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Stafford, Virginia

Plants are in, weather is basically dry and am drip irrigating. I wanted to reduce the moisure losses to the plants and was going to get some wheat straw....but in looking at all the pictures of growers plots, examples in Langevin's books plus discussions in the book; mulch doesn't seem to be in evidence. A couple of conclusions I've arrived at are: 1)to grow AGs, watering is constant and hopefully leaves are covering all the available ground so is mulching really required?
2)With all the pathogen/fungi controls and chemical applications/schedules/pictures referred to, does the mulch promote these problems or worse yet does mulch introduce the problems? Not dry yet but would like a little insight

5/16/2002 2:58:14 PM

Chester Co., PA

John,
I've never grown any plant that didn't benefit from mulching. My patch is under 4 bales of wheat straw. Wheat plants sprouting is the only minus. Eastern growers report that straw mulch makes Squash Vine Borers hard to detect early. It's your call.
Wes

5/16/2002 3:30:37 PM

CT

squash bugs like to hide in the nooks and crannies of the mulch as well.

5/16/2002 5:12:05 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

Wes you need to remember that Chino is like the desert in the summer 100+ and low humidity so we don't have the problems that area with high humidity have. I remember how hot Riverside used to get.

5/17/2002 3:36:43 AM

Chester Co., PA

Suzy,
Hot sun beating down all day on bare soil does the same thing in Virgina as in California, over heats the ground and dries it out.

5/17/2002 10:13:52 AM