My herb garden is located underneath the pergola in my backyard. It receives
morning light year-round, but no direct water due to the corrugated
fiberglass sheeting ontop of the pergola. What's the best form of mulch for
herb gardens? I would prefer something that is going to beef up the soil,
but not leach out too much nitrogen. I've thought about chicken poo, either
in the form of dynamic lifter or poo from a farm nearby that sells the
stuff, but I know it wouldn't last a day due to the dog thinking that the
stuff is a special treat just for her. I was using hay on most of the
garden, but found my garden beds full of weeds after the last bale.

--
Wanda
aka Willow
The missing and definitely not to be taken seriously under any circumstances
garden gnome
http://www.2000cn.com.au/~willow

~~faeries are able to fly because they take themselves lightly~

"Willow" wrote in message
news
My herb garden is located underneath the pergola in my backyard. It
receives
morning light year-round, but no direct water due to the corrugated
fiberglass sheeting ontop of the pergola. What's the best form of mulch
for
herb gardens? I would prefer something that is going to beef up the soil,
but not leach out too much nitrogen. I've thought about chicken poo,
either
in the form of dynamic lifter or poo from a farm nearby that sells the
stuff, but I know it wouldn't last a day due to the dog thinking that the
stuff is a special treat just for her. I was using hay on most of the
garden, but found my garden beds full of weeds after the last bale.

I've been pretty pleased with my pea straw, which is good for the soil
(though I don't know much about leaching nitrogen). The only problem with
pea straw is that you get peas... which to me isn't a negative.

Peter from Gardening Aus seems to swear by blood and bone with a dash of
trace elements. I tried sheep manure this year instead and I think blood and
bone gave better results.

On a different subject, my coriander hasn't bolted to seed yet! Read
something on coriander, that the common mistake gardeners make is to put
coriander in full sun in summer. Mine gets a bit of morning sun but is
protected from the afternoon sun.

Gabra wrote in message
...
"Willow" wrote in message
news
My herb garden is located underneath the pergola in my backyard. It
receives
morning light year-round, but no direct water due to the corrugated
fiberglass sheeting ontop of the pergola. What's the best form of mulch
for
herb gardens? I would prefer something that is going to beef up the
soil,
but not leach out too much nitrogen. I've thought about chicken poo,
either
in the form of dynamic lifter or poo from a farm nearby that sells the
stuff, but I know it wouldn't last a day due to the dog thinking that
the
stuff is a special treat just for her. I was using hay on most of the
garden, but found my garden beds full of weeds after the last bale.

I've been pretty pleased with my pea straw, which is good for the soil
(though I don't know much about leaching nitrogen). The only problem with
pea straw is that you get peas... which to me isn't a negative.

Where abouts do you get pea straw from? Of the places I've been too (city
farmers & various nurseries mostly) hay & very occasionally lucerne hay are
the only two options.

Peter from Gardening Aus seems to swear by blood and bone with a dash of
trace elements. I tried sheep manure this year instead and I think blood
and
bone gave better results.

I suppose I could give it a go & water it in well so the dog doesn't raid
the garden. I dug some in when I started building up the soil at the start
of winter & although she was burying her bones in that garden bed for a
while, she didn't seem to dig holes to raid the blood n bone supply.


On a different subject, my coriander hasn't bolted to seed yet! Read
something on coriander, that the common mistake gardeners make is to put
coriander in full sun in summer. Mine gets a bit of morning sun but is
protected from the afternoon sun.


I think I might have coriander growing wild in my citrus garden, a garden
bed that receives full sun for most of the year. I think the previous owners
must have used that garden bed for a herb & vege garden as I've also had
several tomato plants send up shoots without any help at all from me. Unless
it's from birds flying overhead. I used to get help in my garden from birds
in the previous house. I was right by the beach, but it's amazing the types
of plants that would self-seed in the garden beds.


--
Wanda
aka Willow
The missing and definitely not to be taken seriously under any circumstances
garden gnome
http://www.2000cn.com.au/~willow

~~faeries are able to fly because they take themselves lightly~

"Willow" wrote in message
...
Gabra wrote in message
...
"Willow" wrote in message
news
My herb garden is located underneath the pergola in my backyard. It
receives
morning light year-round, but no direct water due to the corrugated
fiberglass sheeting ontop of the pergola. What's the best form of
mulch
for
herb gardens? I would prefer something that is going to beef up the
soil,
but not leach out too much nitrogen. I've thought about chicken poo,
either
in the form of dynamic lifter or poo from a farm nearby that sells the
stuff, but I know it wouldn't last a day due to the dog thinking that
the
stuff is a special treat just for her. I was using hay on most of the
garden, but found my garden beds full of weeds after the last bale.

I've been pretty pleased with my pea straw, which is good for the soil
(though I don't know much about leaching nitrogen). The only problem
with
pea straw is that you get peas... which to me isn't a negative.

Where abouts do you get pea straw from? Of the places I've been too (city
farmers & various nurseries mostly) hay & very occasionally lucerne hay
are
the only two options.

I live in Perth, and I get my pea straw from City Farmers, so I'm surprised
that yours don't stock it.

Peter from Gardening Aus seems to swear by blood and bone with a dash of
trace elements. I tried sheep manure this year instead and I think blood
and
bone gave better results.

I suppose I could give it a go & water it in well so the dog doesn't raid
the garden. I dug some in when I started building up the soil at the start
of winter & although she was burying her bones in that garden bed for a
while, she didn't seem to dig holes to raid the blood n bone supply.

On a different subject, my coriander hasn't bolted to seed yet! Read
something on coriander, that the common mistake gardeners make is to put
coriander in full sun in summer. Mine gets a bit of morning sun but is
protected from the afternoon sun.


I think I might have coriander growing wild in my citrus garden, a garden
bed that receives full sun for most of the year. I think the previous
owners
must have used that garden bed for a herb & vege garden as I've also had
several tomato plants send up shoots without any help at all from me.
Unless
it's from birds flying overhead. I used to get help in my garden from
birds
in the previous house. I was right by the beach, but it's amazing the
types
of plants that would self-seed in the garden beds.

Yes, I love it when that happens, a present from nature. The best tomato
plant I ever 'grew' was a cherry one that popped up next to my gate. My
tomato yield was so disappointing last year (partly due to tomato worms,
which I unsuccessfully tried to ward off with garlic and chili
spray--perhaps I didn't respray enough) considering the amount of care I
gave them, I've given up and focussed on other things.