Andy Sprinkle

Is the first one columbine? It has volunteered at the base of a lilac tree from somewhere. Second one starts with an "e" I think but I can remember any more than that and have been unsuccessful googling and searching.

Will the cuttings from a manual reel mower be just as good as the mulched cuttings from a gas mower? Will they break down and feed the lawn the same as finer mulched cuttings. I would be afraid that unless you mowed really often the grass clippings could smother or make brown spots on the grass. Nice thing with mulching gas or electric mower is that you can cut less frequently and they have the power to still mulch the grass. I would love to get a reel mower but don't want to have to mow more frequently. Any thoughts?

Will the cuttings from a manual reel mower be just as good as the mulched cuttings from a gas mower? Will they break down and feed the lawn the same as finer mulched cuttings. I would be afraid that unless you mowed really often the grass clippings could smother or make brown spots on the grass. Nice thing with mulching gas or electric mower is that you can cut less frequently and they have the power to still mulch the grass. I would love to get a reel mower but don't want to have to mow more frequently. Any thoughts?

I have ten or so butterfly bushes that I started from seed three years ago. They have been awesome the last two years and grow so much during the summer I have to trim one from blocking a fence gate. I trimmed them back pretty hard last fall, only left 6" or so above the soil, and this year some of them are getting new growth yet. Did I trim them at the right time? I could have sworn I read to do it in the fall but now I see spring when I google it. I live in zone 6 (central ky) and we have a cold winter for us, are they just being slow or could they have gotten killed? They were really hardy last season and never get watered. Appreciate the help in advance.

Thanks Leila! I have a couple heavily mulched areas in the yard where I have transplanted so many things that when they all die back for the winter and I mulch I get afraid they wont come back!! Also chickens and dogs traffic'ed these area heavy until I fenced them off...the dogs were ok but I worried that the chickens would scratch up all the perenials. I put some perennial maximillion sunflower and blackeyed susan crowns in early march and I'm just holding my breath to see if they come up...but we got our first asparagus yesterday so hopefully the warmer days will coax everything up.

Is there any danger with heavy mulching over herbacious perenials? I have lots of perenial sunflowers, black eyed susans, bee balm, lavender and other perenials that lose all their above ground vegetation in the winter and I am worried that if I put to much mulch on them I could kill them. Is 3-6"s of wood chip, grass cutting, shredded leaf mix ok? When planting new plants, should I put them shallower in the soil to accomodate for the thicker mulch?

Thanks!

I think we figured it out...the birds were just smarter than us. Since they had taken to sleeping in their egg box they were also pooping in thier egg box. We started mucking out the poop just out of the boxes in the morning when we opened the coop and now they are back to laying eggs in the boxes. I wouldn't want to lay an egg while sitting on poop either!

Thanks John...would I plant the trees on top of the hugel bed or down slope of it? All of my hugel beds have settled ~25% the first year...will that effect the new tree if planted on top of the hugel?

Even if just renting making the garden soil/ raised bed better for yourself and future renters is a pretty cool thing to do...and it is good practice for you before you have your own property...I know every time I do a new bed I learn something or see a way to do the next bed different and/or better! Plus I love and take any chance to dig a hole and play in the dirt!!

Thanks John...will 30-40 days and heavy mulch be sufficient to overwinter? Can I completely cover with the mulch? How deep can I mulch and not kill it? It will be leaf mulch as that is what will be plentiful in the fall.