Re: Mulch and Rot
- To: i*@rt66.com
- Subject: Re: Mulch and Rot
- From: L*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 06:24:17 -0500
In a message dated 96-12-10 03:32:45 EST, you write:
>Is there some collective wisdom on when rot occurs? Doesn't seem to me
>that you would get much rot in ground that was 40 - 45F even if it was
>mulched. I was under the impression that it was warm (hot) and humid and
>wet that promoted rot. Maybe springtime when you get the warming trend
>that really warms the soil is when you need to be concerned about
>clearing off the mulch to allow things to dry out. John Jones
It probably spreads faster when it's warmer, but I see a lot of rot both in
the spring after lush spring growth, followed by hot and dry for a few weeks
followed by cooler temperatures and 3 or 4 inches of rain, and in the fall
after lush growth followed by severe cold (no Ellen, I don't mean severe New
England cold : ) - just around 20o F) followed by warmer temperatures (air
temps in the 50's and 60's) and 4 or 8 inches of rain. Those little
bacterias jes get in a feeding frenzy. The lush growth is due to high
natural fertility, excessively well-drained gravel loam, and probably some
high nitrate input from rainfall.
Linda Mann lmann76543@aol.com east Tennessee USA
summer high temps - upper 90s to low 100s F, winter lows - usually -5 to +5
F,
annual rain around 55 inches (35 to 65 inches in the last 10 or 20 yrs!)
