Hi Salty Thumb,
After the second pass read though your message, I'm afraid that I can
only reply you in very short form. Due to my bad English, I had
problem in spelling and phasing my words, it do take great effort for
me to write in English. Sorry about that. :-(
"Salty Thumb" wrote in message
...
"nswong" wrote in
:
Newspapers will decompose and become soil amendment.
Landscape fabric will not.
Newspapers are primarly carbon. According to one source[1] 'paper'
(not
necessarily newspaper) contains 150-200:1 C/N, compared to sawdust
at
100-500:1. Adding carbon will quite possibly detract from the
amount of
N available to a plant. Adding N to compensate will degrade the
weed
blocking utility of the newspaper as decomposition accelerates.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume carbon is of limited
value
as a nutrient amendment, as plants (primarily?) obtain carbon from
atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. At any rate,
plants
do *excrete* carbon from their roots after periods of elevated
carbon
dioxide[2].
However, I'll concede that the newspaper and newspaper debris may
have
indirect and significant benefits (functioning similarly to
deciduous
leaf litter) in providing habitat and food for beneficial insects
and
microbes and enhancing soil structure.
While not directly contributing materiel, it is possible that
landscape
fabric made of polyester (and perhaps also polypropylene) can fixate
minor amounts of atmospheric nitrogen via wind action and
electrostatic
effect[3].
Yes, newspapers need to be replaced often compared to landscape
fabric.
To me, this is not an advantage in permanent or semi-permanent
installations.
[1] http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g810.htm "Table I.
Carbon/Nitrogen Ratios of Some Common Organic Materials"
[2] http://www.co2science.org/subject/r/summaries/roots.htm
[3] http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/02/Spring/chubb.html "Findings"
Adding carbon will quite possibly detract from the amount of
N available to a plant. .
It depend on the carbon are in what form. If it's sugar or starch, it
do. If it's lignin or cellulose, the effect should be unnoticeable.
Newspaper are compose mostly by cellulose.
Adding N to compensate will degrade the weed
blocking utility of the newspaper as decomposition accelerates
Adding N will not always speed up the decompostion. It really depend
on situation.
Mulch supress weeds not just because the physical blocking ability, it
can also leach out some chemical harm weeds. Critters in mulch will
also help to supress weeds.
But to me, I will never add N to the mulch
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume carbon is of limited
value
as a nutrient amendment, as plants (primarily?) obtain carbon from
atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. At any rate,
plants
do *excrete* carbon from their roots after periods of elevated
carbon
dioxide[2].
However, I'll concede that the newspaper and newspaper debris may
have
indirect and significant benefits (functioning similarly to
deciduous
leaf litter) in providing habitat and food for beneficial insects
and
microbes and enhancing soil structure.
Yes, here the soil amendment I'm refer to improve soil structure.
While not directly contributing materiel, it is possible that
landscape
fabric made of polyester (and perhaps also polypropylene) can fixate
minor amounts of atmospheric nitrogen via wind action and
electrostatic
effect[3].
I believe N fixed by bacterial using carbon as energy in orgainc mulch
will do a better job.
Yes, newspapers need to be replaced often compared to landscape
fabric.
To me, this is not an advantage in permanent or semi-permanent
installations.
For this I do facing problem to explain my view. In bussiness, we talk
about total cost of ownership. In here we talk about in the total life
span of the product, how much cost involve and how much the return
get.
For this, I'm not know enough to provide a view. Sorry about that.
[1] http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g810.htm "Table I.
Carbon/Nitrogen Ratios of Some Common Organic Materials"
[2] http://www.co2science.org/subject/r/summaries/roots.htm
[3] http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/02/Spring/chubb.html "Findings"
Thanks for the links, I will look at it later. :-)
Newspapers will not block nightcrawler(earthworm) from pulling
plant
debris to their tunnel as their food.
Landscape fabric will, I don't think you will find much earthworm
under the landscape fabric.
Unless nightcrawlers will chew a hole through newspaper to open
their
covered burrow (quite possibly true), unbroken newspaper is as much
a
barrier as landscape fabric. But assuming a population rate of 1-7
worms
per square meter[4] there should be sufficient openings in a typical
fabric installation such that the population is not impacted
significantly (assuming there is no reason why they would not choose
to
use an available opening). Shallow burrowing earthworms do not
share
nightcrawler feeding habit, but may exit their wandering burrows
during
extensive rain[5].
[4] http://www.swcs.org/t_pubs_journal_2...acts_water.htm
[5] http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AY/AY-279.html
Unless nightcrawlers will chew a hole through newspaper to open
their
covered burrow (quite possibly true)
A few sheet of newspaper will not block earthworm.
But assuming a population rate of 1-7 worms
per square meter[4] there should be sufficient openings in a typical
fabric installation such that the population is not impacted
significantly (assuming there is no reason why they would not choose
to
use an available opening). Shallow burrowing earthworms do not
share
nightcrawler feeding habit, but may exit their wandering burrows
during
extensive rain[5].
I'm quite sure landscape fabric significantly reduce earthworm
population.
Newspapers will not block air and water to the soil, since they
decompose quickly.
Landscape fabric may, after sometime the holes may blocked by
roots.
Newspapers will block water to the soil or at the minimum cause
pooling
until drainage hole(s) are formed, which will not necessarily be
uniformly distributed. Landscape fabric is semi-porous or porous to
both air and water, as are roots. The mulch is more likely to block
water than the fabric.
Look at all short of filter we use, they all block. Do a test, remove
the mulch on top of your landscape fabric, put some water on top of
it, see how long it will pass through.
Mulch have critters making tunnel in it, except there is little
critter in it.
Newspapers: For adding soil amendment(carbon/organic matter), just
spread it on top of organic mulch(newspaper/manure/leaf...),
eventurely it will find it way to soil by critters.
Landscape fabric: Had to put it under the landscape fabric, or
else
only nutrient will pass through the landscape fabric in liquid
form,
but not much of organic matter.
Correct, although the fabric will not necessarily pass the suspended
nutrients, depending on the size of the pores in the fabric.
I'm refer to those nutrien that resolve in water as liquid form.
Newspapers: When weeds find the way through the old
newspaper/mulch,
just put new newspaper/mulch on top of weeds. Done!
Landscape fabric: Do you ever think of putting new landscape
fabric on
top of old landscape fabric? ;-)
Weeds other than certain monocotyledons will not find their way
through
landscape fabric from below. If a plants attempts to colonize the
top
of the fabric, it is easily picked off. Done! No need to dig or
look
for a newspaper stand.
Landscape fabric is not overlayed because it is not necessary.
However,
if you have made a hole in the fabric that you do not want, it can
be
repaired by simply putting a new piece on top (or tucked below the
existing fabric).
No comment. g
Newspapers: Never need to replace, just adding new one.
Landscape fabric: It's a nightmare to replace a landscape fabric
that
have plant root grow into it.
Landscape fabric: Never need to replace. Period. Okay, not in
5-15
years at least. Landscape fabric can become embeded with roots
attempting to penetrate from below, but the removal of such fabric
is of
minor difficulty. Removing stripable wallpaper takes more effort.
Landscape fabric: Never need to replace. Period. Okay, not in
5-15
years at least.
From what I read, if landscape fabric are expose to sun, will not last
long.
Landscape fabric can become embeded with roots
attempting to penetrate from below, but the removal of such fabric
is of
minor difficulty.
From what I read, those user of landscape fabric donot take it as
"minor difficulty". g
Will I be able to cover a large area (such as 10-ft x 6-ft)
Using a sickle to cut what(weeds) above the mulch, leave it there,
add
some new mulch. I can cover 50-ft x 5-ft within one hour, and it
can
last for two months. Don't afraid of walking on the mulch, this
will
not really compact the soil, walk on bare soil are another story.
Landscape fabric is a long term installation and will take more time
for
planning and preparation. The actual installation is simple.
No comment. g
Sorry, I'm getting a bit impatience. :-(
Sorry,
Wong
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