Linda,
I always keep the paths between my iris rows mulched with bark mulch,
too. I get it free for the hauling because the owner of the sawmill and
I go to church together. I generally use a dozen pickup loads or so a
year. That includes using it not just on the iris row paths, but all the
flower beds, the strawberry patch, all my walking paths, etc. One year
my friend brought a big dump truck load to my place for me. That was the
only time I had it piled up for quite a while before putting it in
place. Sure enough, I raked a copperhead out of that pile when shoveling
it into the wheelbarrow!
Copperheads are the most prevalent poisonous snake in my area. I
generally dispatch about two per year around my place, though I remember
killing six one year. Before all the outraged protectionists begin to
howl, I must tell you to save your breath. You don't live in these
woods. I do. And my grandchildren visit. I don't go searching them out,
but if they intrude upon my space...
Linda, be careful with a pile that size. You definitely could find a
surprise, just as you say.
Bill Wells (surrounded by mush and brown trees in southern MO)
Linda Mann wrote:
>
> I had been thinking how nice it would be to have several dumptruck loads
> of bark mulch or sawdust to put between the iris rows. Then the
> contractors hired to trim trees from the powerline rights-of-way stopped
> by and asked if I'd like some of their chipmulch.
>
> I wound up with 7 dumptruck loads! About 4 1/2 are now between the rows
> - not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of it, other than breed
> copperheads!
> --
> Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
> East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis
> <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>>
> American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org
> <http://www.irises.org>>
> talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/
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>
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