Discussion Board

Chile, please explain the mulberries and not much else, no cactus or eucalyptus part.

I can explain the eucalyptus.. IT inhipits other plants growth so great to keep weeds down.. bad for your mulch pile for a vegetable garden.

Cactus pretty much turns into poking needles and doesn't add much to the pile. Except the needles which do not deteriorate very fast. Mulberry and berry vines and leaves all mulch down quickly.

Yeah, what she said...

If you ask a landscape company to dump their load at your house, you take what you get. Depending on where they've been, it can include undesirable plant parts for mulch. There are a fair number of eucalyptus as landscaping plants in this area and the silly things always lose branches and need pruning, so the chance of the load including them is high. We need the mulch for garden beds, not weeds here.

Thorny trees like mesquites and palo verde mean that handling the mulch with bare hands could result in painful stabs by the thorns. (Do you remember those mesquites with long sturdy white thorns that are bigger than quilting needles?!) And cactus would just infuse the entire pile of mulch with glochids, the tiny spines that are impossible to remove and hurt for a week.

In this case, I walked over and looked in the truck. They obviously had nothing in it before they started that morning. Mulberry is a nice soft wood with no toxins and not too sappy like pines/firs, perfect for mulch. I was very pleased with myself for taking the initiative to talk to them (overcoming fear of looking stupid or being rejected).

In other parts of the country, good deals to watch out for are bagged leaves and grass clippings on the curb for pick-up. Great for compost and mulch!

Got it, thank you. Rather like avoiding walnut parts for the compost the same allelopathic nature. Thorns, yikes! Just give me those familiar maple and oak leaves, thank you very much!

Hey, anyone that wants to ship me their maple and oak leaves, I'll take 'em!

So as I watered everything this morning... I started planning where I was putting stuff for next years garden... and I really need hubby to build me the last raised bed box. So I am having him pick up 2 bales of straw to place where that last box is going. I am going to turn it into a nursery mulch bed for this winter and all of next summer. and put the potatoes on top of it. By the end of next summer it should be all ready for the wooden sides to be added. That will give me a full 4 year rotation for my corn too, and bring me from 7 up to 8 full garden beds. I hate to say this but after this year I kind of wish I had ten full beds. Oh well I will see if the eight works out. MAybe I can wrestle some lawn from him if all goes well this winter and next summer. LOL

I love expanding my garden I get so excited on what all to plant.

My composter is a turning one, it's plastic. I do turn it regularly and it doesn't do bad on breaking down and heating. I have some straw in there that won't break down. I don't think I could get it done in three months this time of year though.

Oh and the turning tool. I got one. Really my first order for one is what got me my composter, as they shipped the wrong item. The wings don't open really well. I keep oiling it with edible oil but still it won't go in straight and flip open for the turning.

My first Mulch Pile is almost finished I think it will be done by next weekend or the weekend after. IT looks beautiful... I started the big round pile this weekend but it is only really only half built... hubby will pour more grass and leaves on it in two weeks and then the next pile will be back in the square container as I will have all the current compost out of there by then.. this may be my best compost year ever. I am going to pick up some garbage can containers to hold the finished stuff.

I had to Pick all my last bed of corn it got something and is all turning brown

I got two beds all planted with winter goodies spinaches cabbages and the like.

I still need to get some kind of cover crop seeds to plant in the two beds that will have corn next year.

Faith regarding your turner..

Try washing it really well with some dawn dish soap then see if you can bend the wings out a little bit so they are loose.

IT is not supposed to need oil to open and close. THat may be adding to your difficulties with it, as teh oil will gum it all up with dirt.

Did you get the yard butler compost turner? I can't remember which one you got.

I also just found this one too ...
compost aerator

Maybe it would work better for you.

yes I got the winged yard butler one. It came the way it is. I know whom ever was talking about it a year ago mentioned the wash and dry it so I've been taking care of it. It's almost like the wings got attached too tight.

Well looks like this evening, in the rain, I need to pick all my tomatoes. I've really been enjoying red tomatoes off the vine. Darn. I have never had tomatoes last this long. I guess next year they probably won't do as well. They seem to like th is one spot.

Ohhh too bad they got attached too tight.... I wish there was a way to fix them.. I love mine. It works so well.

as to the tomatoes. Yay. I move mine around all the time becuase we get this wilt disease so they need to be in a new spot every year.
I do have a couple of spots One being under the apricot and crab apple tree that I never plant them .. THey never do good in those two beds so I don't use those two.
We got down to 47 yesterday morning so it is time to cover some of my beds for the winter and I am pulling out my Rhonde de Nice squashes on Saturday... They probably won't get any bigger no matter how much I baby them now

I can not believe that in a couple day's time we went from picking tomatoes to the weather calling for snow.

DON Don DOOOOON!


I got my Austrian Peas in the mail yesterday. And a package of kale!

Also some of the seeds I planted have spouted and We are slated for rain today and tommorow.

So exciting.

Oh my Faith--snow already? Ohhhhh-noooooo!! Bad word!

But I turned around and last night we got our first snow in the moutains close by us--I suppose we do need the moisture. It just seems summer went by in a wink of an eye.

I'm so glad you could enjoy a little longer tomato season -- we still have some green ones ripening and I am thinking they will last until about Thanksgiving. Then it's back to buying store bought (shhh, I know those are REALLY bad words but what else could I say?)...I hate doing it and only if absolutely necessary. I have canned tomatoes for stews, etc. so I only buy if I need a fresh one.

Kitty--we planted our Austrian peas about 1 week ago. They're not up yet but I suppose will be in another week or so. I'm excited for you---let me know when their up and going.

Also I'm SO EXCITED. My husband "expanded" our garden and it is now twice as big!! I can hardly wait for next season to start.....

It's still technically fall....

In my part of the woods we can grow some things year round. Some years I like to take a break, but this year I've decided to grow some greens. I just hate going to the store to buy things that would be doing well here in winter.

Just now I transplanted some seedling chard, parsley, and tat soi into larger pony packs. I start the seed in smaller plug flat sections.

I also got my seed of spigarello and kale, so maybe later today I'll plant some seed of those too.

I also have some baby lettuce and mache that I need to transplant. Perhaps tomorrow.

I still have some very late zucchini producing, but the vines are looking very battle-weary. And by 'producing' I mean there are only 3 small zukes left. Think it's close to time for the vines to go.

So i FINALLY go those Austrian peas in. I am worried it might be too late so I doubled them up and I may put some plastic over to fake them into thinking it is warmer out LOL.

at any rate every thing but the potatoes is in the garden now.

And most of the first bed I planted sprouted. but the second bed really only has my garden peas sprouted. and teh last bed wont have anything for at least a week.

We are getting pretty cold in teh mornings LOL Okay cold for me in sunny California.