Mulch. Just do it.

[odogyouknow]

Hey ya'll, I think this question was asked by someone else a page or two back but never got an answer.

Does anyone think coco would be an effective mulch?

I mean I know it won't contribute to an biological activity, but pine bark fines which are an effective mulch wouldn't either, right?

I have a 100 gal pot out the brambles that i will only be able to water once or twice a week and was wondering if mulching with 2 or 3 inches of dry expanded coco on top would be a positive thing.

 

[mostnonymouse]

Hey ya'll, I think this question was asked by someone else a page or two back but never got an answer.

Does anyone think coco would be an effective mulch?

I mean I know it won't contribute to an biological activity, but pine bark fines which are an effective mulch wouldn't either, right?

I have a 100 gal pot out the brambles that i will only be able to water once or twice a week and was wondering if mulching with 2 or 3 inches of dry expanded coco on top would be a positive thing.

Anything neutral like coco or even perlite will help keep your soil moist. Why not just use fallen leaves from the surrounding area though? Limits even further what you have to bring out there too, which is a definite plus.

 

[h.h.]

this post sounds like beat poetry. kerouac would be proud.

http://www.pleaseplantthisbook.com/index.html

 

[jaykush]

See jay I'm kinda confused because I hear people say that mulch is mainly for maintaining soil temperature/humidity/etc, and that the specific mulch you use isn't that important.

to most of the world. mulch is just for soil temp/humidity.

for us organic growers it can be much more.

as for how to just start tossing organic materials on there. dried leaves, weeds that have not gone to seed, small sticks, etc... the more diversity in your mulch, the more it will feed your plants.

 

[odogyouknow]

Nice mouse, I actually hauled all my stuff out to the spot including two bricks of coco which I thought I would mix into my soil to lighten it up but decided not to use it.

So now that I'm happy with the soil consistency theres two bricks out there and I'm thinking about the hot days that may or may not come this year. Haha (I'm sure they will) I'm probably gonna put like 2 or 3 inches of that pure coco on top of the 100 gal to help conserve moisture.

Has anyone else mulched with coco?

 

[heady blunts]

to most of the world. mulch is just for soil temp/humidity.

+ weed control

 

[mad librettist]

living mulch: just... live it?

living mulch: just... live it?

agreed, grass works well under trees once the trees are well established - provided there is enough light and moisture for the grass.

my concerns/doubts are over living mulch in a pot. i wonder if the cons outweigh the pro's - for instance mad i wonder if your plants would have yellowed so early if they hadnt had to compete with your living mulch for available N, and such things as compaction arent really much of a concern in a pot...

well it's hard to attribute the yellowing to competition. quite a coincidence that one plant is yellowing with the same timing as it had without the mulch. the other one I ran before is yellowing later.

I have read many pages from scientist source claiming legumes only drip N when they die. Those are all older sources, whereas newer source I read point out that roots die back on an ongoing basis, especially if it is cut down. the downside is that there is no guarantee of nodules coming back with the new roots.

let's not forget that clover can host more than just rhizobium - glomus intraradices for instance.

 

[mad librettist]

check the last paragraph

 

[descivii]

What about that 'vetch' that they put alongside highways and shit like that for its ability to eat up whatever is in the air? Theres 2 of them actually that i know of. 1 is pink flowered and growing along highways and the other is found in yards and white flowered.

J.

 

[CC_2U]

descivii

Are you talking about Hariy Vetch?

 

[mad librettist]

all the vetches I know might gobble up the cannabis...

maybe in rotation?

 

[CC_2U]

Mad

I cut back the White Dutch Clover in the raised beds and I was stunned - once you cut back the clover it was amazing on how 'tall' the main plants are!!

LOL

CC

 

[descivii]

CC2U,
The ones I'm familiar with have clusters in a bit more globular shape, although the color is close for the highway variety........crown vetch is the name. Finally remembered it. The other I never did know the name but its a much smaller plant with white flowers and I see it growing with the white clover quite often. This is the one I think is more likely to be of use to us indoor. Maybe I can find it on Google

J

 

[descivii]

Nevermind, just read that alot of them are toxic, don't wanna risk that.

 

[mad librettist]

Mad

I cut back the White Dutch Clover in the raised beds and I was stunned - once you cut back the clover it was amazing on how 'tall' the main plants are!!

LOL

CC

oh yes i noticed the same with clones. you sort of have the impression growth is slow, then you cut it back and it as been vigorous all this time.

 

[VerdantGreen]

well it's hard to attribute the yellowing to competition. quite a coincidence that one plant is yellowing with the same timing as it had without the mulch. the other one I ran before is yellowing later.

I have read many pages from scientist source claiming legumes only drip N when they die. Those are all older sources, whereas newer source I read point out that roots die back on an ongoing basis, especially if it is cut down. the downside is that there is no guarantee of nodules coming back with the new roots.

let's not forget that clover can host more than just rhizobium - glomus intraradices for instance.

thats interesting, it'll be cool to see how it works out long term. i guess the longer the clover has been established the better...

VG

p.s. - might be worth vegging them into the pots for a bit longer so they have more roots to pick up N in mid flower??

 

[mad librettist]

thats interesting, it'll be cool to see how it works out long term. i guess the longer the clover has been established the better...

VG

Yes, it seems that way.

I'll also venture to say that real sunlight is the ideal for establishing your mulch. The purslane under LED's is not pretty, and I don think the chamomile seeds even think of that as light, because they are not sprouting in there, despite doing quite well in my window box.

 

[VerdantGreen]

chamomile needs a sunny spot to prosper for sure

 

[mad librettist]

chamomile needs a sunny spot to prosper for sure

and can it do it on a 12/12 cycle?


so I think this may be a crossroads. What type of environment, really, is a cannabis grow? If you have it in 12/12 most of the time, your light pattern at least is tropical, not temperate.


So what about tropical species for a living mulch? Any ideas, IC?

 

[VerdantGreen]

yeah a rainforest floor plant would suit the environment and wouldnt need much light...