Lilies: Moles/voles eat Lily bulbs??, 1 by stormyla

stormyla wrote:
Donna, I don't really use any professional services. Mycorrhizza (endo & ecto mixes of many different varieties) gets applied in 2 ways. I use a granular form and put a pinch in every new planting hole. For the established plants and trees, I use a conscentrated powder form diluted in water as a root drench.

Usually, I mix beneficial micro-organisms (Organica Plant Growth Activator, Espoma Bio-tone has some in it too) into the drench and apply both at once. I bought a 20oz commercial soup ladle on Ebay and carry a 5 gallon bucket around the beds to apply the drench. I have a third of an acre of beds. It usually takes a week of doing it 2 to 3 hours a day to cover all of the plants. I do this spring and fall. I don't spray or broadcast these products as I don't want to be stimulating the weeds.

Alfalfa meal, I buy a 50 lb bag for $8 and mix about 5 cups into every wheelbarrow of planting soil. My established plants get regular root drenches of various brews throughout the growing season. Usually I brew some very simple forms of compost tea to which I add liquid kelp, Fish emulsion, Bat Guano, (or other manure), Black Strap Molasses, Alfalfa Meal and in very rainy seasons, some liquid iron. If I am low on compost, I use a commercially prepared compost tea bag, from Arbico. This is dispensed the same as the Mycorrhiza drench.

The only difference with these drenches is that it's Ok, even beneficial to let the liquid sit over night. When it's going to rain, I line all of my wheelbarrows, carts, tubs and buckets up and fill them with these ingredients and let the rain fill them. The ground is supposed to be wet for optimal efficiency of the application of nematodes, Milky Spore, Mycorrhiza and compost tea. If it rains for several days, that will give the beneficial organisms time to multiply while they feed on the Molasses. Occasionally I stir the mix. If I don't have any beneficial organisms, I just add some native soil. Then I can dispense the brew over the course of a week. I do this 3 or 4 times over the course of a season. Again, I don't spray these teas as I did that one year and grew 24" tall dandelions everywhere. Use root drench application only.

I'm not familiar with that Magic Mills Mix, but will look into it. It is OK to use the Asian Lady Bugs. They are here to stay, so why not put them to work. I have not found that pulling the Creeping Charlie will eradicate it. Only spraying it controls it for me. Both of my neighbors cut down and dig up plantings in large sections without seeding the exposed ground. Every weed known to mankind moves in and flourishes there. One doesn't cut the Garlic Mustard, because she thinks the flowers are pretty. There is also an uncut field across the street on which I have to call the township to get the owner to mow it. Don't scream, I grow Mulleins.

If I had to attribute the increased performance in plant growth to one ingredient this year, I would say hands down, it is the alfalfa. I used evrything else last year and only added the Alfalfa this year. It has made a substantial difference. Be sure to thoroughly soak new planting when using it. I've just started adding the Bat Guano to my teas, towards the end of the season.

There may possibly be some more lilies in Pennsylvania this fall as I came across these yesterday. There are too many leaves on the ground to find their name.