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San Antonio, Texas

Does anyone use mulch to slow down the water evaporation from the soil? I saw where compost could be used as a mulch. Here in southern central Texas mid-afternoon flags my plant and I am wondering what can be done to alleviate the stress on the plant.

I have a dripworks irrigation system with minijets spaced every 42", a bubbler over the stump and I have it on a timer that goes off 4 times per day.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

7/13/2006 8:14:29 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

If you do decide to mulch. Put down some kind of rodent control. In Texas your soil is hot enough I would use a threshed straw mulch. Sometimes straw is baled with out removing the seeds this can be a headache for the grower.

7/13/2006 9:15:14 AM

Montoursville, PA

Straw, leaves, hay or any combination there of will really help your grow. Do not stuff it under the stump bridge and cut off that air flow. Ok to mulch if the bridge is high enough. Seeds from straw and hay are a bit of a pain. You can stop most of it by laying down three or four layers of newspaper. The paper will hurt nothing as nearly all inks do not now contain any chemicals that in that amount will hurt you. How much....Three or four layers of paper and two to three inches of fluffed mulch. The rains or your watering will make that a good solid inch of weed prevention. You will till it all in this fall and futher help the total.

If your are in an exceedingly hot dry period when you mulch early morning watering untill the fluff sinks will damp it all down good, to prevent it from sucking, on your soil moisture.

You are about, to see, noticable and good growing improvement when this is completed.

7/13/2006 10:45:53 AM