im ganna dig over our veg patch this weekend, as in, pull up the remaining sprout plants, turn over the soil, and prep it for this years crop. problem is, when its been dug over, the cats think its their new toilet =[ so, would it be a good idea to get some of that black plastic stuff to put over the soil, and then put holes in it so the plants grow through it? and would normal black bin bags do the job? iggy:
Black plastic can lead to some problems, like cutting off air to the soil and microorganisms that live in the soil. What's wrong with a little natural nitrogen in the way of cat poop? Plain newspaper would be a better alternative. And remember plastic is not bio-degradeable.
plastice is not biodegradeable that is true, but if you use a nice hardy plastic like a thicker clear plastic sheet, you can reuse it every year. your plants will be just fine. my mother has been doing this for several years now, she hasn't had to weed, and when it rains the water gets directly at the plant. useing this method her tomatoe plants grow to nearly 8 feet!
When using either black or clear plastic if you live in an area that get's high heat in the summer, you better mulch over that plastic or you'll fry your plants. In which case why not just use mulch? I works well for inhibiting weed growth and allows the soil to breathe...but it won't do much to keep the cats out. But a small yappie dog works great, and gives you companionship as well. If you don't like dogs get a big tough, territorial tom cat that uses a cat box. As to eight foot tomato plants, I prefer the short ones it makes picking easier. How many tomatos did she get off those vines?
atm we havent got the plants in, we just dug it over in prep and covered it so the cats dont use it.. they do have a tray, but they wee in the tray and poop outside =] i shall look into the mulch idea.. i know my mom wants a mulchmaker thing
I suppose i'll be the demon, I'm accredited by NOFA as an organic land care professional and gotta tell ya that tilling either by hand or machine is not always necessary and is very detrimental to soil ingredients. Tilling or flipping the soil will: - release Nitrogen in the soil out into the atmosphere (chances are you want to keep as much N in the soil as possible so you don't have to add later) - Will burn and kill much mycorrhizae (beneficial fungus) - Will kill many beneficial nematodes and bacteria that exist to help plants - Will make old seeds germinate that were in the soil (but hey you'll end up with weeds no matter what) Instead of flipping or tilling why not aerate and add compost to the top of the soil every spring? What about landscaping fabric? It's cheap too boot
there was already quite a bit of compost on it, because my mom emptied the pots onto it, so thats been dug in..
For compost or mulch to be effective as a weed control you have to have about a two inch layer overall. Unless your mom had a bunch of pots I can bet you haven't accomplished that. I wasn't joking about newspaper it can be a very effective mulch and weed inhibitor and biodegrades, so it does have to be replaced from time to time. I use it all the time and use my grass clippings on top of it as mulch.
well shes been dumping pots on over winter, but as it beens dug in its not really a layer on top anymore. ill suggest all these other options to her and see what she says =D i like the idea of the biodegradable stuff, its just trying to keep the cats off.. thats the main issue. while we're here.. best way to keep white cabbage butterflys away? they ruined my sprouts last year =[
Fresh cat poop can contain ecoli bacteria. Thats why organic farmers are not allowed to use FRESH manure from animals. Only well composted manure is allowed to be used and must be on the field so long before planting.
My mom swears by a combination of straw-composting & well-aged mulch in her garden. The straw gets laid on layers of old cardboard in between the rows so nothing grows there, and the mulch is used right around the plants. When I moved here I had landscape cloth ALL over the place. From what I've seen though, it doesn't work. Grasses & deep-rooted weeds grew as if it wasn't even there, I had maple-tree suckers so big I had to dig them out, and it was a beast to remove when we decided to give up & plant wildflowers. For cabbage butterflies, spraying the plants with soapy water helps keep the caterpillars off, and using netting keeps the butterflies themselves off the plants. Adding a birdfeeder is SUPPOSED to help if you can attract butterfly-eating birds - but all I manage to attract is squirrels, so I can't attest to that one personally. love, mom
I use black mesh that you can buy in rolls at places like Home Depot and such. It has many tiny holes to allow the soil to breathe, keep weeds out and moisture in. After I prep the soil, I cover it and pin it down with small garden fencing and a few stakes like extra tent stakes or sticks. Then estimate spacing for each row of what I'm planting, cut a V shape, fold it under, dig enough for the seedling, or seed, plant and water. Though I planted late April, I already ate my first strawberry, and been using the spearmint for tea, and lettuce for salad. Peace and blessings
I have a similar problem with cats. I've had success in using chicken wire laid down flat to keep them from digging up seedlings. Larger holes could be cut in it to accommodate larger plants growing through it.
we got some of this at the weekend and put it down, its held in place with tent pegs and pebbles =] planted 30 onions (YAAAY) and 8 garlics, so far so good =] on a side note.. how easy/hard is it grow chard? ours hasnt come up yet =[
