The green beans are coming along beautifully. I didn’t put as many in this season as I have in years past. We still have plenty put up down stairs but, I like to can in 2 yr. cycles. In other words, every other year I can enough for 2 years in case there is a tough growing season…we still have enough to get us through.
While I was in Calif with my son this spring, Mr. Fix-it added a few front loader scoops to the garden to help level it out. Drainage and watering is much more effective. But the added dirt also means new soil that hasn’t been “de weeded” To help slow/smother the weeds growth (cause admit I’m a lazy gardener) I covered the pathways with sheets of cardboard and then layered cut drying grass on top of the cardboard. The same thing could be done using 3-4 sheets of newspaper. It’s a bit of a win win as the cardboard/or newspaper will breakdown and easily till into the garden in the fall. Cardboard layered with grass takes about 3 months and news paper 1-2 to breakdown and is an effective weed barrier
Pathways mulched with cardboard covered with cut grass
If you choose to mulch your pathways in this manner, it’s important to use untreated grass clippings. We cut our field as a lawn at least once a week so I rarely have clippings to “harvest” luckily our neighbor bush-hogs his field only 1-2 times a month and provides plenty to rake up.
This photo shows about 1/3rd of what he mows. His field starts just past the shade of the tree & you can see a fresh cut line of sorts.
This morning he’s mowing for the first time in 3 weeks WOOHOO The mother load!
I’ve found it works best if I let it set a day on the ground before raking.
As you can see in the far left of the photo, my onions are over run with weeds. The new soil added is denser and apparently loaded with weeds. It’s so dry when I try and pull the weeds I’m pulling onions. I’ve been trying to pull 1-2 around each plant and let it be for a day or so, then go back for more. I probably should have mulched here first but I wanted the areas that are weed free now to stay that way & will work my way over to the onions mulching.
Squash, cukes and pumpkins are all coming along in flower and looking good.
The weeds in the tomato’s and peppers are out of control!
I need to tie up the tomato’s today & prune a bunch of suckers.
Time to get off here and get busy…what are your plans for the day?
Katie
Staying inside the house until later this evening. Temperatures peaked to 106 today. When it cools off, then work in the garden. A little weeding, watering and clipping. Have a good evening.
ReplyDeleteLove how you mulch your pathways...nice neighbor to share!
ReplyDeleteSandy, We had temps in the low 90's today but they are saying 100 by weeks end. At this rate everything will be dry as a bone!
ReplyDeleteHey Debbie! Good to see you. Thanks, the covered paths also help save watering. I really need to bring some compost up to the garden. SO how long are you staying in Canada?
ReplyDeleteMowing our lawn and using the clippings for mulch in the garden. Hilling up the potatoes (long over-due). Picking up rocks in the new berry expansion area and then tilling the ground for the third time. (There HAS to be an end to the rocks sometime, right?)
ReplyDeleteThen when it gets too warm, running a couple of errands in town.