Ben Kercheval

Thanks, these are helpful, and sensible, ideas -- I think an old towel may be the best, cheapest bet for me.

For those of you who apply compost tea with a pump/back-pack sprayer, have you had any issues with compost sediment clogging the tubing? How have you dealt with it?

Thanks.

I am from Minnesota. Does anyone have any recommendations for perennial plants that do well in this area (Zone 4), are relatively easy/cheap to establish, and are multifunctional (e.g. edible, provide mulch material, attract beneficial insects, etc.)?

I have a small urban lot that I garden in vegetables that I am looking to incorporate with an outer ring of perennial plants, to act as a visual and physical buffer. My hope is to have perennial plantings that reduce nutrient runoff, attract beneficial insects, create compostable biomass/mulch, are edible, and are pretty to boot.

Thanks in advance!

I would take the leaves off in the early spring in order to allow the soil to get warmed up. If not, the leaf mulch will insulate the cold soil against the warming air temperatures and delay your season. After that, I think leaves are great to use as mulch during the summer and fall.