For those of you who believe in heavy mulching...

This year, we fenced our blueberries . . . and then invested in a breeding pair of Basset Hounds. They run (literally, back and forth, all day) on a bed of mulch about 3-6 inches deep. So far, they haven't damaged the bushes. I know they're adding lots of rich nutrient to the top of the mulch . . . which the rain and melting snow and foot traffic work down into the blueberries

Compost a years supply a year ahead and then use it. Green wood chips from a tree chipping service (or your own) manures, grass clippings, leaves and anything else you can get or you have. Put this on top of your beds and it will add nitogen as you water or it rains. It breaks down faster but if done yearly, no problem. My soil is so fluffy i just plant directly, no working the soil. I also add shrerdded leaves in the fall on all my beds thet are not planted to cover crop. The areas with compost added in the fall do better than the areas that grow cover crops....James

Kind of been my rule of thumb to mulch fruit trees and bushes with wood chips, and mulch vegetable plants with straw, leaves, or dry grass.

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r.h. in oklahoma

Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy.

i was reading some stuff on hugelculture today. sounds pretty good to me as most of my beds and trees were lost in the wildfires here.
http://www.permies.com/ scroll down to the article

I just found out i an get wood chips and compost and top soil and gravel and etc... for next to nothing within 3 miles of my house. I am really excited about this!

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"Relish your reading. Make note of the melody of the phrases, the architecture of the page. Let the joy of discovery soak right down to your bones!" Dr. George Grant (paraphrased)

lucky you!

i like pine needles for blue berrys

I posted a photo of the pile that I get to draw from up in that extreme composting thread.

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when i lived in michigan a few years ago, i noticed that most people nearby (fremont and muskegon) were mulching far too heavily for that climate. it does depend on the type of mulch you use, but if you are going to use wood chips then you only need about 2 inches. it would need to be reapplied every year. if you lift up the wood chips and see mycelium then you are doing it right.
here in florida we can do the 5 inch thing because it will break down or wash away during the rainy season. but i wont do this with my fruit trees, it's just better to put down an inch or two more several times a year.

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I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.

Scrub Land's Blog

When you planted your bushes, did you fill the hole with peat moss only? If you do that, the ph should be ok unless you are using cedar chips. Pine chips are best to maintain the ph balance, but any will work. If there is cedar, then you will need to compost it. I have access to the electric companies chipper truck - they come and dump truckloads at my house and I have to let it compost....

Rather than putting a boatload at each bush, reapply every year. And I use the drip line of the bush to gauge how much to use! I weed each bush (have 500) and then apply a five gallon busket to each bush.

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Be a fountain, not a drain!

^()^
http://tubbsfarmstead.com/

If you have a rat terrier that should cut down on the mice significantly. My little ratter would never let a mouse near the house or in the garden. If she could catch it, it was a goner.

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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!