Mulch for garlic

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That's what i'm afraid of with vetch or clover. Can get invasive. Every year when I test the soil I'm low in nitrogen so I supplement with some general fertilizer. The issue is too much nitrogen wreaks havoc on quite a few vegetables so it must be used carefully.
 
laynes69 said:
That's what i'm afraid of with vetch or clover. Can get invasive. Every year when I test the soil I'm low in nitrogen so I supplement with some general fertilizer. The issue is too much nitrogen wreaks havoc on quite a few vegetables so it must be used carefully.
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You're right on there. Radishes, carrots, turnips, etc...plants where you eat the root... generally will do best in low(er) nitrogen soil, otherwise the root doesn't need to develop as much....and the tops quickly go to seed.
 
lukem said:
laynes69 said:
That's what i'm afraid of with vetch or clover. Can get invasive. Every year when I test the soil I'm low in nitrogen so I supplement with some general fertilizer. The issue is too much nitrogen wreaks havoc on quite a few vegetables so it must be used carefully.
Click to expand...

You're right on there. Radishes, carrots, turnips, etc...plants where you eat the root... generally will do best in low(er) nitrogen soil, otherwise the root doesn't need to develop as much....and the tops quickly go to seed.
Click to expand...

Got all three going glad you said that! My fall crop is bigger that the summer.
 
Corn and onions love high feeds of nitrogen. With peppers and tomatoes too much N causes blossom drop and large plants with little fruits. In cucumbers, zucchini and melons too much causes rapid leaf growth. Makes a beautiful plant but is susceptible to virus due to it's tender growth. That's why I side dress different plants at different times. Using natural fertilizers like compost and manures helps balances these differences. Learning about each species ensures the most from each plant. I used to plant in high numbers, but low numbers and good plant care tend to result in better crops. I canned very little tomatoes this year, but we did 60 qt of beans, froze pounds of diced onions and peppers, froze over 16# of broccoli and some other things. The first year we moved here we canned around 600 jars of food.
 
[quote author="laynes69" date="1318639603"]Corn and onions love high feeds of nitrogen. With peppers and tomatoes too much N causes blossom drop and large plants with little fruits. In cucumbers, zucchini and melons too much causes rapid leaf growth. Makes a beautiful plant but is susceptible to virus due to it's tender growth. That's why I side dress different plants at different times. Using natural fertilizers like compost and manures helps balances these differences. Learning about each species ensures the most from each plant. I used to plant in high numbers, but low numbers and good plant care tend to result in better crops. I canned very little tomatoes this year, but we did 60 qt of beans, froze pounds of diced onions and peppers, froze over 16# of broccoli and some other things.

"The first year we moved here we canned around 600 jars of food"

Awesome, Thats what I am looking for a big supply and the maintaine and rotate it as we need it. This year was very wide rows that the tiller could go between. That is a spacing I will keep.

(I would like to have around 400 at the falls need) Maybe next year.
 
laynes69 said:
Not sure in your area. With the weather around here, probably late October. I still have peppers in the garden, so I tilled inbetween the rows and planted. Once I remove the peppers, I will throw some seed down. As long as it has a chance to root and grow some it would be okay. Its a cheap way to build up the soil. Super crop it is!
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Best I could find is Oats. It was in the deer section 50lbs for 21.99?
 
I've never grown oats, but the price doesn't seem too bad. Hopefully someone here comes along who has used them.
 
laynes69 said:
I've never grown oats, but the price doesn't seem too bad. Hopefully someone here comes along who has used them.
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Seems I am about 3 weeks late getting it in, but went 30lbs on 4000sq ft. What I bought can produce 8-10,000 lbs of foliage(Per acer with 80lbs seed). Seems I should have a pretty good crop even short.
Got the moisture and warm weather coming?
 
I just leveled our tomatoes, tilled everything in and planted the rest of our rye. The first planting is about 4 or 5 inches now and green and the latest planting is now germinating. Chilly at night, but warm enough during the day to promote growth before winter.
 
So what is the consensus on mulch for garlic? Something like this?
 

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Truth be told, I've never mulched for garlic in particular. I just mulch the beds with chopped leaves to keep weeds down and to compost into the beds. We don't get cold enough, for long enough to freeze the ground more than an inch or two.
 
I have used oats in the summer in dormant areas of the garden, not sure how it grows in the cold. I planted winter rye late sept in areas that had peas, beans and such, its about 6 inches tall now. I like it as it holds the soil. I don't really need the organic matter according to soil tests but its going to get tilled under in the spring.

For garlic I use old wood chips, not really composted but not freshly chipped either. Works for me
 
Hey just came across this thread,,, few things , oats are nice but will die off in the winter and prolly not come back in the spring , at least here in ny. rye is a good cover crop as is wheat and buckwheat. as for garlic i just finished planting mine last week 60,000 cloves give or take ( thats an estimate ) i dont mulch cause straw is too expensive i get 6 a bale for good rye straw, and if i had a home garden i would certantly mulch my garlic with straw asap ( before snow)
 
Got 50lbs of oats tilled in on 4000sqft. Sure it will dye in the bitter cold but enough seed down that should get some early growth in the spring. (Its the only seed I could get)
 
I'm a lazy composter. Went over to the compost site and picked up 12 yards after I tilled the garden under.
 

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SolarAndWood said:
I'm a lazy composter. Went over to the compost site and picked up 12 yards after I tilled the garden under.
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I see tractor treads, what are you using to shape the rows?
 
laynes69 said:
SolarAndWood said:
I'm a lazy composter. Went over to the compost site and picked up 12 yards after I tilled the garden under.
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I see tractor treads, what are you using to shape the rows?
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That also some Awesome looking soil. I have 25 bails of winter wheat straw being composted by chickens for next season to. The hard way. ;-)
 
laynes69 said:
SolarAndWood said:
I'm a lazy composter. Went over to the compost site and picked up 12 yards after I tilled the garden under.
Click to expand...

I see tractor treads, what are you using to shape the rows?
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3 pt tiller. Doesn't do much more than clean up the top, but that is all I really want it to do anyway.
 

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SolarAndWood said:
laynes69 said:
SolarAndWood said:
I'm a lazy composter. Went over to the compost site and picked up 12 yards after I tilled the garden under.
Click to expand...

I see tractor treads, what are you using to shape the rows?
Click to expand...

3 pt tiller. Doesn't do much more than clean up the top, but that is all I really want it to do anyway.
Click to expand...

Are you using any other tiller?
 
smokinjay said:
Awesome looking soil
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3 parts food waste from local institutions, 1 part double shredded mulch. They cook it good and monitor the temps during the process to make sure they kill everything off.
 
smokinjay said:
Are you using any other tiller?
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single point subsoiler
 
smokinjay said:
Wow I am packing my bags and headed your way!
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Bring your tools, the Ford has been around the block a few times.
 
SolarAndWood said:
smokinjay said:
Wow I am packing my bags and headed your way!
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Bring your tools, the Ford has been around the block a few times.
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Me to, be awesome to co-op!
 
I see, I have 3 plows a 2 bottom pull plow, a 1 and 2 point 3pt plow and a 8' tandem pull disc. I do it the hard way, I would like a 3pt tiller but they're too expensive right now. My pull plow does the best job turning the soil over, which is from the 1940's I believe. My tractor is a '57 Oliver Super 55 diesel. I'd like something to shape beds, but I have to be careful. We have clay soil and it's easy to compact using the tractor. Once everything is planted I have a rear tine tiller for the rows.
 
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