Subject: Re: Southern cover/living mulch
From: <matson@snowcrest.net>
Organization: SnowCrest Net
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 1998 12:12:41 -0800
Message-ID: <MOD$980201.20007@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$980130.7955@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$980201.13660@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


William W. Robinson wrote:
>
> Dan Sterner wrote in message ...>
> >I'm inoculating my garden plants with Mycorrhizal inoculant and planting
> >a cover or living mulch of dutch white clover. I live in Central Texas,
> >just north of Austin.
> >
> >The goal is to eventually have a no dig garden where the beneficial
> >bacteria and such can stay in the soil with no to need replenished them
> >each year, but I'm not sure if Dutch White Clover will stand up to the
> >95-100 degree heat we have from late spring to late fall.
> >
>
I have had good luck growing white clover and its variant 'Ladino' in
the summer here, (daily over 100F most of June, July and Aug--interior
Northern California) but it requires relatively frequent irrigation
since it seems to not root deeply (we have no rain April to October).
Another choice to look into is strawberry clover (a common variety is
'Salina') and a variant of it which is lower growing and spreads more
called 'O'Connors Legume'. The strawberry clovers seem to go longer
between irrigations, and recover better from drydowns.

A final thought--other low growing and mow-able covers such as white
yarrow, lippia (Phyla nodiflora), Prunella sp. etc. might be worth
looking into both as living mulches and to attract more diversity in
beneficial insect life. Keep in mind that uniformity is kind of the
reverse of diversity, and a single magic bullet may not work.

>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> The rec.gardens.ecosystems FAQ is available at http://sunsite.unc.edu/rge
>
> submissions can be mailed to: ecosys-submit@sunsite.unc.edu
> the moderators can be contacted at: ecosys-admin@sunsite.unc.edu