Living Mulch

[chiefbeaz]

Worth, When is the end of your season for tomatoes ? Mine are usually still producing in September and I would think down in Texas your season would be longer than in Tn.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by chiefbeaz

Worth, When is the end of your season for tomatoes ? Mine are usually still producing in September and I would think down in Texas your season would be longer than in Tn.

some time in June it gets too hot for blooms to set fruit.
You can grow cherries later but all you can hope for is you had enough fruit set to last awhile in the summer.

Worth

[Doug9345]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Get yourself a dual rotating tine tiller like I have.

The tiller is a rear tine machine that has tines that can rotate in both directions.

You can till or cultivate with the same machine.
With the tines rotating forward you have to put the spike down and set the depth gauge.
This way it wont take off like a wild deer.

I've done the same thing with a tiller that I have on the back of a garden tractor. It's not designed to run backwards, but I've taken the belt off and crossed it to reverse it.

I had a thought last night. I'm going to split some plastic pipe, put it around the stems of the tomato and wire tie it back to together. I can then use a weed eater on the weeds without damaging the tomatoes.

[Doug9345]

I wonder if I could drop, push or pull a tomato plant through a 1" length of PVC using the right size funnel.

I guess it's time to start some tomatoes early to experiment with. I've Just been looking for an excuse to start some plants in February.

[madddawg]

I, as you all know, I am no expert or claim to be one. Only been doing a garden for 5 years and learning more every year. But, isn't running a tiller between rows a no no? At the end of the season when I am pulling up the plants, some of the roots extend out in between the rows, sometimes a couple of feet.
I have pretty good results laying down news paper and spreading mulch/manure over the top. And this year I am going to try to only till the rows where I will have the tomatoes, leaving last years paper and mulch in place. Saving lots of time, all the way around. I should know by planting time if my cover is going to keep the grass down.

[Doug9345]

Typically if I'm using a tiller to weed I'm tilling no more than maybe one inch deep. It's basically mowing just below the soil surface.

[Worth1]

Madddawg you do whats best for you.
The trouble with forums is you get to see what everyone does.
Sometimes this will be confusing to people trying to learn something.
I know it is for me when I go on a forum and read about something I dont know anything about.
You will also notice that the groups of people will divide up into different camps as to how they do stuff.
Since 2006 I have seen these camps come and go and swing in all directions.

I prefer not to come on line and disagree on methods, only to tell people how I do things.
If I read somewhere were something might be unsafe or flat out kill the plants I might step up and say something.

My parents had a showplace garden that was the envy of the areas we lived in and the reason why was we worked our rear ends off doing it.
These things were the size of football fields.
I learned the basics from them and developed my own ways later in life.

People like yourself are a blessing to the gardening community.
The reason why is you are fairly new.
The best thing you can do is read about the basics and come up with new ideas for the rest of us.
Some of the worlds greatest discoveries and inventions were made by people that weren't tied down by other peoples beliefs and set ways.

That's pretty much where I'm at with my life.
Don't tell me I cant do it till I try.

Worth

[PaulF]

Full agreement here on reading what others do and then making up my own mind. And esplaining what I do not as the right way, just my way. I used to till between rows but as I newspaper/straw mulch more and more, there is less and less tilling. Now I need to consider some rows of living mulch just to see what happens. This old fat gardener really can still learn a thing or three.

[chiefbeaz]

I'm not 100% sure tilling is a no no, but is there a better way? I am leaning towards cutting the grass down between the rows and then use straw under the plants this year on a small 3000' garden that I share with a couple of people in the compound as they like to call it.
I will make the spacing about 5 foot between rows, and just use a push mower.

In my big garden due to lack of time and recovering from a knee replacement I will go with straw under the plants, but till between the rows. When I use the tractor I have to use 9-10 foot spacing between rows, which waste a lot of ground.

I hate to admit to this,but one time I let a garden get out of control with weeds and use a weed eater around the plants. I like a neat garden, but sometimes due to weather ,rain and other things out of our control , the weeds will get ahead of us. That is why I like the idea of some type of living mulch. We will have to see how it goes this year.

[Barbee]

When I run the tiller between rows, I set it as high as it will go. It is simply for knocking back weeds. Tomato roots will extend well past the cages but the idea is not to till deep enough to cut many roots, but just to destroy the weeds. I dont allow the weeds to get tall enough to form an extensive root system.

My tomato patch is much smaller now than it used to be. Right at 1000 sq ft. I can run the tiller through the rows and use my push pull weeder to tidy up around the cages and have the garden looking great in just under 45 mins.

I am always trying new ideas and better ways of doing things. Many ideas I have picked up right here on this website. Some have been successful and some have been total flops. Bottom line is you won't know what works for you until you try it. And what works well for me may be a total flop for someone else.

[madddawg]

Originally Posted by Barbee

I am always trying new ideas and better ways of doing things. Many ideas I have picked up right here on this website. Some have been successful and some have been total flops. Bottom line is you won't know what works for you until you try it. And what works well for me may be a total flop for someone else.

I agree with you, try it you may like it...

I understand the logic (right word?) of shallow tilling and wont be scared to try it.

The biggest problem with the newspaper and mulch/straw is it takes a toll on the body, back and hamstrings hurt like hell after a while.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by madddawg

I agree with you, try it you may like it...

I understand the logic (right word?) of shallow tilling and wont be scared to try it.

The biggest problem with the newspaper and mulch/straw is it takes a toll on the body, back and hamstrings hurt like hell after a while.

That's why I unroll paper and roll the hay right over it. Easy peasy.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

That's why I unroll paper and roll the hay right over it. Easy peasy.

During these droughts people are price gouging hay.
Some of it is just weeds and garbage.

Whats one of those round bales weigh, 1200 pounds?

Worth

[Doug9345]

I'm scared to ask what you are giving there for hay. It seems like it's around $2 for a 50ish pound bale the last couple of years. Though last year we gave $20 for 40 bales to someone that came by selling it because he needed money for something. It was generic bedding hay.

[Worth1]

I saw garbage hay go for over 10 a small square bale and I think coastal for 20 or more.

Worth