore habitat
  • Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:30:53 -0600

Earwigs and sowbugs are early-stage decomposers; they seem to favor large
chunks of undecomposed materials and in my experience move out of places once
the mulch has composted down to finer, late-decomposition stages (same thing
occurs in compost piles). So I think we're dealing with a succession issue
here, in part. I've also heard many reports, and have seen firsthand, that
in mediterranean climates and drylands, dried-out mulches are very attractive
to these early-stage decomposers, and once present they opportunistically eat
young annual shoots. In Oregon's dry summers I lost a lot of cucurbits, in
particular, to them. There have also been reports by some holistic management
folks that mulches in Mediterranean climates (in non- or little-irrigated
parts of the garden, not in wet zone 1--which is no longer mediterranean,
yes?)) can be huge havens for insects and thus mulch is not a recommended
technique for those situations. Although I'm a big fan of mulches, I often
did what others have suggested here: didn't apply mulch until seedlings were
well established, and made my peace with the increased watering needed. It
also seemed that if I kept my mulches damp, rather then letting them dry out,
I had less trouble with earwigs and sowbugs. Fine compost or dust mulches,
instead of rough straw or woody mulches, also seemed to help (late
succession). Chickens would probably help, too, but chickens and young
seedlings are not always compatible.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com


On Jul 19, 2011, at 10:40 AM, Jason Gerhardt wrote:

> Neil,
>
> There was an article on this subject in an old issue of the now defunct
> Permaculture Drylands Journal. I don't have that one anymore, but my own
> strategies were adapted from that article.
>
> When I lived in Central Arizona I had a major pill-bug/rolly polly problem
> very similar to what you are describing. They would just come out at night
> and lop/girdle the plants right off, like miniature beavers. I was not
> willing to go without mulch for very long in the hot dry climate, so I kept
> my copious straw mulch year round and instead collared my new plants. I use
> yogurt cups, or any other plastic type cup, cut off the bottom and sink it
> in the soil an inch deep leaving 2 inches or so sticking above the soil with
> the lip still on the cup. Pill bugs couldn't climb up the slippery surface
> of the cup very easily so I managed to save most of my plants. I still lost
> a handful or so every Spring, but I compensated by planting overly dense.
> It seems like a lot of work, and maybe a lot of yogurt cups, but once you
> have them they last for years, and it is only one extra step to collar the
> plants. When I moved to semi-arid Colorado I had the same issue and
> continue to use the same strategy, which also works extremely well against
> slugs, along with a little crushed egg shell.
>
> Once the plants develop a tougher stem (after a month or so) I add even more
> mulch right up against the plants and have near zero plant loss.
>
> So, plant, collar, mulch in between the plants, and after a month or so pile
> the mulch on as thick as desired. I should note that this strategy works
> best with transplants. For direct seeding I would sow large seeded crops
> like peas, beans, squash with the same strategy, sowing the seed inside the
> cup, but small seeds in rows is trickier.
>
> I can't imagine gardening without mulch in an annual garden in a dryland, it
> is just too hot and dry. Without mulch, there are too many other problems.
>
> Last thought, how about mulching heavily and letting chickens run through
> the garden for a week or so to knock down the population in early Spring?
>
> --
> Jason Gerhardt
> Permaculture Designer and Educator
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