Re: How do you bury the vines?
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: How do you bury the vines?
- From: S*@aol.com
- Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 14:35:29 EDT
For burying vines, I usually dig a trench. Actually, I double-dig a trench,
which is a very labor intensive method that a lot of gardeners are using now.
I HAVE to double dig since there is a lot of hardpan clay that has to not
only be broken up but removed. Usually I have to hand dig out about 2 tons
per plant. (Yes, all by hand)!
Under the clay there is nice sand for good drainage. Also, this year they had
tons of wood chips dumped and spread all over the ground, non-composted. So I
had to use sifters to sift out the compost from them to use to fill in the
trenches, but I mostly use compost to fill it in so it is slightly raised. I
mix in organic balanced fertilizer, too.
Then I bury the vines in these trenches. I can go into extreme detail about
what I do then, but it would take too long. But you keep the surface moist
until the taproots get down about 2 inches, then water more deeply. Also I
use mulch, depending on the weather. If it is cooler, I use black plastic
mulch. In heat I use a lighter mulch like straw. I change it depending on the
current weather. After digging and burying the vines, I also add earthworms
to the area. They do a lot of work for me in aerating the soil, breaking down
the uncomposted organic matter, improving drainage even further, working
through that clay on the sides, etc.
I also decided that I will use the Miracle Grow weekly boosters on the hills
and main vines, but leave some area of the vines "organic". It seems that the
MG fertilizer could interfere with some good fungi which help the roots, so
at least the plant will have some areas that will be untreated with chemical
fertilizers to take advantage of this. Instead, they will get all oprganic
fertilizer, the balanced slow release, with seaweed and fish emulsion
boosters. Normally I would try some plants totally organic, but AG's have
been bred to thrive on chemical fertilizers, so I try to make the best use of
both.
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