From: Snag_one@msn.com   
      
   On 5/22/2023 8:46 PM, T wrote:   
   > On 5/22/23 16:38, Snag wrote:   
   >>    The end is in sight , and soon it'll be just maintaining it all .   
   >> Got all but about 10 feet of the new bottom "band" of chicken wire on   
   >> the fence . I ran a steel wire this time to anchor the top of the   
   >> chicken wire to . Gave me a more uniform space and I can run the   
   >> bottom electric wire a lot closer . Should do a better job keeping the   
   >> rabbits out .   
   >>    Other than the fence all I have left is a few more strips of black   
   >> plastic (between rows) for weed/grass control . The plastic is working   
   >> much better than straw mulch did to kill out the grasses , my biggest   
   >> nemesis .   
   >   
   > Whould you mind giving some more details on what plastic you used, how   
   > you prepared the ground, how you weighted the plastic down (we have   
   > winds up to 105 MPH at times), etc.?   
      
      I tilled in some soil amendments per the county extension service   
   soil analysis then immediately covered it with 4 mil black plastic from   
   the hardware store . I did a section at a time and did my best to not   
   step where I planned to plant . Row crops are getting strips , placed   
   as/after the seeds sprout . I might not put plastic down where I just   
   planted field peas (red rippers and purple hulls) since they both do an   
   excellent job of smothering weeds . To keep it all in place I have been   
   using some of the very numerous rocks that we have here . We don't get   
   the winds you do , plus our little hollow and lots of trees help buffer   
   the ground level winds .   
      Another benefit to using plastic is that it keeps evaporation losses   
   down , minimizing water consumption . I've modified my watering system   
   for this year . I have the drip system installed and functional but   
   right now I'm using an oscillating sprinkler - wherever the water   
   puddles I'm poking small holes in the plastic to let the water seep into   
   the soil  . Both are fed from our well .   
   --   
   Snag   
   "You can lead a dummy to facts   
   but you can't make him think."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)