Day 25 – Overdue on the Mulching

Time to mulch the potato plants!

Mulched to within 1/2" of the bottom of the first leaves.

The Potatoes grew almost one foot since planting, and were overdue for mulching. Fortunately, the lawn also needed cutting, so there were clippings to spare. Straw works well, especially in the beginning of the season, but toward the end it’s better to switch to grass clippings, as they block out more of the sun.

Comfrey to the left, strawberries to the right.

The strawberries enjoyed the rain as well, both the cultivated variety and the alpine strawberries that are growing all over the lawn. A new set of broccoli seeds rounded out the day of planting and tending at about forty-five minutes, not including cutting the lawn for two hours (and still have the back to cut!).

After the rains, the slugs were out in droves as well.  Most of them munching on earthworm remains on the road, there were some large ones eating the towel roll “shields” I had put around the cukes and peas to keep away the cutworms.  I decided it was time for “shields up” – or shells up, when it comes down to it.  My daughter’s ravenous appetite has left us with a surplus of eggshells.  The slugs will eat the “skin” on the inside of the shell if it can reach it, but they stay away from the shells.  Nothing wrong with a little extra calcium, and the shells are translucent and light enough to set on top of the seedlings with no adverse effects.

Eggshell on top of a paper towel roll that is shielding a snow-pea seedling from both slugs and cutworms.