Ozark: That's a great idea, to ask the folks driving the woodchipper truck. I never thought about doing that, though it is so obvious now that you mention it!
Imapigeon: I can't do the lasagna approach because the hill is so steep -- if I don't really dig in the amendments (or even sometimes if I do) and the plants haven't taken really hold, when strong rainstorm comes the hill will wash down. So I amend bit by bit.
Ruby: Viette is fantastic -- and thanks for the info on the Benzinger daylilies. We do thin out our trees, but we have a lot, some of which are very very tall. We also take out the volunteer trees. But I don't want to take out the mature trees that give the neighborhood its character. So I'm stuck with a lot of shade.
Suggestions for inexpensive amendments to improve awful soil
Happy, if you cover lasagna with burlap it will most likely not wash away. Google "interbay mulch".
Karen
the phrase from above- " if you cover lasagna with burlap it will most likely not wash away" is a good illustration of the importance of context. : ^)
That's fascinating -- I had never heard of Interbay Mulch. Here is one of the sites I looked at: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/soil/2000081841014638.html.
Happy: I used the technique, and it works very well.
Karen
But if you are not in Seattle, I bet you'd have to pay a lot for enough burlap!
I bought 1 roll at a garden center which was 3 ft wide. Then I found a wider one (4 or 5 ft) @ Joanne's Fabric Store. I used their 40 % off coupon. After it was finished my husband threw 1/2 of it away! The rest I saved and reused the next year for another interbay mulch bed. I still have it for future use. Doesn't seem like much of an investment when it keeps me from having to buy all that soil or compost for the bed. I like the method.
Karen
Does the burlap decompose (in which case you could cut holes in it and plant through it) or do you have to remove it?
Happy: The first time I did it in fall, so it sat all winter, about 6 mos. It didn't decompose by then, and I reused it once so far. I used it again for about 2 mos., and I still have it. You could leave it in place and plant through it I guess, but I picked it up and saved for use later. I guess it would eventually decompose since it's made of a natural material.
Karen
Brent,
In the deli, could you say "I'll be here at Xo'clock on Friday" and pick up weekly? Or do they accumulate so fast they have to get rid of them faster? (Not a devoted coffee drinker.) Speaking of which, if you compost tea bags, what do you do about the little metal staple?
xx, Carrie
I do not know how much coffee grounds the deli goes through. I guess I am a little shy about approaching them, and not sure I really want to go through the hassle. I don't drink much tea. I suspect that the staples would rust away pretty quick. Do the bags break down quickly?
- Brent
They're supposed to be compostable. I'm not the one who makes my tea - heh, heh - but I drink a lot of tea.
xx, Carrie