Re: no-til gardening (Newspaper Over Soil)
Only but barely thicker, perhaps the LA Times uses more material per page than your
local. I did mine about 3- 5 layers deep (I didn't have a plan, just piled 'em on
till it felt good). I don't have enough compost to cover so I purchased bagged stuff
(whatever was onsale although I preferred "redwood compost" if i could get it cheaply
enough) to about 3 to 4". This proved absolutely impervious to water. Now, this is
not rain, but water from a hose. I haven't had enough experience with rain to know if
that penetrates, I cannot remember the last time we had enough rain to bother
measuring.
At anyrate, running the drip under the newspaper/mulch combination was the cat's
pajamas; a distillation of creative genius over several seasons...
I don't comprehend your fallow plan at all - my unused plots I like to put into "green
manure" - clovers, buckwheat, rye or whatever. Although, I've been reading your
"no-till" thread with a lot of interest, I would have a lot more interest if I could
figure out how to incorporate green manure crops into such a system. I am of the
opinion that soil growing ANYTHING is better than soil growing nothing - I would
rather have a plot of weeds than a plot of barren soil. Although, otherwise, the idea
of no-till really appeals to my back and shoulders!
David King
Tony & Moira Ryan wrote:
> David King wrote:
> >
> > I have used newspaper over my soil, piling on organic matter over the top of it,
> > in the past very successfully. I like it, works well to keep out competing
> > weeds, hold in moisture etc. There is one important consideration however: The
> > newspaper will effectively keep water from entering the soil as well! I solved
> > this initially by stabbing it with my garden fork, which worked well with
> > tomatoes and less so with others - the eventual solution was drip tubing under
> > the newspaper - viola a whole system...
> >
> David
> This puzzles me, I have used newspaper for years and haven't noticed
> this problem. I wonder if you are using a much thicker layer than I do.
>
> For winter fallow vegetable beds I might use up to 10 sheets, but in
> summer I would only use three or four.
>
> Moira
>
> --
> Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
> Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
> Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
