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Re: Benefits of Compost on Land Management (fwd)



Organic Gardening Report

How can we prepare for another drought like the last one?  The
answer is simple - with MULCH!  Specifically LEAF - MULCH.  It
prevents moisture loss and overheating of  roots and improves the
tilth.
Nether Providence Township helps keep the cost down by collecting
the newly fallen leaves (no chemicals or manures added) and
delivering e.g. for our 2000 square foot of vegetable garden six to
seven truckloads of leaf mulch. This amount is enough for the
additional asparagus, raspberry, strawberry and flower beds.
We meet personally with the N.P.Township leaf/mulch supervisor to
arrange for the delivery of first the leaves and then the resulting
compost is being made available in the spring.
The transformation starts in a bin made of 2 by 4 inch mess fence, is
4 feet high, has a diameter of 12 feet and holds 6 to 7 truckloads.
Adding water and placing the bin in the shade helps composting, as
does shredding if possible.  By spring the pile has become a dark
brown damp matted mass which prevents weed germination when a
layer a few inches thick is placed around plants or alongside rows as
soon as plants are large enough so that there is no danger of their
being buried by the mulch when birds scratch around in the leaves in
search of the many worms that are often present.  The mulching
process can start quite early in the spring with cool-weather crops
such as lettuce, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Warm-weather
crops such as tomatoes, beans, corn, eggplant, squash, and
cucumbers can wait until there is difficulty because of the plants
being so large or spreading so much that it is hard to find space to
work during the mulching process.
The only disadvantage we've noticed is that the mulch itself absorbs
some rainfall that would otherwise penetrate down to the roots of
plants.  As long as rainfall amounts to about an inch a week, this is
not a problem, but in summers like that of 1995 it is important to
compensate for the water shortage.  We do this by watering once a
week if there is not an inch of rain.  Our procedure, which takes
about an hour for the 2000-square-foot vegetable garden, involves
running a hose into a convenient place in the garden and using it to
fill 5-gallon pails (saved from years when we coated our driveway)
which are carried to individual crops in the garden and emptied by
means of a 2-pound coffee can.  Plants like broccoli and peppers get
one can each and row crops like carrots get one can per 3 feet, but
to be sure to avoid dry rot in tomatoes we use two cans on each
tomato plant.  The cans of water are dumped directly at the base of
the plant so that the water all goes underneath the mulch and
benefits the roots of plants.  In years with fairly normal rainfall we
rarely use the hose and pail system but instead rely on pails of water
accumulated in the kitchen when washing vegetables, rinsing dishes,
etc.  In 1995, however, we not only used the hose and pail system
numerous times but also used the hose to mist the leaves of the
plants for about 10 minutes several times a day during periods when
the temperature was above 90 degrees.
     For a garden that is highly productive whatever the weather, that
never requires cultivation once the mulch is in place, and that is
virtually weed-free, give leaf mulching a try.  We think you'll like the
results.

95/09/10

Prepared By: James H.S. Bradley & Estella , Bradley
                     Wallingford, PA

For: Keslick & Son Modern Arboriculture
       Products & Service
       610-696-5353

-- 
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John A. Keslick Jr.              There is no scientific data to show
Professional Modern Arborist     that TRUNK WRAPS prevent heat or
& Tree Biologist                 cold injuries.  Nor is there any 
Phone: 610-696-5353              data to show that WOUND DRESSINGS
organic tree treatment web site: stop rot.  There is data to show that
http://www.ccil.org/~treeman/    that both can cause decline of
>                                the trees vitality. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\



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