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Increasing disposal problems with polyethylene (PL) mulch and greater availability of compost prompted an investigation into the effects of using compost as a mulch on horizontal raised bed surfaces with living mulches (LMs) on vertical surfaces. Wood chips (WC), sewage sludge-yard trimming (SY) compost, and municipal solid waste (MW) compost were applied at 224 t·ha-1 on bed surfaces. Sod strips of `Jade' (JD) or `Floratam' (FT) St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum Kuntze) or perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) (PP) or seeds of a small, seed-propagated forage peanut (Arachis sp.) (SP) were established on the vertical sides of the raised beds before transplanting bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) into the beds. Phytophthora capsici reduced pepper plant stand in PL-mulched plots compared with organic mulch (OM) and LM. Despite the stand reduction, total pepper yields were highest in PL plots and, in the OM plots, decreased in the order SY > MW > WC. Early fruit yields and yield per plant were highest from plants in PL plots followed by SY. Among LMs, plants in SP plots produced highest early yields and FT produced the lowest. Plants in PL plots produced the largest fruit. When the same plots were seeded with winter (butternut) squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), plant stands were higher in MW than WC and SY. Squash yields were similar between PL and OM plots.
Abstract
A study was conducted on Anthurium andreanum Lind, cv Ozaki Red testing sugarcane bagasse, wood shavings, black cinder, black cinder base with bagasse mulch, and tree fern chips, media and fertilizer levels of 448, 196, and 370 kg N-P-K/ha per yr at 1, 2, and 3 × rates. Media ranking from best to poorest for flower production, flower stem length, and flower size were: sugarcane bagasse, wood shavings, black cinder base with bagasse mulch, tree fern chips and black cinder. The low fertilizer rate gave as good or better results in flower production as the high rates. The 2 × rate produced slightly longer flower stems and larger flowers than 1 × or 3 × rate. Flower production decreased with age of plant, but both stem length and flower size increased.
in this LCA that the tree would live for 50 years at which time it would be removed and chipped into mulch material. Fig. 1. Input products and process flow diagram and system boundaries for the life cycle of a field-grown, spade-dug, 5-cm
fertilizer (J.R. Peters, Allentown, PA) throughout the growing season to promote vigorous growth and ensure seed set ( Blake and Struve, 2007 ). The planting area was kept free from weed competition with wood chip mulch and post-emergence herbicides. Seeds