Working just ahead of more rain, Conall (fighting a cold that’s knocking people out around here—farmers can’t get sick!) and I raked the mini-windrows of grass and alfalfa into little mounds, piled it on the trailer, and dumped it in the greenhouse to finish drying. In the week since it was mowed, there was enough rain here and there to keep it damp, which wasn’t in the plan. Oh, well. A grass catcher for the riding mower would be the time-saving mechanical approach. This was a lot more fun, quite relaxing, a couple of hours well spent. Now, let’s hope it’ll dry, not rot!
grass
Making mulch
Yet another experiment: making mulch from some of the hay that grows alongside the garden. The hay, originally alfalfa and red clover, is dying out, and what’s left is mainly grass and alfalfa, currently around 10″ (25cm) high. I cut it with the riding mower, which instead of scattering the clippings, leaves a convenient tiny windrow. A couple of days drying in this year’s hot October sun, and it should be good to go. I tried thoroughly dried grass clippings as mulch a couple of years ago on a few tomato plants, and it worked out well, so on to a larger scale. This crop will be used on the garlic, to be planted in a month or so. The mower is sadly in need of new blades, so the cut is rough, but it should work out fine.