28-01-2003, 08:40 PM
|
|
|
using old hay for mulch ?
In article ,
says...
Stephen Birchall wrote in message ...
I have a few doz hay bales that I am thinking of using as mulch for
newly
planted trees. I've not seen any info on this in the literature and
am
wondering if it is a good idea or otherwise and if anybody has any
useful
tips.
----------
Over the past 5 yrs I have been planting small (and I mean small!) trees and
shrubs in what was a paddock but is fast becoming a woodland. All these
were planted into the existing grassland, with compost added, and then
mulched with old hay.
None of them have shown any vole damage, and all have grown well except a
special crabapple that I bought as a larger tree because that was the only
size available. It has not grown at all, whereas all the whips are romping
away.
Moral of the story is; don't waste money buying larger specimens if you can
buy them small.
So I would use the straw, it also provides nutrients as it rots down.
If you ever come across a book called "The No-Work Garden" by Ruth Stout,
it is well worth reading. She mulches everything with hay.
Best wishes,
Marina
we've got 2 acres here, the top acre paddock, which I want to establish
some trees etc on to encourage as a wildlife area. It is a bit exposed,
so I'll need to plan carefully. We've been here about 16 months and the
local farmer cut and baled the hay from the paddock last summer. I
wouldn't describe it as good quality hay, could sell it at £1 a bale, but
prefer to devise alternative uses for it - would be useful as a wind
break, 2 bales in a V formation (perhaps 2 more on top) agin the wind to
give a nice shletered southerly aspect. Once the trees start to go into
the paddock, I am going to have to think of an alternative way to keep
the grass in some sort of order - I was thinking of an Allen scythe, but
these don't seem to be on the market nowadays.
I like the sound of "the no-work garden", I'll have to track down a copy
cheers
Steve
|