Hay vs live kitchen garden

[Energy]

Hello, thank you for your answers the price remains quite affordable for once ...

[Adrien (ex-nico239)]

It must be in the two euros per m2 at the local coop, yellow tarpaulin. It lasts for years.

Today, I lifted the veil of forcing, result after 18 days, radishes of ... 18 days, start to swell !! Excellent development of most plants, minus black radishes which were stale (but no need to thin out). Indian mustards taste fantastic, like jarred mustard, great for small mesclun salads. Besides, I decided to use all the thinned seedlings in salads and pesto. I am stupid not to have thought of this before !! Cabbage, radish, arugula, mustard, everything is good at this stage!

€ 2 per m2 of yellow tarpaulin?
What thickness?
Do you have a picture of this thing?

[Paul72]

It must be in the two euros per m2 at the local coop, yellow tarpaulin. It lasts for years.

Today, I lifted the veil of forcing, result after 18 days, the radishes of ... 18 days, start to swell !! Excellent development of most plants, minus black radishes which were stale (but no need to thin out). Indian mustards taste fantastic, like jarred mustard, great for small mesclun salads. Besides, I decided to use all the thinned seedlings in salads and pesto. I am stupid not to have thought of this before !! Cabbage, radish, arugula, mustard, everything is good at this stage!

€ 2 per m2 of yellow tarpaulin?
What thickness?
Do you have a picture of this thing?

I will look occasionally, and tell you that.

Today, first harvest of radishes finally successful !! First time that I manage to have some edible in summer, sown in full heat what is more !!! The later ones are developing well, some already bigger than the 18 days old (Easter roses). I was able to take advantage of the cooler weather to transplant salads, winter cabbages and sow golden ball turnips.
And harvest the majority of the potatoes. As I expected, the culture under rye straw is disappointing, despite the richness of the soil: it remained compact below, no work by the beasts. About half of the harvest initially hoped for. But that's not shabby considering the dry summer.
On the other hand, a nice surprise for the almonds forgotten last year: several kilos on 1m2, mulched with plant waste torn up nearby and a little grass. The earth was very loose there, it worked well.
Nice surprise also on a first cultivation in the field, very very poor soil and mulched with grass + "green" hay). The land is quite soft and pretty potatoes despite the harsh conditions which shortened the cycle. (Pink variety from France)

[Did67]

Nice surprise also on a first cultivation in the field, very very poor soil and mulched with grass + "green" hay). The land is quite soft and pretty potatoes despite the harsh conditions which shortened the cycle. (Pink variety from France)

It often makes nice surprises !!! Almost everyone does it. The first time, although I was convinced enough to go for it regardless of the taunts (from the neighbor, the farmer) I was also surprised!

NB: There is no clear difference between hay, "green hay" in other words, ripe cut grass, and in my case, "mowing" resulting from a collection with my rider of cut grass in my orchard in the second half of July (it is a mower, but, except for "chopping", it is hay that I collect; between my round bales and these "mows", it is the same material, the difference in the amount of water and the near aspect). We have to look at the "composition"; not on the exterior aspect. Green hay can just, if the layer is thick, ferment!

[Paul72]

The goal of cutting earlier was clearly to have a nitrogen boost and for it to compost faster. Once the harvests are finished I will put a good layer of ripe hay to have a richer soil in the spring, which will start to store a little carbon.

[Did67]

There you have it. Knowing how to place the cursor:

a) on one side of the clippings of a lawn that we mow every week = tender leaves, no fibers, a lot of nitrogen (it is a factory in full operation - therefore enzyme (proteins), therefore RNA ( nitrogen) ...); the product can be likened to a "rapidly decomposing organic nitrogen fertilizer"

b) at the other extreme, "old hay" (late mowing; mid-August); very fibrous but compared to straw, also contains leaves, flowers, ears, etc ... So a good compromise. There, there will be a much slower decomposition, over a few months (it depends on the humidity), there is mineralization on one side, and humification on the other - hence the notion of compromise. In a thick layer, excellent coverage - against annuals, against drying out, against scab formation ...

And good agronomy is to juggle that. Depending on the goal.

[Julienmos]

V
b) at the other extreme, "old hay" (late mowing; mid-August);

mid August ! ?
really very very late ... at home haymaking is already one or two months earlier ...

[Did67]

Yes, they are the "late mows" of the protected sites, to wait until the protected plants have flowered. This is the type of hay that I use.

But from the end of June / beginning of July, the grasses have made their stems and ears, and I am not sure that the composition is still changing much ... A good indicator: hay fever.

[Paul72]

Yes, they are the "late mows" of the protected sites, to wait until the protected plants have flowered. This is the type of hay that I use.

But from the end of June / beginning of July, the grasses have made their stems and ears, and I am not sure that the composition is still changing much ... A good indicator: hay fever.

This year, the hay was totally dry in early July, but it is quite exceptional.

[Paul72]

I thought the impossible interspecific hybrids, here is a beautiful counter example of melon hybridized with most likely cucumber. Everything corresponds to the level of the fruit, even the taste which is a mixture of both. The foliage is rather that of the melon.

Otherwise, still persistent agricultural drought, but with mulching it holds up, the green bean plants are even huge and rather productive (purple). Still not possible to make lamb's lettuce or spinach ...