Mulch Living Or Dead.

To each his own. That book is fucking GOLD. also read Teaming with Nutrients after you've finished that one

 

I've got a few different things going on for mulch. Still trying to figure out what I like best. 
 
This is a combo - Living and Leaves
 

 

 
I have 2 containers that have only leaves
 

 
And one that was a Chop and Drop - with a few flax seeds here and there, I'm sure more will pop up...
 

 

 

I guess he wanted to try and interest ppl who otherwise wouldn't be interested in microbiology (run of the mill suburban gardener or industrial agriculture farmer) albeit he does have a repetitive and cheesy voice lol the book was a bit of a brain melter at points (trying reading books on permaculture haha) but it did give me a whole new appreciation for what goes on down there in the dirt (but so did you guys!) I think some of those soil food web rules are oversimplified, but they seem pretty logical and sound to me. I'm guessing teaming with nutrients is written by the same guy? I've been thinking about tackling it but T. Jefferson told me to look up the Prokashi guy on youtube and he is great  

 

Also, I used a layer of tomato tone and worm castings, then added a layer of nice compost, and today I put some neem seed cake over the compost layer to combat the flies in my outdoor garden. Now, these are tomatoes, peppers, and a squash all in smart pots but what do you guys think of that?...Until I can do some nice live mulch ideas from here

 

Tibetian Purple Barley...getting a 50 lb sack ordered in from the store soon...hahahaha
 
I pay roughly $260 for 50 lbs of dutch white clover, so goddam thats a good price rancho. Makes me think I'm being bent over....
 

 
Most of the processes involved in this system are based on simplistic "rules" of life.
 
The specifics can become rather daunting, should you pursue it through the rabbit hole but in reality (practical application) it's very simple.
 
People have been doing this for thousands of years...just because we can now label what we see and give distinctions between responses doesn't mean the core paradigm of gardening has changed. People dig a hole, plant a seed and reap the results.
 
We're here to debate the efficacy of certain materials or practices, which may make the message a bit convoluted but it remains the easiest, most practical method of gardening.

 

Cool, i really have been wanting a mulch/no-till discussion thread so this is sick! What I am gathering is that for living mulch in a no till, you just mulch whatever you like to top dress with and some sprouting seeds (hopefully of a dynamic accumulator?) Then you "chop and drop" it as a layer of green mulch, continuing the process and sprouting more seeds while top dressing accordingly after a few cycles when you think it needs more nutrition? I have tried two no tills before in 15 gallon but bad circumstances coupled with neglect make me want to start some again the right way in the near future so I am looking for all the advice I can get

 

I have some cycling pots that have clover and barley along with cocoa shells. TMJ and I both started at the same time with barley and we are both having the same thoughts it seems. The barley grows like crazy and needs to be chopped quite often. I think that moving forward, I'm going to nix it and just keep the clover and cocoa....unless someone can tell me the benefit of keeping it?

 

You really do want to stay away from dynamic accumulators. They mine nutrition from the soil and store it the plant itself. RD is spot on about direct competition for nutrition. I like to think of mulches and cover crops as putting back and legumes are an excellent way to do that. Clover does as well but I recently read somewhere that the clover has to have something present for its nitrogen fixing attributes to kick in.

I recenty had an episode where I was slacking with my IPM and had a nice cover of clover. I had some scale appear that I had never ever seen in my room. These cover crops and mulches create a nice rich environment that can host other organisms not so keen on helping my plants. I have since backed off and intend on planting living mulches while the pots are between runs.

I'll see if I can round up the clover thing.

Found it: http://extension.psu.edu/agronomy-guide/cm/tables/table-1-10-3

 

I have been using Timothy grass (hay) with good results so far. I like how it (any mulch) helps keep my soil moist at the very top layer as opposed to the lights baking it dry. I also feel like the Timothy has a good amount of N that will break down slowly and leach in as I water through it.... A compressed bale that I can hardly lift was 16$ at local feed store.

 

Nitrogen fixing in legumes is done by rhizobia that live in nodes found on the roots. If you're growing legumes for this purpose, its recommended to buy inoculated seeds. Legumes don't benefit the soil while actively growing. Their nutrients, especially the N, are only released back into the soil if you allow the entire above ground biomass to decompose in the soil...ie dont pick the beans.
 
You can find shallow rooting legumes, but there will always be competition in a container.

 

ok so on the subject of mulch and DA, I've never used them before but i think i will just chop up some dandelions and top dress with my other mulching ingredients. Is that the right way to use a DA if you're not doing living mulch? Can I still do a nice no-till with just adding layers of different top dressings? I did like the idea of only having the live sprouts in b/w cycles and then using that ground cover as mulch. Thoughts on DA dead or alive in an ideal no-till smart pot? 

 

Anybody ever use Chia for mulching? I found some seeds at the grocer in the organics section...didn't get em since I already have clover but just wondering.

 

Living mulch is finally starting to pop up in patches around the pot. Very exciting stuff. There are critters all over the surface, but nothing crawling on the plant. Also very exciting stuff. I find myself just staring at all the little critters doing their work. Mites seem to love hanging out in the shade on the larger pieces of lava rock. I don't see springtails anymore, I think I let it get a little too dry one week and they all died. I'm hoping the new city made earth worm castings I bought yesterday will add some more life. It's pretty finely screened, but fingers crossed.

 

I'm so high right now, I just spent a few minutes imagining what it be like to be one of those mites chillin in the shade on a lava rock in BOWs garden....damn I am f'in baked right now!!! :lol:

 

You know you're an organic freak when...

 

 
Yeah it is but it's also inoculated, so that may be where the price difference is coming from.
 
I agree, stay away from accumulators, instead look toward companion plants like small herbs to help with IPM  and perhaps other aspects, in larger containers. (20 gallon+)
 
 

 
Yeah, I find living mulch to be perfect for enhancing the soil biology for soil thats been freshly mixed and cycled and for no tills in between harvest and the transition into flowering.
 
I personally just sow dutch white clover after harvesting a plant in my 20 gallon, then by the time the plant that goes in it is ready to flower I mulch a nice 1-2" layer of vermicompost that may or may not be mixed with materials and cycled, like comfrey, nettles, neem, crab shell and/or kelp, depending on what I feel could be most useful for the situation, within reason.
 
I've also found it helps to train the plant straight upwards to gain some height over the mulch before establishing a central "hub" area for the nodes to branch out from.

 

But that would encourage weeds not prevent them.