You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
My beloved husband is apparently a very productive ninja who knows which neighbors to "steal" the cuttings from, so I have gotten my hands on several large bags of leaf and grass clippings, all of which have been dried out and then re-wet. When you open the bags, you get that lovely compost smell (yes, I like the smell - I'm a weirdo and know it).
I've used a bunch between the hay bales in my bale gardens, but still have a couple of bags left over. I hate not using stuff, so I came up with a surefire thing that will either work or not, and I'm hoping it will work. Of course, after having done so, I figured I would ask you what you think will happen, so hence this post.
I am thinking that I could use them in a similar way that I am using the hay bales, to grow pots of stuff. I seriously overstocked on some pots this year (I found a wonderful bargain and bought a large amount of 14" hanging, 14" standing and a few 16" standing pots for the price of three hanging anywhere else - I love e-Bay at times.), and so thought that I could experiment with the pots and leaf mixture.
So far, I now have 10 of the 14"hanging pots up, each filled mostly with the leaf and grass mixture. I put the mixture in the pot, and wet it down so that it would compact. I then watered it every day for two weeks to compact it, and to get the rot started. I also "seeded" it with a little bloodmeal.
Once the two weeks had passed, I put about an inch of potting mix on the top, sprinkled seeds on there, and then covered with more potting mix. A bit more water to moisten and "activate" the seeds, and they are all now up, hanging, and looking ... well actually, they are a bit empty, but that should change in a week or so.
I'm growing spinach of two varieties, sage, oregano, radishes, and nasturtiums in the pots. I also have a 'control' pot, with everything but the seeds, so that I can periodically dig in to see what is happening inside.
I think that the rotting process will not cook the roots, as I was able to put my hands in the mix before, and it came out cool, and a hair slimy. I'm hoping that the leaves and grass will offer enough drainage, but rot slowly enough not to compact too much over the next 90 days or so, as the various stuff grows. I also figure that I can add a little fertilizer to the water now and again to supplement the rotting vegetation that the seeds are on.
So, what do you guys think? I know that this is very unconventional, but it seemed like an itneresting idea at the time.
This thread has 18 replies. This forum is accessible only to subscribing members of Dave's Garden. There are many free features here, and about half of our forums are completely open to all members. Take a tour of our site and learn more about Dave's Garden, and explore the benefits of becoming a subscribing member.
