I hope I'm not asking a question that's been hashed over before, since I'm new here, but I was wondering if the red tomato mulch would help brugs develope faster since they're in the tomato family. Has anyone tried it? I was thinking of doing a test with some of my seedlings, but if anyone has tried it? Looks kinda ugly though:)
Tomato mulch
I have never hard of this. The problem may be that if the tomato has a virus it will be passed on to your brugs. Generally I have heard you should keep the 2 plants separated a bit.
I need a mulch also. I need something to cut down on the grass seeds germinating, and on my water needs and break up clay soil when the mulch breaks down. I remember someone mentioned alfalfa hay. Is that good to lay down on top of my brug bed?
Kell, the tomato mulch is a sheet of red plastic. I had thought about trying it this year and I may still do that if the wind will die down so I can get it in position.
You can use lots of things for mulch, but if it isn't thick enough, the seeds will germinate and come up through it. It would help if you sprinkled Preen every six weeks, but I'm beginning to think that it even quits working after being used several times.
LOL Brugie. Red plastic. And here I was imaging ground up tomatoes! LOL. So what does red plastic do?
I was trying to be organic Brugie but I may bring down some preen. But I still need ways to cut down on watering.
if i were u guys, i would not bother spend an extra dime for mulching. eventually the AP concoction will become a mulch as u religiously apply them. so far, that is my observation on my experiments.---> will eventually save us lots of $$$ LOL! spend ur extra money on urself. in my case, i could sure use those extra monies, cuz there are still some brugs on my wish list, that i do not have LOL!
in Kell's case, she can add some sand on the clay soil. when i used to lived in L.A., i added sand and redwood compost on the clay in what used to be my house. all my plants were loving the redwood compost and sand i have added then. Kell u don't got nothing to lose. give it a shot. good luck !!!
edited to add links... http://www.ewsa.com/earthworksredwoodcompost.html
this u would love to read it will solve part of ur problem
http://www.humeseeds.com/gypsum.htm
This message was edited Jun 1, 2004 1:21 PM
Kell, I wasn't quite awake this morning when I posted, so sorry I should have explained better lol. Gardeners.com carried this plastic mulch and says "red plastic that stimulates rapid growth, plants muture faster, look bushier & more abundant harvest." Also warms soil & conserves moisture, a roll 4' x 50' is $14.95 plus shipping. But it also said not for weed control I think. I quess I just want my seedlings to hurry, get big, and bloom:)
I've used it the last two years for my tomatoes. It does control the weeds because they can't grow through it and my tomatoes didn't blight at all. We had so many tomatoes that my friend Donna came and picked them several times....by the five gallon buckets. I can't say how many she got, but we really had tons of tomatoes. I love the stuff, but as you mentioned, it probably would look pretty under the brugs. It would help conserve moisture for sure. We had a drought last summer and I watered my tomatoes one or two times and some never got watered and they seemed very happy. Let's give it a try kwells. LOL!
Wow Brugie, your success with it sure makes me want to try it. I'm going to have to order it because I haven't seen it in any of the local stores here.
Oh well, if it doesn't seem to help I can always use it...around my tomatoes:)