Re: McClements Raised Beds
- Subject: Re: McClements Raised Beds
- From: "Marge Talt" m*@hort.net
- Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 01:02:48 -0400
Well, Bill, working my way into my backlog here...
I'd be inclined to let them sit a year for most anything because they
do sink so and can end up leaving root systems exposed. And, your
point about fresh manure and bulbs is well taken. I have a feeling
Jim uses some sort of bagged composted manure, not fresh. With
fresh, you'd definitely have to let the bed sit for a season or
likely burn any roots in it.
Your lawn sweeper sounds very like the machine I have always coveted,
except that what I want is powered - does not get pulled by a tractor
- more like a lawnmower on steroids that vacuums. I'd dearly love to
be able to remove at least one of the steps to getting chopped leaves
around here and speed up the process.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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> From: Blee811@aol.com
> Sounds like a good recipe for new beds, Marge. However, I'd let
them sit for
> a year before planting bulbs in it, especially daffodils. The
manure until
> well composted will promote bulb loss.
>
> As for shredding, for years I used one of those electric shredders
that you
> sit on top of a garbage can. The going is slow, but it shreds well.
Now I have
> a heavy duty shredder designed for branches up to 3" diameter. The
back hopper
> is great for raking leaves into and it shreds them
magnificently--it's also
> much much faster than the electric shredder.
>
> Another great tool is the lawn sweeper. I always looked at them
with
> reservations, but I have enough land and leaves that investing in
one made sense. This
> is the model that is nothing more than brushes mounted on an
axle--when
> pulled behind the tractor it sweeps leaves (and grass clippings)
into the bin
> behind it and makes short work of cleaning up. Then I can dump the
leaves next to
> the shredder and rake 'em in. With all the rain we've had in this
area this
> summer, I used it for grass clippings as well--periods between
mowing were
> extended enough that there was way too much grass clippings to just
leave on the
> lawn, which you woulld normally due to help feed the lawn.
> Bill Lee
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