Troy-Bilt Horse - Mulch Is Placed in between Rows of Strawberry Plants; Using Hand Scythe on Cover Crop; Mowing down Sudan Grass

(Photo 5/34) Mulch is placed in between rows
of strawberry plants. Next year, new plants
will be grown in the rows where the mulch has
been
..
(Photo 5/36) Mulch can be moved to the gar-
den in
a cart and hand carried to place it care-
fUlly around tomato plants and other crops.
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The same crops used for green manuring can
be
grown just for the purpose of creating good
mulch. These crops are mowed, dried and later
spread
about as mulch materials between rows
of planted vegetables or berries.
der the stubble of the Sudan grass that is left.
See Photo 5/39.
(Photo 5/38) Mowing down Sudan grass.
(Photo 5/37) Using
hand scythe on cover crop.
If
you have a winter cover crop of rye that has
grown waist high in the spring, you might not
want to till it under because it is too much or-
ganic material to use so soon before planting.
The same principle applies to Sudan grass that
has grown chest high in late summer, as shown
in Photo 5/37. Mow it down first, then till it
under.
It is also better
practice not to turn over that
much green matter-if you wish to plant garden
crops in the same spot within 3 to 4 weeks. In-
stead, use a
good old hand scythe, a power
sickle mower, or even a heavy duty lawn mow-
er to cut the crop down first. See Photos 5/37
and 5/38.
Then rake it up and save it for gar-
den mulch to be used later. Afterwards, till un-
(Photo 5/35) The dense covering of mulcl1 will
provide shade, keep the surface cool, attract
active soil life and decay to later improve the
soil when it's all tilled under. These strawberries
were soon lush and sweet.