Mulch. Just do it.

[Dignan]

A living soil deserves a living mulch.

I just don't see a lot of bark and rock around plants out in nature. Mostly a progressive compost. It's worked well for a long time without deficiencies.

C'mon, not a lot of bark and rock around plants in nature. Let's not start grasping at straws in our attempt to discount others' methods of mulching.

This thread has taken on a life of its own, but I know organic soil and I can do it well and it's a fact that even "non-living" mulch is highly beneficial. The purpose, in my garden, is to keep the top few inches of soil from drying out, since the top few inches is where 80% of the biota in the soil live, and since the top layer of soil tends to crust when allowed to dry, and thus becomes more difficult to water thoroughly.

There are other methods and other valid reasons to mulch, but let's not be rude to each other over something so simple.

 

[h.h.]

You're taking this too personal. I'm not here to be rude or knock your methods.
You were explaining how using bark doesn't take up nitrogen. My point was to show how the opposite approach to mulch, done correctly, also didn't take up nitrogen and provided what I feel are additional benefits. More of a living mulch approach that fits in with the general living soil theme on this forum. A more natural approach than an organic one is what I meant to emphasize. Not one being necessarily better than the other. I know what nature does works.
I apologize if I sounded offensive.

 

[Dignan]

I was speaking to the entire thread, not just your post. There's been quite a bit of arguing in this thread (and tons of great collaborative thought)... but the arguing over something so simple... it's just weird. Keep the surface of your soil moist, was really the gist of it.

Mad Librettist I believe is the one who started a separate but parallel thread about actual living mulches. Makes wonderful sense, but it's not exactly the same thing, thus the other thread.

 

[mad librettist]

heya dig, I would just take it as a compliment that your work inspires debate and additional threads

 

[h.h.]

Mad's mulch is a living, living mulch.We have 3 different approaches. We all grow a bit different.
Using activated mulch strictly inside can create a nice home for gnats. After all gnats are a part of nature as well. I rotate outside for the light which seems to help keep the gnats at a minimum. The type of litter makes a difference as well.
I see advantages and disadvantages to all 3 approaches yet all 3 have a distinct advantage over none at all.
I'm calling it "activated mulch" for lack of a better term. "Living mulch" is already taken.
To me, I see 3 different tools in my bucket. Sometimes I need a flathead, sometimes I need a phillips...It's a good thing.

 

[Spaceman_Spliff]

The clover thinned out, but the plant bushed out.

Peace, SSSSpaceman SSSpliff

 

[SeaMaiden]

I'm looking into purchasing seed to sow for a living mulch for the next round and I was looking at possibly doing a mix of the crimson clover with regular dutch white. While looking up seeds I came across dichondra and vaguely remember seeing somebody mention it earlier in this thread. I was wondering if anybody has had any experience with it and what they have to say about it. Thanks.

My experience is very limited. My dad used to grow it as our lawn. So my experience is comprised of, "Walk on my dichondra and I will beat your ass!"

Don't walk on dichondra.

 

[mad librettist]

Now that I've been running a living mulch for a while, I think I have learned enough to talk a bit about establishing and caring for a living mulch, which can be tricky in a low RH environment.

The system I'm about to describe also covers how to start cannabis seeds with the living mulch.

The first step involves sowing the starter mix, which should include equal parts white clover seed, azomite (or rock dust of your choosing), clay of some sort, and a mixed top dressing like bio-tone. If you have legume inoculant or mycorrhizae add that to your starter. Just before use, mix up 1 part starter and 1 part compost.

Broadcast your starter mix/compost nice and thick, then water it in, just before lights out. Water again in the morning, preferably with a mist or spray of water. Do this step right after mixing soil, or if it's no-till, 2 weeks before chopping. If you have supplemental lighting below the canopy, you can keep a perpetual version.

Once your white clover is established enough to create a moist surface, you can sow cannabis directly into it. Don't bother clearing a space, just drop it right in. You want to pop your seeds before sowing any crimson clover or chickweed, to keep them from competing. If those are already present, chop and drop them.

When your seedlings come up and you are sure you don't want more, it's time to broadcast some crimson clover and if you have it, chickweed. By now your white clover may start flowering. Remove anything shading your cannabis by pinching off its leaves (don't pull).

As the canopy fills in, your living mulch will probably start to die off, except the edges. So if you have any companion perennials, grow them as far from the cannabis as possible. If your cannabis is in the center, your yarrow should be on the edge. If you have the cannabis in a ring around the edges, keep your yarrow in the center.


In theory there may be different benefits depending on how you cycle the mulch. Flowering photoperiod for cannabis is veg for clover and vice versa. I'm currently exploring to see if the veg cycle can't be dramatically shortened by sowing cannabis seed during the end of the 12/12 period of the previous crop. By switching to a longer day after chopping, the seedlings below should veg normally, only earlier.

 

[MrSterling]

So clover planted in bagged potting mix has to have mycorrhizae or legume inoculant added to the soil in order to fix Nitrogen?

 

[mad librettist]

So clover planted in bagged potting mix has to have mycorrhizae or legume inoculant added to the soil in order to fix Nitrogen?

I use a rhizobium inoculant, and I've confirmed nodulation. It's possible to find it in bagged soil, but I'm not sure how likely.

this is a very inexpensive product though, and if you are re-using the soil, there is no need to inoculate again.

 

[Elsweeto]

I'm in!

I'll be using a wild clover growing in Ireland found it recently it's seems to be a pretty small species, but grows really lush and dense.

Pics will follow as well as a name for the clover.

between here and the bokashi one you got some serious threadage going Mad well played sir.

No pics but I got the name its trifolium dubium or lesser clover. I'm going to be using this one on my raised beds because it has such a dense growth structure.

 

[mad librettist]

let us know how it goes!

 

[MrSterling]

Mad, do you have any brand suggestion for inoculant? Thanks for the help.

 

[mad librettist]

Mad, do you have any brand suggestion for inoculant? Thanks for the help.

N-dure is what i use

 

[medmaker420]

Because it curtails drought stress? Or because it causes some kinda magic in the soil?

Thanks jay.

I think it causes some kinda magic in the soil

 

[GoldCountryGuy]

Mulching my favorite bonsai with clover and dead cannabis leaves. This one is only a couple months old, I've had the mom for 5 years or so.

 

[MrSterling]

N-dure is what i use

Thanks. They have a few different option up on Amazon. Is there's a difference in inoculate for clover vs. beans vs. peanuts. On top of clover I have a large variety of beans and other garden veggies that could use the inoculate.

 

[mad librettist]

Thanks. They have a few different option up on Amazon. Is there's a difference in inoculate for clover vs. beans vs. peanuts. On top of clover I have a large variety of beans and other garden veggies that could use the inoculate.

yes I believe they are different. clover/alfalfa is not the same as beans/peas

 

[xmobotx]

yeah, johnnys seeds (n-dure) offers a garden innocculant for beans/peas and a "true clover" version for clover/alfalfa

 

[who dat is]

Anybody have any experience with using clover mixes? I stumbled on a website that sells mixes of clover and various other seed mixes for establishing feeding spots for deer and turkeys. What do you guys think of using this mix for a living mulch? http://www.monsterbuckfoodplot.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=MMA Here is the description for the clover blend mix,

"There is both red and white clover seed in this blend. Clover is tolerant to low PH soils which makes it adaptable to many soil types.
* Our Clover Treat Blend has 5 different types of clover. Medium red, alsike, yellow blossom sweet clover, and ladino.
* Deer will enjoy it for years and all these clovers are perennials.
* Seeding Rate: Broadcast -> 20-25 lbs/acre. Drilled -> 15-18 lbs/acre.
* Germination Rate: 10-14 Days.
* Planting Schedule: April through June or August."