In article
,
Billy wrote:

In article
,
Peppermint Patootie wrote:

I have a small urban organic vegetable garden within the city limits of
Boston, and I'm trying to mulch the heck out of it this year to save on
weeding and water. (I have soaker hoses I plan to place under the
mulch.)

I have questions about what materials will be best for mulch. I'm
concerned about: 1) whether the material is good or bad for the plant
2) whether the material is good or bad for the part of the plant I'll be
eating i.e. toxic? 3) whether the material is a good mulch material (as
I think it is) or if I'm deluded about its utility as a much material.

Here's what I have ideas of using:

- newspapers
Newspapers are good. The dye is soy based. The pages block sunlight and
suppress weeds. I usually put my soil amendments down first.
- straw (trying to get some bales delivered: anyone know a good
source near Boston?)
Check feed stores, or farm supplies. I prefer alfalfa, because it has
more nitrogen. If you use alfalfa, it is best to water it occasional for
a couple of weeks before you plant. I use a sharpened shovel handle
(dibble) to make planting holes in order to avoid turning the soil.

Good idea. I may not get the straw until after I'm planted, though.

- cedar shavings (are they acidic or alkali and would that help/hinder
"wood often contains potentially fungitoxic compounds, which are
deposited in the heartwood. In broad-leaved trees the toxic compounds
are usually tannins, well know for their ability to cross-link proteins,
making animal skins resistant to decay. In contrast, conifers contain a
range of phenolic compounds such as terpenes, stilbenes, flavonoids and
tropolones. The most toxic of the tropolones are the thujaplicins which
act as uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation; they are particularly
abundant in cedarwood, making this a naturally decay-resistant wood for
high-quality garden furnishings, etc."
http://www.biology.ed.ac.uk/research...Biology/woodro
ts.htm

I have no idea what this means.

If you plan on feeding it to your soil, I'd find something else.

OK. In other words, it would hurt my plants or make the veggies toxic?

tomatoes, beans, summer squash, cucumbers)



Does anyone have any other good ideas? I don't have a lawn, so don't
have lawn clippings, although I might be able to get some from my
neighbor. I want them for the compost heap anyway.

I'll be grateful for any suggestions or information folks can offer.
See below. Remember you want a 25/1 carbon to nitrogen ratio from your
mulch.

Uh, no. I want moisture preservation and week suffocation from my mulch.


Thanks!

Priscilla

The information below seems to be about composting. I have a copy of
_Let It Rot_. I have a compost heap, but what I'm asking about is
mulch. There are things I might use for mulch that I'd never put in my
compost heap: like landscape fabric, for instance.

Thanks.

Priscilla

urban organic gardener in zone 6
Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition)
(Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides)
by Stu Campbell

http://www.amazon.com/Let-Rot-Compos...580170234/ref=
sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294901182&sr=1-1

p.39

Compostable Material Average C/N

Alder or ash leaves ............................ 25

Grass clippings ................................ 25

Leguminous plants (peas,
beans,soybeans) ............................. 15

Manure with bedding ........................... 23

Manure ....................................... 15

Oak leaves .................................... 50

Pine needles .............................. 60-100

Sawdust................................. 150-500

Straw, cornstalks and cobs .................. 50-100

Vegetable trimmings ........................... 25
Aged Chicken Manure**........................* 7
Alfalfa ................................................ 12
Newspaper........................................ 175
-------

http://www.composting101.com/c-n-ratio.html

A Balancing Act (Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios)


All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C)
combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N). The balance of these two
elements in an organism is called the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N
ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the
composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for
energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are
compost scientists) have determined that the fastest way to produce
fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere
around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or 25-30:1. If the C:N
ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. If the C:N
ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile.

Below are the average C:N ratios for some common organic materials found
in the compost bin. For our purposes, the materials containing high
amounts of carbon are considered "browns," and materials containing high
amounts of nitrogen are considered "greens."

Estimated Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios
Browns = High Carbon
C:N
Ashes, wood
25:1
Cardboard, shredded
350:1
Corn stalks
75:1
Fruit waste
35:1
Leaves
60:1
Newspaper, shredded
175:1
Peanut shells
35:1
Pine needles
80:1
Sawdust
325:1
Straw
75:1
Wood chips
400:1
Greens = High Nitrogen
C:N
Alfalfa
12:1
Clover
23:1
Coffee grounds
20:1
Food waste
20:1
Garden waste
30:1
Grass clippings
20:1
Hay
25:1
Manures
15:1
Seaweed
19:1
Vegetable scraps
25:1
Weeds
30:1

Note: Many ingredients used for composting do not have the ideal ratio
of 25-30:1. As a result, most must be mixed to create "the perfect
compost recipe." High C:N ratios may be lowered by adding grass
clippings or manures. Low C:N ratios may be raised by adding paper, dry
leaves or wood chips.

Many home gardeners prefer to put up with a slight odor and keep some
excess nitrogen in the pile, just to make sure there is always enough
around to keep the pile "cooking!" Learn more about building a hot
compost pile here.

-----------
http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.co...ogenratio.html
GREEN (Nitrogen)
BROWN (Carbon)
Aged Chicken Manure*** 7:1

Fresh manures are way to hot and can burn your plants and roots!
Leaves** 60-80:1
One of the most important ingredients for composting, especially
shredded or broken down (leaf mulch).
Food Scraps** 17:1

Vegetable Scraps** 25:1
Straw, Hay** 90:1

The best way to use is to shred for faster breakdown.
Coffee Grounds** 25:1
Sawdust** 500:1

Commercially produced compost is high in sawdust or shredded bark chips.
Use very sparingly!
Grass Clippings - Fresh** 17:1

Dry clippings would be higher in Carbon. Therefore, use as carbon source
if necessary.
Woody chips & twigs** 700:1

Be sparing. Best use is small material at bottom of bin or pile.
Fresh Weeds** 20:1

Make sure you don't compost weeds with seeds, unless you insure that
your pile gets hot - over 140°F/60°C.
Shredded Newspaper** 175:1

Has no nutrient content. Best used in vermicomposting. Always shred and
soak in water for fast breakdown.
Fruit Wastes** 25-40:1
Nut shells** 35:1
Rotted Manure** 20:1

Horse manure should not be used because it contains undigested seeds
that can sprout in the bin.
Pine Needles** 80:1

Use sparingly. Very acidic and waxy; breaks down slowly.
Humus (soil)** 10:1

This is nature's natural ratio. Use sparingly in pile. Best used to
"seal" the pile by putting a 1-2 inch layer on top.
Corn Stalks** 60:1

Shred or cut up in small pieces for fast break down.
Seaweed** 19:1
Peat Moss** 58:1

Has no nutrient value. In the bin it is mostly filler.
General Garden Waste** 30:1

Clippings from plants, stalks, dead flowers, etc. Excellent mix with
leaves
NOTE
The C:N Ratios given in this chart are average and may slightly vary
according to source, researcher or scientist!


"Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words
are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden,
And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind
deeds."
- Longfellow 1807*1882


Taxes
Citizen$ --- Government --- Corporations --- Top 1% --Where the
money went

Are you better off than you were 30 years ago? 10 years ago? 1 year ago?

Thank Reaganomics/Thatcherism, a.k.a. Voodoo economics :O(
--
"What you fail to understand is that criticising established authority by means
of argument and evidence is a crucial aspect of how science works."
- Chris Malcolm