Truck Packed Full of Crotons?

[Moose]

Did the Moose head down south this morning and hit up a Nursery Fire Sale for a truck load of crotons? What does the Moose have packed for travel? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>

 

[Jeff Searle]

A planting party in store for this weekend? Gearing up for a possible Garden Tour at the Mooseland Botanical Gardens in 2012?

 

[Moose]

No Jeff, there are no future plans for a croton garden tour of the Moose Land in 2012.

Also, the Moose must confess that he did not hit a Fire Sale at a Southern Nursery. My truck is filled with the 7th load of free mulch from the City of Hialeah. The truck's capacity is equivalent to 100 bags of mulch. So I have spread approximately 700 bags of mulch. At $2.00 a bag, I figured I have realized a savings of $1400. Plus my mulching efforts have saved these organic debris from ending up a land fill.

Mulch benefits :

A. Keeps soil and root zone of your croton cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. Example:I had a young Geisha Girl burn to the ground from cold from the 2009 winter season. Because of my heavy hand with mulch, there was enough of a stem and roots protected by the insultating mulch that she was able to regenerate (albeit slowly).

B. Breaks down and adds organic material to your soil. This may decrease your Ph level. Also when you fertilize, organic material will absorb the mineral salts and keep it available to your croton's root zone longer.

C. When mulched, you will create a "living soil". All kinds of microbes and earthworms will be the result. Remember, the croton ancestors of the cultivars we enjoy today came from tropical islands that thrived in lots of leaf litter and "living soils"

D. Retains water in the root zone by slowing down evaporation. Crotons love water as long as their roots are not "sitting in it" (root rot) for extended periods.

E. Makes crotons look nicer and if a thick layer is applied, helps the weeds from taking over. I supplement my regular grandular fertilizer feeding with water soluble feeding of the leaves during the growing season every 14 days. This will really crank up the weeds if you do not have a nice layer of mulch around the drip line of your plants.

Unfortunately, this is not my last load of free mulch needed. Trying to get it all down before the rains show up. Time is running out.

 

[Moose]

Back to work ...

 

[Moose]

The moose land needed more mulch. We traveled to Hialeah to access the free mulch. A rain shower showed up so it was kind of sloppy.

In years past I have not mulched as heavily. The quality of mulch was so good this year that I took advantage and am laying it on real heavy. This is mulch load No. 8.

 

[ScotTi]

Ron, I will be doing the truck load of mulch thing next weekend. Thank goodness the free mulch is about 10 min away from here.

 

[Crotonologist]

Man, that looks like nice mulch....
Our free city compost is not nearly as nice - full of lots of wood and trash the first time I tried it about ten years ago when I swore I would never use it again, then I broke down and picked up another load last year with the same results so now I really have banned it from my beds...

 

[Moose]

Peyton - In the past I have found lots of ground up crap, I know what you mean. This season is the best I have seen in quality. Some nice ground up trees, not yard clippings. The weeds are horrendous with yard debris, lots of weed seed waiting to spring forth.

There is some trash but I pull it out as I am speading it. I suspect this stuff was ground up last Fall as it appears "cooled" down and well cured.

Here is the truck loaded up for the 8th time. Takes one hour to load by shovel. (2nd) Truck with netting over (shade cloth) mulch and tools packed away. (3rd) Heading back to Moose Land - my back is not happy about the next step.

I had estimated that this was to be the last load. Unfortunately it is not the case ...

 

[junglegal]

Hey Moose, what is a rain shower?

 

[Moose]

You got yours, where is mine ?

Hey Moose, what is a rain shower?

 

[Moose]

This is 8 miles from the homestead. Not a drop fell on the Moose Land.

I am still waiting.

Hey Moose, what is a rain shower?

 

[Moose]

Just picked up my 12th load of free mulch this year. Guestimated at approximately 1200 cubic feet of mulch spread at the moose land this year. That would be 1200 bags worth at the "Big Box Stores".

 

[Jeff Searle]

I just got another free load from the tree trimmers yesterday dumped at the nursery. I still haven't finished the load at the house. Too much of good thing can sometimes be a ......

 

[Phil Stager]

Fortunately, the City of St. Pete offers several grades of mulch; wood mulch which is exactly what is sounds like - all the tree trunks and heavy crap but little to no palm wood that goes through a monster grinder; regular stuff that I use - aged and cooked to an internal temp of 150F and delivered to my house for a $25 nominal charge for 3-4 cu.yds; soil builder which is aged and ground up regular mulch but acts like peat moss when allowed to dry out but great if incorporated into the soil.
A lot of tree trimmer outfits will offer free mulch fresh out of the chipper - check your local listings.

Palm wood is not ground up for mulch since it may contain all sorts of pathogens - lethal yellows, Texas Palm Decline, ganoderma, etc.

 

[Crazy for Crotons]

I use pine needles now. It's more eco friendly, doesn't wash away in a deluge, lasts longer and inhibits weed growth better.

 

[Moose]

Just finished with my 14th Load of the year. Tomorrow I go and pick up another load. Been removing over grown bromeliad beds and replacing the mulch. It starting to look like new potential croton planting areas.

 

[Jeff Searle]

Just finished with my 14th Load of the year. Tomorrow I go and pick up another load. Been removing over grown bromeliad beds and replacing the mulch. It starting to look like new potential croton planting areas.

And....sounds like a potential croton tour at the Mosseland sometime next year.

 

[ScotTi]

I use pine needles now. It's more eco friendly, doesn't wash away in a deluge, lasts longer and inhibits weed growth better.

Ray I want to use pine needles in my newest plant beds but can not find them around here.

 

[Crazy for Crotons]

Scott,

Try Cypress Creek Landscape Supply on north Florida Avenue.

(813) 933-7944

 

[Moose]

Time of year to fill my truck again. Heavily mulched crotons and palms will help keep the roots warm during the cold events. Some radiant heat from the mulch for those plants close to the ground could also be a benefit.

 

[koki]

Just spread 15 yards of twice ground hardwood mulch. $10/yd + $60 delivery.

 

[Jeff Searle]

I just last week got another "free" load of tree trimmings mulch dropped off at the house. It's about as perfect as you could get for a free load. It's probably 10% leaves, and 90% nice wood chips. It's a beautiful load, I just need some time to start spreading it. Probably about 25 yards or so.

 

[Crazy for Crotons]

I don't mulch in the fall months. With all the oak leaves dropping right now, that provides plenty of mulch and would cover up any decorative mulch I put down in a matter of weeks. Come March, I get 30 bales of Pine needles delivered.

 

[Moose]

I don't mulch in the fall months. With all the oak leaves dropping right now, that provides plenty of mulch and would cover up any decorative mulch I put down in a matter of weeks. Come March, I get 30 bales of Pine needles delivered.

Ray - you are blessed having all those oak leaves. I gotta go search for them, rake into garbage cans and schlep them back to the Moose Land. Then spread 'em around my plants and then add a 2 inch layer of mulch to keep them put.