VOLCANIC GRAVEL.

We planted a palm tree 5 years ago in a block surround raised bed. The palms need regular trimming and the more you trim, the higher they grow.



This is the same tree last October and see how the osteospurmum was getting squashed and tatty. . .

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Posted by ladyluz Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, trees on 2008-05-22, 06:52:36

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A visitor browsing through photos of the garden was curious and inquired into the types of mulch and the various techniques that are employed to mulch my organic raised bed garden. . . .

reBlogged to mulch on May 19, 2008, 10:27PM

Posted by Kenny Point Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-05-20, 06:34:26

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The mountains or volcanoes or whatever you want to call them are back. I’m referring to those mounds of mulch that many landscapers and homeowners load up around the base of small trees. Those mounds sometimes cover as much as ten inches of the trunk of the tree. They drive me nuts. . . .

reBlogged to mulch on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM

Posted by jeffball@usol.com (Jeff Ball) Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-05-17, 06:12:48

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There are many types of mulch available all across the country for peoples gardens. Mulch gives any landscape a finished look. Mulch helps keep the weeds out and saves on water by limiting the amount of evaporation from the soil. However, there are some important differences in mulches.

Some mulch is primarily made of cut up logs. This type of mulch will break down very slowly and add little or no nutrients to your garden. Other m...

reBlogged to mulch on May 5, 2008, 1:00AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-05-07, 05:32:38

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I got an email earlier this week from a reader who had a question about lasagna gardens. Lasagna gardening, also known as sheet composting, is a super-simple, no-dig way to...

reBlogged to mulch gardening on Apr 23, 2008, 4:58AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardening, mulch on 2008-04-24, 06:26:00

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One of the segments I included in my "10-Ways to Incorporate Art Into Your Garden"presentation at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival was on creative mulch ideas. Gardeners  know that top dressing garden soil with mulch is an effective step in conserving soil moisture and retarding weed growth. That's all good, but I ...

reBlogged to mulch

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-04-10, 06:12:35

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What’s one of the best—and easiest—things you can do to keep your plants in tip-top shape this spring? Mulch. Topping your plants with a layer of mulch protects roots from heat, cold, and drought. Mulching a host of other benefits, too. . .

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Posted by Katie Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-04-08, 05:54:10

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One of the things I really like to do is get a handle on how things work from both sides of an issue. I do this with almost every gardening thing that comes along - from chemical use to .. well, to Louisiana Mulch. Somehow I had a sense that the “problem” wasn’t quite as it was being described in the news release from the conservation group. (Anybody who believes every news release they get doesn’t get very many). . .

reBlogged to mulch environment on Apr 2, 2008, 10:20AM

Posted by Doug Reblogged by Old Roses to environment, mulch on 2008-04-04, 06:31:27

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Posted by lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-03-28, 06:17:41

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I have posted this note from the WaterKeeper Organization (they’ve targeted garden writers and you’ll see it posted all over the Net on different garden blogs/sites in the next few weeks). I have also asked the Louisiana Forestry Assoc and their Secondary Producers Trade Association for comments and responses. . . .

reBlogged to mulch on Mar 26, 2008, 10:21AM

Posted by Doug Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-03-27, 18:12:46

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Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-03-26, 17:59:32

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Posted by Petunia's Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-03-21, 18:20:01

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I recently had a great question from a new organic allotmenteer called Doug, who said some very lovely things about my book, and then asked: "You suggested the use of cardboard for weed suppressing/mulching - I have access to loads of it! But is it known if the adhesives used in the cardboard industry to stick the layers together break down to harmless elements? (Sorry if this seems overzealous). " On the contrary, Doug, this is a darn good question and one I have occasionally pondered, so your email offered a great big kick up the backside to search out...

reBlogged to mulch on Feb 27, 2008, 9:59AM

Posted by Jane Perrone Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-02-28, 06:06:17

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What will Organic esspresso grounds do in my Seattle soil?

reBlogged to mulch on Feb 24, 2008, 8:52PM

Posted by Mark Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-02-26, 06:21:13

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So I guess I've realised that I need a new game plan for the allotment now I have a tiny person in tow. I came up with this set of commandments while down on the plot on Sunday. 1. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more I can't be doing with a lot of weeding this year - too much heavy labour, too time-consuming. So I am going to mulch heavily with cardboard, newspaper, grass cutting and straw - every patch I can, barring the raised beds which are fairly weed free. The accompanying pix are the before and after shots...

reBlogged to mulch on Feb 19, 2008, 4:16PM

Posted by Jane Perrone Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-02-20, 05:49:05

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Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, tools on 2008-02-18, 19:49:14

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The second thing that I believe is imperative to a successful and easy to maintain landscape, is to mulch the beds. Mulch will keep most weeds from sprouting, hold the moisture in the ground, and keep the beds looking nice. Mulch's will also add valuable nutrients to the soil as they decompose. I most often use hardwood mulch for my landscaped beds, leaves in my perennial beds, and straw and grass clippings in my garden and fruit bed. I have the advantage of always having shredded leaves on hand, because we collect them from clients lawns in the Fall, and I usually keep a few truckloads for myself. . . .

reBlogged to mulch

Posted by vonlafin Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-02-14, 06:09:28

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Mulch plays as important a role in winter as it does in summer, as Marie Iannotti discusses in this article on winter mulch. Sometimes, Old Man Winter does the mulching...

reBlogged to mulch on Feb 1, 2008, 12:11AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-02-01, 18:02:49

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After a recent Gardening Australia episode informed me that compost was NOT suitable as a mulch, I was faced with a new reality requiring a paradigm shift from my current thinking.

Or did I?

Are GA reporters infallible and can their advice be trusted without question? Hmmm... it was time to think this one through a little more. . . .

reBlogged to compost mulch on Jan 20, 2008, 4:05PM

Posted by Stuart Reblogged by Old Roses to compost, mulch on 2008-01-22, 18:55:24

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With the recent blast of warm weather here in New Jersey, I've managed to finally finish closing my vegetable garden for the winter. Better late than never, I always say.

Not only do I like to add a heaping of compost to my raised beds every spring, I also like to add shredded leaves in fall. The shredded leaves serve as a mulch so that I don't loose too much of that easily workable, organic matter packed, garden soil. . . .

reBlogged to foliage mulch

Posted by Anthony Reblogged by Old Roses to foliage, mulch on 2008-01-16, 05:52:02

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Thanks to our Homesteading neighbors, our pumpkin patch has become a little richer. Used goat straw (see the cute girls here)! For two garden years, my mulch of choice was used sheep straw (see the sheep here). We've had a whole year without them so I was happy to have the goat straw today. . . .

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Posted by Petunia's Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-01-15, 06:03:16

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Trees check in, they don't check out. Today I volunteered for the city-wide Mulchfest at the Park Circle location. I had a great time, and I'm going back tomorrow. The 3rd Street entrance to Prospect Park has been the focus of past years, and it...

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Posted by Xris (Flatbush Gardener) Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2008-01-06, 16:27:54

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Mulchfest 2008 is on! You can drop-off trees at Greenwood Cemetery, 25th Street and 5th Avenue, starting today through January 11, any time between 8am and 4:30pm. Starting this Thursday, January 3 through Wednesday, January 16, you can leave trees...

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Posted by Xris (Flatbush Gardener) Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, trees on 2008-01-03, 00:29:20

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One thing my gardening teachers have impressed upon me is the oh-so-wrongness of uncovered, bare soil for the winter. Since I never seem to get around to a cover crop, I've developed a second-best method-- to dress my beds for winter in a blanket of chopped leaves and straw. The earthworms love it. Hence the sticks on top....because if the chickens are out of the pen, they head straight for these beds to scratch off the covers and devour those fat earthworms. So lately, I'm adding a stick covering just in case of rogue chicken attack!

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Posted by Leigh Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-12-31, 00:10:07

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What is the benefit of using red plastic mulch in my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to mulch on Dec 27, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-12-28, 20:42:51

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Mulching may not be on your list of things to do this time of year, if you live in a cold climate. But you might want to rethink that....

reBlogged to weather mulch on Dec 20, 2007, 8:00PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, weather on 2007-12-21, 19:50:59

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Can I use my Christmas tree for mulch after Christmas? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to trees mulch on Dec 14, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, trees on 2007-12-17, 00:27:07

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The Fruit Growers News - May 2000: "Sears grows two basic varieties – the rabbiteye and the southern highbush. The rabbiteye, the easier and more profitable variety to grow, doesn’t begin producing until Memorial Day, at the end of May. The southern highbush begins producing as early as April 15. The problem for Sears and other growers was that even with the addition of the pine bark mulch the southern highbush wasn’t producing high yields. University of Georgia Extension agents worked with Sears and other growers to lay out beds of pine bark six to eight inches deep before they planted the bushes directly into the mulch. The southern highbush plants in the pine bark beds are doing quite well, Sears said. But, creation and upkeep on the mulch beds isn’t easy or inexpensive. That’s why Sears has 35 acres of blueberries, but currently less than an acre of producing berries in the mulch beds. Sears has several more beds in their first year of planting and he is preparing several more to plant. He plans to have about five acres of the southern highbush growing in beds of pine bark mulch in the next couple of years."

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Posted by Central FLA Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-12-14, 00:41:35

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Should I mulch my perennials for the winter? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to mulch on Dec 11, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-12-14, 00:41:20

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Snow is forecast for this evening!! I am not ready!! There is still to much to do outside!!

As soon as I heard the forecast for snow, I left the Christmas decorating, and headed outdoors. I still have plants that I did not get into the ground, so they had to be either put into the greenhouse to overwinter, or bedded into the garden for the winter. I also had a few planters that needed to be put into the shed, my 2 swings were still hanging, etc., etc., etc.
There was one project that absolutely had to be done. In the fall we pick up lots of leaves, and
I keep several of the better loads, (the ones that are mostly oak leaves), for my beds. They make a great mulch for the beds that I don't want to cover with bark mulch. . . .

reBlogged to weather mulch

Posted by vonlafin Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, weather on 2007-12-06, 00:41:45

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I have fir needles and redwood needles that land in my pots and essentially act as mulch. Will this overly acidify my soil, anyone know?

reBlogged to mulch on Nov 25, 2007, 7:16PM

Posted by Teresa Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-11-27, 00:18:13

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Weekend mulching...with rocks! Now, I know that this is not generally a recommended choice for mulch, and the use of these polished rocks from the Dollar store is likely considered even more repulsive, but there's method to my madness!

You see, even though my soil is sandy, there is a lot of debris raining down on my plants from the overhead trees, which can cause rot in some plants, especially cacti and succulents. . .

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Posted by lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-11-15, 06:25:33

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reBlogged to foliage compost mulch

Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden (nospam@example.com) Reblogged by Old Roses to compost, foliage, mulch on 2007-11-15, 05:55:32

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Today was a beautiful day, perfect for yard work, so I went back to the recycle place to get more mulch. We had already made four trips earlier in the month and my son and I made three trips today, but I still need more mulch. . . .

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Posted by Robin's Nesting Place Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-11-01, 06:21:38

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A few weeks ago after a storm, while wandering along the beach at Roberts Creek I noticed several people harvesting kelp left by the high tides.

Curious as to why they would be doing this, I started up a conversation with a windswept bystander. He explained that the kelp was highly coveted by the locals for use as a garden mulch and that it was very rich in nitrogen. . . .

reBlogged to mulch on Oct 28, 2007, 7:29PM

Posted by anne Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-10-30, 06:29:21

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I admit I probably deserve the charge that I tend to be a mulching maniac or an organic-material madman. However, my obsession with mulch and organic matter in general rests on a scientific truth that is hard to overlook.

For the past 1 million years the forests of the world every autumn dropped their leaves or some needles to the ground. They produced a layer of mulch on the forest floor, year after year. At the same time, the prairies of the world let the blades of the grasses die, also producing a nice layer of organic matter on the soil's surface, year after year. . . .

reBlogged to mulch foliage on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM

Posted by jeffball@usol.com (Jeff Ball) Reblogged by Old Roses to foliage, mulch on 2007-10-19, 06:20:32

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We've seen gravel mulch, glass mulch, rubber mulch - darn it, we've even seen coloured mulch. But just when you thought we'd seen it all, along comes a Kiwi vigneron who wants to try his hand at mulching with mussel shells. Mussel shells?

It makes sense, really! In New Zealand they're hardly short on a steady supply of these little molluscs yet they're only valued for their meat. The shells end up as a wastage product. . . .

reBlogged to mulch on Oct 17, 2007, 7:34PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-10-18, 18:51:03

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Used Starbucks Coffee Grounds I was having problems with my roses. They were getting rust from getting their leaves wet from my sprinkler system. Last summer, they looked terrible so I cut them...

reBlogged to roses mulch on Oct 10, 2007, 8:27AM

Posted by Green Talk Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch, roses on 2007-10-11, 18:10:39

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After a long season of dishing the dirt on everything from gardening garb to wacky ways to water, we Greengirls are throwing in the trowel. Now that most of us are putting our gardens to bed, we’ve decided it’s time to put our blog to bed, too. . ..

reBlogged to blogs mulch on Oct 3, 2007, 8:00AM

Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs, mulch on 2007-10-06, 00:26:44

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The city of Noblesville is wonderful community to live in for so many reasons. Recently there was a book published that ranked Noblesville in the top ten best places in the U.S. to raise a family. Today I enjoyed one of the perks of living in this grand community; I visited my local recycle center and I got free hardwood mulch. I've taken advantage of this several times and love that it is offered here. . . .

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Posted by Robin's Nesting Place Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-10-03, 00:47:02

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Long time, no post! I have been busy this summer and unfortunately did not keep up with this blog as much as I would have liked. Here's a picture of Busby helping with the gardening. (such a giver!) He is king of the bark dust pile; in order to get another load for the wheelbarrow, you have to skritch his head. It's a complicated system.

More soon!

reBlogged to mulch cats

Posted by Jen Reblogged by Old Roses to cats, mulch on 2007-09-24, 00:37:40

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If you’ve been reading my garden stories you know I was a very very bad gardener this year. I didn’t complete my summer gardening tasks until last week! Those tasks included adding a three inch or so layer of shredded red cedar mulch to my garden beds.

Time and time again I’m amazed at what a difference mulching the garden came make. If you use an attractive mulch it makes your garden beds look nicer. I find it also makes your garden look tidier. . .

reBlogged to mulch on Aug 14, 2007, 6:30AM

Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-08-15, 06:08:49

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Can I use sawdust from plywood as mulch in my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to mulch on Aug 13, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to mulch on 2007-08-15, 06:03:29

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