Quote:
Originally Posted by imp
I don't know about your leaf litter, but mine shrunk tremendously over time as it became black lovely soil type stuff. My shrinkage was over 75%, YMMV.
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Holy cow at 75%. Hmmmm... well I get it for free, so I can just keep going back for more. None the less, thats my plan for next years Plant Sales. No matter how much I have to get, its free.
Alrighty.. so I finally got to move onto the next phase of the project today. Mulch!
Thats what $20 will get ya. Well, they will pile it as high as you want, but the weight does start adding up. I think this came in at .87 tons.
A close up. All sorts of sizes in there. I have watched the process while waiting. They use a large tub grinder, and dump in the trees, they grind up, spit out onto a conveyor belt system, and into a pile.
Not able to get a decent photo because of the sun. I did get 42 Tomatoes planted. Its a random assortment of Prudens Purple, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and a generic Red Brandywine.
This took far longer then I anticipated. I never could find a good flow of operation until the very end...
1. Dig hole
2. Drop in 1/4 cup Espoma Plant Tone
3. Drop in plant
4. Back fill while stirring together leaf mulch and clay soil
5. Mulch
Wasnt until the last 5 plants that it occured to me to dig all the holes at once, then fertilize all at once, drop in all at once, etc. And, if you recall, yesterday or so I mentioned about tilling in the Leaf Mulch. Well, that didnt happen. The tiller would not fire up. Nada. Dead. I took it as a sign that it wasnt meant to be. I grabbed the shovel and started digging. Some holes dug really easily. Other holes were a little tougher. Hopefully in the coming years the soil will soften up to the point that it can just be dug by hand.
Tonight after dinner I plan to pound some t-posts in the ground, and run 20 pound clear fishing line. Hopefully this will spook the deer population. Each morning I have noticed fresh paw prints in the mulch.
Tomorrows plan is to spread the rest of the mulch, plants Ky Wonder pole beans, Marketmore Cukes, and some Mini Pumpkins.