Who Loves Ruth Stout?

[leolady]

I have loved her gardening methods since the 1970s and I always keep a permanent mulch on everything. I have read and re-read her books with avid fervor.

My garden is now in its 3rd year and the soil is starting to become rich and worm laden. My vegetables are responding to this magnificiently.

Who else adores this gardening guru?

 

[catjac1975]

I have used that method. The down side was the leaves harbored squash bugs and they became a big problem for many years. I now till in the leaves and use them on flower bed for mulch.

I have loved her gardening methods since the 1970s and I always keep a permanent mulch on everything. I have read and re-read her books with avid fervor.

My garden is now in its 3rd year and the soil is starting to become rich and worm laden. My vegetables are responding to this magnificiently.

Who else adores this gardening guru?

 

[homewardbound]

I read her book while in college. But when you live in a city in a warm climate where most things stay green most of the time the organic matter you need for her methods (mainly dead leaves) are not always easy to come by. We have trees here that do lose their leaves, but they can take 3 months to do it so you never a lot at the same time.

 

[canesisters]

WOW! I have never heard of this.
My only drawback to having a garden is the hours and hours it takes to maintain it..... THIS might just be my ticket into veggi gardening.

 

[baymule]

WOW! I have never heard of this.
My only drawback to having a garden is the hours and hours it takes to maintain it..... THIS might just be my ticket into veggi gardening.

I prepare my beds with compost and then cover them with paper feed sacks or newspaper, weighted down with bricks. Then I cut a hole in the papers and dig out a hole for the garden plant. It cuts down on weeds and helps keep moisture in. It is a lot of work for 2-3 weekeds, then I just water and harvest the veggies. I have a spring/summer garden and a fall/winter garden. Hard work twice a year and then maintain.

 

[skeeter9]

Never heard of her, leolady. I will have to check it out. There's always something to be learned. . .

 

[Southern Gardener]

I've always used leaves and pine straw as a mulch for my flower beds, as did my grandmother. I just run them thru the shredder first. I use straw on my veggie garden.

 

[seedcorn]

So what kind of straw does La have? Here it's wheat straw as I have to bed my garden down or the sun/heat will scorch roots in the sand.