Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
kay_h

creating heat with grass - on purpose.

Kay_H
21 years ago

OK, so we all know a big pile of grass will heat up in no time, right? And we know - or are at least told - that we are not supposed to plant melons until 2 weeks after the last frost. But who ever listens to that advise? Not I.

Anyway, the trailer I have for my lawn tractor was full of grass that I had collected the day before and I was headed out to the garden to mulch. First stop - the melons. Only becuase they happen to be at the farthest point in the garden. I stuck my hands into the trailer to grab a big armful and I was really surprised by the enormous amount of heat that was building up in there. Well, one thought led to another and I ended up building big doughnuts around the mellons. About 8" wide and 6 high, leaving a good 3-4 inches around the plants that are in the doughtnut hole.

I'm thinking, the grass is creating heat, melons love heat and as long as I keep the hot grass from touching the leaves, this should be a good thing, right?

Well, maybe. That's why I'm posting this on the experiments forum.

I figure if I check it every couple of days, turn it a bit so it doesn't turn to slime and maybe add a little bit here and there as it starts to shrink down I will be creating a heating effect that the melons should like.

Waddayathink?

Kay.

Comments (3)

  • sam_hurley
    21 years ago

    very interesting, experimentation is the way all the gardening techniques we learn about were developed. I would love to know how it turns out.
    Sam

  • byron
    21 years ago

    It might not hold enough heat long enough?

    Might check it every day

  • LisaZ
    21 years ago

    I wonder if you should give the plants a Nitrogen supplement? It's my understanding that clippings that are not completely composted (i.e. you can still recognize them as clippings) are going the cause the nitrogen to be depleted from the soil. That's why you never mix raw trimmings in the soil to begin with. But if the clippings are just on top as blanket, then it shouldn't be bad?

    Since you're doing an experiment, can you feed some plants and not others and see if it makes a difference? Just a thought!

Sponsored
HEMAX Construction Services & Landscaping, LLC
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars34 Reviews
Innovative & Creative Landscape Contractors Servicing VA