Mulch. Just do it.

[SeaMaiden]

I was going to say watch out with the vetch, but you are likely to mow it down.

can't wait to read about your result capt, welcome aboard!

If anyone needs seeds of purple vetch or woolly mullein, let me know! I've got them... oh, oh! Look at this, I've got them coming directly out of my ass. Holy crap, I better do something about that!

I am trying Lupinus albus next, which is a pulse. The seeds are edible raw after soaking in salt water. Pulses (lentils and such) are N fixers via rhizobium filled nodules, just like peas and beans. Other than fixing N, the white lupine is supposed to dump citric acid into the soil via its roots.

However because of its expected size, I am thinking of the white lupine a companion rather than as a living mulch (to be a living mulch it has to function as mulch, meaning it makes a nanoclimate that is dark, moist, and cool). I expect my lupine to get up into the canopy, which means it will either fit around my budsites or reduce the space available for cannabis flowers.

So far the other companions I have tried stayed small, like yarrow, chamomile, and purslane.

Crimson clover is a living mulch that starts to behave like a companion as it flowers.

Well I can tell you for sure that there are several beans that stay small, and California black-eye peas stay small and exhibit unusual growth habit (as compared to other bush or dry beans), in that they only hit about 12" tall, and they stick their pods straight up and out. I can now tell you that Pawnee shell beans like crowding, but do make very large leaves and will trellis themselves more than other bush beans.

The only lupine I'm familiar with at this time (outside of lentils, not my favorite) is what I see growing locally. Sierra Nevada foothills, terrain and elevation is extremely similar to PVFS's location, we're about 2hrs south of them down range.

I've been focusing on living mulches as I focus on developing our land, and while I know that your intent with this thread was using living mulches in containers for indoor growing, I intend to use this learning everywhere I can. I've never eaten a bean or legume that requires a soak in saltwater, this makes me curious. The other thing with the living mulches is that I am a BEAN EATER. I love beans and rice, and I make hella good beans and rice. In fact, I can pretty much live almost exclusively on beans and rice. So, the more beans I can grow for myself, the better.

I've seen crimson clover growing over by a local lake and in person it's amazingly gorgeous. I watched that video (oh God, was it from this thread? Now I can't remember!) about the folks in Georgia growing the crimson and what they've found out about growing it on top of field remains, very interesting and inspiring.

How big does your crimson clover grow? In the fields where I've seen it, it stands fairly tall above the other clovers and pasture grasses, I'd have to say close to 12" tall. Just GORGEOUS.

seamaiden ive had good success with chickpeas. they dont grow so tall or as crazy as say broad beans or even bush beans.

in an outdoor situation alfalfa is a great choice.

Jay, try the black-eyed peas, and I'll try chickpeas and soybeans. In fact, I've got some... is it ok to trade vegetable and fruit seeds here? If not, I'll hit you up elsewhere, but I've been in a major seedsaving mode. Just harvested all my Hooker's sweet corn yesterday, it's going to be used for meal and next year's seed stock. And mah beans! Gorgeous, they're almost too pretty to eat.

See, can you tell I'm trying to think with a permaculturists mindset? Double duty if not more is what I'm thinking. I'm also wondering about trying to grow beanbeans in a window farm, no additional or supplemental light.

Isn't alfalfa a perennial though, Jay? Hmmm...

Has ne one tried Mustard?? Got some going outdoors I'll throw up some pics when I get a chance

I'm using mustard outside to help break up our clay.

 

[jaykush]

Jay, try the black-eyed peas, and I'll try chickpeas and soybeans. In fact, I've got some... is it ok to trade vegetable and fruit seeds here? If not, I'll hit you up elsewhere, but I've been in a major seedsaving mode. Just harvested all my Hooker's sweet corn yesterday, it's going to be used for meal and next year's seed stock. And mah beans! Gorgeous, they're almost too pretty to eat.

already have done black eyed peas. i still prefer the chickpeas, when they start setting pods they get heavy and hug the ground well. they produce more in the long run too, and can handle frost when they are seedlings even light snows.

Isn't alfalfa a perennial though, Jay? Hmmm...

yes it is, but mine goes dormant in the winter, there are non dormant varieties but its too cold here come January

Has ne one tried Mustard?? Got some going outdoors I'll throw up some pics when I get a chance

some mustard's are good for nematode control. i also like them for chop and drop mulches. as you can cut them back as many times as you want all season and itl grow back producing more organic matter. extremely drought tolerant.

 

[mad librettist]

No shit hh, now get to it, try some companions and contribute something useful. Otherwise I will thank you to find another place for incoherent debate.

Jay or von, I'd like to keep. This thread focused and productive.

 

[mad librettist]

Outdoor living mulches are as important as indoor. I hope to address both in a guide once I have enough knowledge.

 

[Chong_Irie]

I got to drop more seeds not all sprouted and my asshole brother jacked me for some soil to put into pots lol




edit: these are the mustard seeds

 

[xmobotx]

this impresses me that a big part of living mulch is the effect of the roots in the rhizosphere / something which emphasizes the benefits of non-legumes as well IMO

 

[Microbeman]

Mad, I asked before but did not see the answer. Are you using true large cone flower crimson clover (like the video linked), not red clover?

 

[mad librettist]

I sure am microbeman!

it is a much taller plant than red clover, it is very pretty, and it flowers on the opposite photoperiod (when the days get longer than 12 hours), so like I said, it vegs during flower and flowers during veg.

I'll put up some pics in my private album for you when I get a chance.

 

[StrapAssassin42]

I'm currently dealing with leaf spot in my indoor grow...are you guys concerned with bringing diseases and fungus like this one in by bringing in leaves and such from outside?

I'm new to organics and i'm slowly working towards your guys' way of doing things...input, input, input! lol

thanks guys

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

Re: Mulch. Just do it.

Damn o feel lazy I just been using dead fan leaves and shit waste from my grow. Then after a while I sprinkle some ewc and alternate etc...I got lots o weed! (Not giving advice just relating my experience I am pretty much winging it.) I do want to try some living mulch though but again the laziness.

 

[Spaceman_Spliff]

Crimsen clover is established and I put in 1/8lb red worms yesterday. crazy different growth patterns in the clover is because one was started inside and one was started outside.



Peace, SSSSpaceman SSSpliff

 

[rrog]

My next grow, I swear

 

[unthing]

situation today, seems to hang in there maybe time for some mowing?

 

[jaykush]

chop and drop time!

 

[mad librettist]

Maybe chop a tiny circle around the seedling. Looks like the cannabis is happy tho.


So far I have trouble getting things to come back after chopping indoors.

 

[MrFista]

That's not a cone MM - It's a conical inflorescence.

 

[SeaMaiden]

You'll need a tiny little scythe. Or a miniature lawn mower, complete with its own gnome. In fact, I think your garden could use a faerie or two.

 

[mad librettist]

Its called a sickle sea maiden, and I reccomend the japanese kind. Works great for selective chop and drop.

 

[SeaMaiden]

What did you just call me?

Hold on... lemme clean my glasses......


<giggle>

A sickle seems so similar to a scythe. (I tried for an alliteration there, couldn't find my way.)

 

[Microbeman]

That's not a cone MM - It's a conical inflorescence.

Anybody can be wrong about anything.