Let's Talk About Mulch
 

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

What should I do next year? I cannot face doing anything this year, as
I have too much going on. What ever is left alive in the spring will
get the new treatment.

For the weeds, I like Anne's newpaper idea, and actually used it a few
years ago with good results.

For the voles, I don't know. Maybe a layer of permatil on TOP too,
just under the last layer of soil?

Here is the real point of this post:

If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don't, tell me the good points. I think I already know the bad,
the worst being that bare ground is, to me, ugly. TIA

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.


I have about a four inch layer of pine bark "nuggets" on top of a layer of
landscaping "weed barrier" paper...the end of the rose garden with the
permeable plastic stuff is so overgrown with weeds I have despaired of ever
getting it cleaned out again.

I did lay soaker hose throughout, on top of the paper, under the mulch, so I
can drip irrigate without spashbacks on the leaves.

But my problem is with fertilizing...I have to rake back all the mulch, then
peel back the paper, or unwrap it from around the base of the plants,
scratch in the fertilizer, then lay it all back down again. That's the only
real drawback I can think of, other than attracting unwanted pests. My
mole/vole problem is under the landscaping paper, where they submarined in
to destroy the roots of most of my underplanted perennials, and selectively
chewed some of the roses' roots. I think they like the ice plants and
columbine much better, as they were almost annihilated, whereas my roses
suffered only sporadic attacks.

That wold be ok if it were just a couple bushes, but I have several dozen in
that bed alone, so I have been foliar feeding, and adding liquid fertilizer
to a drip tank attached to the soaker irrigation (Monty's Joy Juice, kelp
extract, seaweed extract, fish emulsion, an occaisional pinch of phosphorus,
Miracle Gro plant and root booster, etc.)


Scopata Fuori


"Bad Cat!"

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Shiva wrote:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds.

Don't we all. What kinds, annual or perennial? Do you overhead water?
That's one weed culprit. For annual weeds, it's pretty simple. You have
to weed to scrape the ground to kill existing weeds. Then you mulch.
Then you only water the good plants, not the whole area. As weeds come
up one at a time, your remove them, roots and all and never, ever let
the seed heads ripen. Existing weed seeds can't germinate because they
aren't exposed to light. New weed seeds germinate in the mulch and pull
out easily. If you can't get them early, they'll establish by extending
roots past the mulch into soil. Annual weeds can produce 100,000's of
seeds in a single season, so the seed heads are the key. Most will
ripen after they are cut, so removal of seed heads is the key. Paid
gardeners ignore that fact. It's called job security.

Weeds that propagate from roots (like bind weed) are a pita. They
deserve handpainting with Roundup.

As for the voles....I wonder if the mulch is the problem or if the
voles are the problem. I have some kind of burrowing rodent. The rodent
doesn't see to kill the roses, but it does divert precious irrigation
water down its burrows, as in glug, glug and then a gusher 25 feet
away. The mulch simply hides the openings to the burrows, disguising
the problem -- which is the rodent. I'm looking for a solution that
stops the rodent underground freeway with cages.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

In m Shiva wrote:
If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

Shiva, I still use lucerne (alfalfa) hay. The roses adore it and they
spring up basal growths from everywhere. I like the light colour too.
Weed suppression is moderately good so long as you apply a thick layer.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

In article .com.au,
Daniel Hanna wrote:

In m Shiva wrote:
If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

Shiva, I still use lucerne (alfalfa) hay. The roses adore it and they
spring up basal growths from everywhere. I like the light colour too.
Weed suppression is moderately good so long as you apply a thick layer.

ew ee, the smell when it gets wet....But it's a great winter mulch. I
put it on my veggie garden over the winter, and the soil is fabulous
this year.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Big admission here. *grin* I rarely, if ever, mulch. I don't like the
look of it. I also lean heavily towards the "cottage garden" look so
you rarely see much dirt because of the plants. If I see dirt, I tend
to throw down some alyssum seeds. Another benefit of having these
overblown gardens is that it doesn't give much room for weeds to take
hold whne all the available ground is taken by the flowers.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

I'm not a fan of mulch. It smells, attracts ants, and doesn't do a thing
for the weed population. Instead, I planted a bunch of lambs ears, thyme,
mint, and oregano in the rose beds. It provides enough cover to hold
moisture in and goes a long way towards keeping weeds out. As for the
voles, I don't have the problem - most of my neighbors have dogs...

"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

What should I do next year? I cannot face doing anything this year, as
I have too much going on. What ever is left alive in the spring will
get the new treatment.

For the weeds, I like Anne's newpaper idea, and actually used it a few
years ago with good results.

For the voles, I don't know. Maybe a layer of permatil on TOP too,
just under the last layer of soil?

Here is the real point of this post:

If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don't, tell me the good points. I think I already know the bad,
the worst being that bare ground is, to me, ugly. TIA

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Shiva,

Mulch only really works the first year.
Even then it has to put down
by late winter to prevent weed germination.

Once the seeds actually germinate no amount
of mulch helps. Actually makes things worse cos
you can't see then until they grow higher.

Mulch does need to be regularly weeded.
This is relatively easy cos you can easily
pluch the plants out off the loose material.

Real advantages of mulch for me is its ground
insulating and moisture retention. Also looks nice.

Rodents are always digging under the mulch but
the neighbhorhood Siamese has taken a shine
to scaring them. I've seen him patiently stalk
voles from hole to hole. He can hear their
ground vibrations appaently.

--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City


"Cass" wrote in message
.. .
Shiva wrote:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds.

Don't we all. What kinds, annual or perennial? Do you overhead water?
That's one weed culprit. For annual weeds, it's pretty simple. You have
to weed to scrape the ground to kill existing weeds. Then you mulch.
Then you only water the good plants, not the whole area. As weeds come
up one at a time, your remove them, roots and all and never, ever let
the seed heads ripen. Existing weed seeds can't germinate because they
aren't exposed to light. New weed seeds germinate in the mulch and pull
out easily. If you can't get them early, they'll establish by extending
roots past the mulch into soil. Annual weeds can produce 100,000's of
seeds in a single season, so the seed heads are the key. Most will
ripen after they are cut, so removal of seed heads is the key. Paid
gardeners ignore that fact. It's called job security.

Weeds that propagate from roots (like bind weed) are a pita. They
deserve handpainting with Roundup.

As for the voles....I wonder if the mulch is the problem or if the
voles are the problem. I have some kind of burrowing rodent. The rodent
doesn't see to kill the roses, but it does divert precious irrigation
water down its burrows, as in glug, glug and then a gusher 25 feet
away. The mulch simply hides the openings to the burrows, disguising
the problem -- which is the rodent. I'm looking for a solution that
stops the rodent underground freeway with cages.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 01:14:14 -0400, "Scopata Fuori"
wrote:



I have about a four inch layer of pine bark "nuggets" on top of a layer of
landscaping "weed barrier" paper...the end of the rose garden with the
permeable plastic stuff is so overgrown with weeds I have despaired of ever
getting it cleaned out again.

So the paper is not the same as the plastic, and you prefer the paper,
which breaks down? Perhaps it works the same as newspaper?

I did lay soaker hose throughout, on top of the paper, under the mulch, so I
can drip irrigate without spashbacks on the leaves.

But my problem is with fertilizing...I have to rake back all the mulch, then
peel back the paper, or unwrap it from around the base of the plants,
scratch in the fertilizer, then lay it all back down again.

Can you rig your drip system to fertilize? I use both Mills and
granular, so I also have to pull back the mulch. But I supplement with
water soluable stuff like Miracle Gro for Roses. Of course, I water my
roses from over head, but I use a strong fungicide, so I can. Besides
the fact that in a places where it rains so much (at least this year!)
it would be pretty crazy to try not to get water on my foliage when I
water. It has rained at least every other day here since May 10.



That's the only
real drawback I can think of, other than attracting unwanted pests. My
mole/vole problem is under the landscaping paper, where they submarined in
to destroy the roots of most of my underplanted perennials, and selectively
chewed some of the roses' roots. I think they like the ice plants and
columbine much better, as they were almost annihilated, whereas my roses
suffered only sporadic attacks.

See now, this, inconjunction with what Susan Simko and some others
said, is leading me to believe that in order to thwart the voles I
must feed them something they like better than roses. In a bed with
JUST thick, yummy mulch for hiding in and roses, what would you eat if
you were a vole? But add some tender annuals or a perennial
groundcover, and voila! Many choices for the rodent palette. [sp.]



That wold be ok if it were just a couple bushes, but I have several dozen in
that bed alone, so I have been foliar feeding, and adding liquid fertilizer
to a drip tank attached to the soaker irrigation (Monty's Joy Juice, kelp
extract, seaweed extract, fish emulsion, an occaisional pinch of phosphorus,
Miracle Gro plant and root booster, etc.)

Oops. I missed this part. So you DO feed water soluable, but also
solid. I see.




Scopata Fuori


"Bad Cat!"

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

On 13 Jul 2003 21:27:01 GMT, Daniel Hanna
wrote:

In m Shiva wrote:
If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

Shiva, I still use lucerne (alfalfa) hay. The roses adore it and they
spring up basal growths from everywhere. I like the light colour too.
Weed suppression is moderately good so long as you apply a thick layer.

Thanks for reminding me, Daniel! I like the look of darker mulch,
myself. But I am convinced of the benefits of alfalfa for roses, just
as you are.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 10:52:23 -0400, "Susan H. Simko"
wrote:

Big admission here. *grin* I rarely, if ever, mulch. I don't like the
look of it. I also lean heavily towards the "cottage garden" look so
you rarely see much dirt because of the plants. If I see dirt, I tend
to throw down some alyssum seeds. Another benefit of having these
overblown gardens is that it doesn't give much room for weeds to take
hold whne all the available ground is taken by the flowers.

You've sold me. Now I just need a crew of magical gardening elves to
appear and plant that alyssum. Or are you telling me I can just "throw
down some seeds" and they will take? I actually have some packets from
a couple of years ago that were intended for a bed that never happened
because roses happened..

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:35:31 GMT, "kljcvlzkj"
wrote:

I'm not a fan of mulch. It smells, attracts ants, and doesn't do a thing
for the weed population. Instead, I planted a bunch of lambs ears, thyme,
mint, and oregano in the rose beds. It provides enough cover to hold
moisture in and goes a long way towards keeping weeds out.

Sounds good, but what do you do about adding organic stuff to your
beds? Roses need good, whole food, just as we do. This is my main
reason for applying mulch. Retaining moisture and controlling weeds
are secondary and tertiary. I cannot imagine what you used that
"smelled" and attracted ants--pine bark smells lovely. What was it you
were thinking of, just curious?


As for the
voles, I don't have the problem - most of my neighbors have dogs...

Two words: leash law. I live in the city.






"Shiva" wrote in message
ws.com...

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

What should I do next year? I cannot face doing anything this year, as
I have too much going on. What ever is left alive in the spring will
get the new treatment.

For the weeds, I like Anne's newpaper idea, and actually used it a few
years ago with good results.

For the voles, I don't know. Maybe a layer of permatil on TOP too,
just under the last layer of soil?

Here is the real point of this post:

If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don't, tell me the good points. I think I already know the bad,
the worst being that bare ground is, to me, ugly. TIA

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Shiva wrote:

You've sold me. Now I just need a crew of magical gardening elves to
appear and plant that alyssum. Or are you telling me I can just "throw
down some seeds" and they will take? I actually have some packets from
a couple of years ago that were intended for a bed that never happened
because roses happened..

I literally just sprinkled seeds. They are annuals (I think) but appear
to reseed themselves every year so they behave, in my mind, like
perenials. Fortunately, the alyssum seems to enjoy the same fertilizers
that I put on the roses. Good thing or the alyssum would be a goner.
*smile*

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

I'm using the same type of "living mulch" , a mix of herbs and groundcovers
and it works very well.
For the fertilization I'm putting organic matters at the foot of my roses
and the groundcovers help themselves....


"kljcvlzkj" wrote in message
et...
I'm not a fan of mulch. It smells, attracts ants, and doesn't do a thing
for the weed population. Instead, I planted a bunch of lambs ears, thyme,
mint, and oregano in the rose beds. It provides enough cover to hold
moisture in and goes a long way towards keeping weeds out. As for the
voles, I don't have the problem - most of my neighbors have dogs...

"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

What should I do next year? I cannot face doing anything this year, as
I have too much going on. What ever is left alive in the spring will
get the new treatment.

For the weeds, I like Anne's newpaper idea, and actually used it a few
years ago with good results.

For the voles, I don't know. Maybe a layer of permatil on TOP too,
just under the last layer of soil?

Here is the real point of this post:

If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don't, tell me the good points. I think I already know the bad,
the worst being that bare ground is, to me, ugly. TIA

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

"Shiva" wrote in message
So the paper is not the same as the plastic, and you prefer the paper,
which breaks down? Perhaps it works the same as newspaper?

When I refer to it as "paper," I guess that's not exactly correct...although
that's what it was labeled as. It's very similar to paper, but it is a
tough, fibrous material that has a half-life of approximately seven years,
from what I have observed. The "plastic" I was referring to, was a stretchy,
permeated material, that the weeds just grew right through. And it gets
destroyed in the process. I had thought it would work better...it didn't.

If I were a little more motivated this evening, I'd take a photograph of my
"long" garden, to show the dramatic difference. The first fourteen feet or
so are just choked with weeds, and the rest, with the "fibrous strand" paper
has a stray here and there...the dividing line is unmistakeable, as far as
weedproofing.

It will have to be redone...all the mulch raked up, the remaining scraps of
plastic mess removed, the weeds growing through the plastic mess ripped out,
and everything re-laid, including the soakers.

OK, now I am motivated....will go take a photo before the sun goes down any
further.


Scopata Fuori

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Shiva wrote:
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:35:31 GMT, "kljcvlzkj" wrote:

I'm not a fan of mulch. It smells, attracts ants, and doesn't do a thing
for the weed population. Instead, I planted a bunch of lambs ears, thyme,
mint, and oregano in the rose beds. It provides enough cover to hold
moisture in and goes a long way towards keeping weeds out.

Sounds good, but what do you do about adding organic stuff to your
beds? Roses need good, whole food, just as we do. This is my main
reason for applying mulch. Retaining moisture and controlling weeds
are secondary and tertiary. I cannot imagine what you used that
"smelled" and attracted ants--pine bark smells lovely. What was it you
were thinking of, just curious?

Speaking of mulch that smells good, if you are ever in Hershey,
Pennsylvania, particularly during the late spring when the roses are in
their first flush, be sure to stop by the Hershey Rose Gardens. Among
other things, they mulch with cocoa hulls. If you like chocolate, you
will love this garden.

--
Henry

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Theo Asir wrote:
Rodents are always digging under the mulch but
the neighbhorhood Siamese has taken a shine
to scaring them. I've seen him patiently stalk
voles from hole to hole. He can hear their
ground vibrations appaently.

I currently use lucerne mulch immediately around the roses and then sugar
cane mulch for the remainder of the bed. We have a blue tongue lizard that
has set up his winter home in the sugar cane mulch. If you pass by the bed
in the late afternoon, he can be seen partly out of his home sunning
himself - but retreats back if you go too close.

I currently use sugar cane for the majority of mulching because it was
available at a reasonable price from the hardware store while the lucerne
was in small packs from a pet store at a much dearer price. However I found
out recently that I may have a wholesale source for buying lucerne from my
father's neighbour who grows it. We are hoping that we can 'volunteer' our
services in sweeping out/cleaning the shed in return for keeping whatever we
can sweep up :)

Kirra

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

Theo Asir wrote:
Rodents are always digging under the mulch but
the neighbhorhood Siamese has taken a shine
to scaring them. I've seen him patiently stalk
voles from hole to hole. He can hear their
ground vibrations appaently.

I currently use lucerne mulch immediately around the roses and then sugar
cane mulch for the remainder of the bed. We have a blue tongue lizard that
has set up his winter home in the sugar cane mulch. If you pass by the bed
in the late afternoon, he can be seen partly out of his home sunning
himself - but retreats back if you go too close.

I currently use sugar cane for the majority of mulching because it was
available at a reasonable price from the hardware store while the lucerne
was in small packs from a pet store at a much dearer price. However I found
out recently that I may have a wholesale source for buying lucerne from my
father's neighbour who grows it. We are hoping that we can 'volunteer' our
services in sweeping out/cleaning the shed in return for keeping whatever we
can sweep up :)

Kirra

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

The organic material isn't really a problem. Each winter when the herbs die
back I work the debris into the soil... Also, the area where where the
garden is located was once a hill which has since been terraced. It was
covered with junipers, wood chips, and pine bark. I'm allergic to all
three, so I dug the junipers out, and burried the rest, which was about a
foot deep. It'll be a few more years before the soil will need any
additional help.

I'm also in the city, but I have the dubious benefit of a cement wall for a
back border, which means that the rodents have to enter through the
neighbors yards where the dogs are allowed to munch to there little hearts
content.

"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:35:31 GMT, "kljcvlzkj"
wrote:

I'm not a fan of mulch. It smells, attracts ants, and doesn't do a thing
for the weed population. Instead, I planted a bunch of lambs ears,
thyme,
mint, and oregano in the rose beds. It provides enough cover to hold
moisture in and goes a long way towards keeping weeds out.

Sounds good, but what do you do about adding organic stuff to your
beds? Roses need good, whole food, just as we do. This is my main
reason for applying mulch. Retaining moisture and controlling weeds
are secondary and tertiary. I cannot imagine what you used that
"smelled" and attracted ants--pine bark smells lovely. What was it you
were thinking of, just curious?


As for the
voles, I don't have the problem - most of my neighbors have dogs...

Two words: leash law. I live in the city.






"Shiva" wrote in message
ws.com...

This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

What should I do next year? I cannot face doing anything this year, as
I have too much going on. What ever is left alive in the spring will
get the new treatment.

For the weeds, I like Anne's newpaper idea, and actually used it a few
years ago with good results.

For the voles, I don't know. Maybe a layer of permatil on TOP too,
just under the last layer of soil?

Here is the real point of this post:

If you mulch, what do you use and what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don't, tell me the good points. I think I already know the bad,
the worst being that bare ground is, to me, ugly. TIA

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

(Shiva) wrote in message ws.com...
This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

I use two inches of rubber mulch on top of a layer of the fiber
landscape fabric from Lowes in a raised bed. (Here's a pictu
http://eberwein.dyndns.org/roses/RoseBed.JPG) This is my first year
growing roses at my house and so far, I haven't seen a single weed or
borrowing animal. I think the 2 foot height is to much for them to
dig up through to get to the roots. My animal problem is that
something is eating the tops of my plants before they open.

The biggest problem is getting the fertilizer to the root system.
I've been spreading it on top of the mulch and letting my misting
watering system break it down and carry it to the roots. It seems to
be working fine for me.

For reference sake, I'm in Clayton, NC which is south of Raleigh, NC.

Let's Talk About Mulch
 

In article , Kevin
Eberwein wrote:

(Shiva) wrote in message
ws.com...
This topic usually comes up in the fall, but mulch is used for a
number of reasons outside of winter protection, so I'm thinking about
it now.

Reasons for mulching, that I know of:

To retain moisture (cut down on surface evaporation)
To enrich the soil (as it breaks down, and why I do not consider rocks
or rubber to be mulch)
To protect from cold (as in mounding canes for the winter)
To provide a barrier between extant fungus in the soil (mostly from
fallen leaves that are infected) and new growth
To make the bed more pleasing to the eye
To reduce runoff of water for those of us who still handwater.

My problems with mulch:

No matter how thick the pine bark, leaves, or straw, I still have lots
of weeds. And--it provides a perfect hiding place for voles. When it
is deep enough they apparently burrow in and access the roots from
*above* the plant. My decision to use oak leaves was one that meant I
had thicker than usual mulch, this has meant dead roses. The holes are
lined with two inches of permatil (scratchy composite "rock") but
somehow the voles still eat the roots.

I use two inches of rubber mulch on top of a layer of the fiber
landscape fabric from Lowes in a raised bed. (Here's a pictu
http://eberwein.dyndns.org/roses/RoseBed.JPG) This is my first year
growing roses at my house and so far, I haven't seen a single weed or
borrowing animal. I think the 2 foot height is to much for them to
dig up through to get to the roots. My animal problem is that
something is eating the tops of my plants before they open.

Wabbits?

The biggest problem is getting the fertilizer to the root system.
I've been spreading it on top of the mulch and letting my misting
watering system break it down and carry it to the roots. It seems to
be working fine for me.

For reference sake, I'm in Clayton, NC which is south of Raleigh, NC.

Wow, Kevin, very tidy looking. On a cool day, you might try doing a
foliar feed with some organics. Roses seem to enjoy the lower nitrogen
concoctions just as much as the other. Mix fish emulsion half strength
in a garbage can and pour it over the tops of the plants with a bucket.
You can double your effect by adding a kelp concoction as the same time
- also half strenght. That way you both root and foliar feed.