Tami Oliver

Pretty much anything that grows on our place might find itself used for mulch. Horse radish, sweet grass (constant battle), other grasses, burdock, horse mint, yellow sweet clover (bumper crop this year), bindweed (after it dries on the drive way first) and rhubarb are all chop and drop. Some of it goes to the chickens. I use spoiled hay to start new beds. I have snowberry bush in my ornamental gardens that spreads everywhere so it gets whacked back a couple times a year. Cottonwood leaves in the fall make great mulch. I have started comfrey but I will let it be until it gets well established. So I guess my favorite would have to be whatever gets in my way at the moment and what it is that needs mulched..

I am currently reading Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier land by Gary Nabhan, Grow a Little Fruit Tree by Ann Ralph, and After Sundown by Linda Howard. On my list is Practical Permaculture: for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth, Grocery Row Gardening: The Exciting New Permaculture Gardening System, and a couple more Linda Howard books.

Thanks for the add!

We have a hillside that was badly eroded when we bought the property. The south side was terraced to stabilize the slope and is now grassed in. We will be planting 25 native plum seedlings, which are supposed to be at least 5" tall, on the top tier to establish a shelter belt. The tier is in the process of being mulched and we have started building an irrigation system (ideas would be appreciated for that as well)

We ordered the seedlings from out county conservation group to be delivered in early May. From past failures I know we need to provide shade for these baby trees or they will fry. How can I do this? I don't want to use plastic but other than that I am lost.

We are in northern Wyoming zone 4b ( 2 days ago we had 76 degrees- in Dec.) and live on the prairie. Thank you!