When the yard police goof

[madgardener]

the thought that you're lucky that out Northwest neither Home Depot or Lowes carries red mulch poses one thought when I give you something to think about........the studies at horticultural institutes has come across something of interest. Apparently when you mulch TOMATO'S with red mulch, they produce more fruit, ripen earlier and have more flavor. That's what I read in one of my horticultural magazines. And yes, sometimes I DO believe what I read. (I only read Horticulture, Fine Gardening and for a bit of curiosity, Garden Design and a few other garden magazines that peak my curiosity. I subscribe to the first three, with a gift of Garden Gate coming from a friend, and the occaisonal magazine that catches my eye. Don't know why red mulch has this effect on tomato's, will have to search the results of this to clarify this better. Or at least give you an issue to do your own research. Or maybe Paggers can fill you in on this tidbit or set me straight.

And I never forgot about the name of the "Mexican bamboo" I was trying to identify for you. I've not located the name yet...................... madgardener persistant as always.

[madgardener]

it's not that Lowes mislabled their web page, they name their Lowes stores for the streets they are on.........where I used to work was called the "Morristown Lowes" and further up the road, still on 11 E "Greeneville Lowes", A Sevierville Lowes up in Sevierville, then because there's more than one in Knoxville, they're known as "Alcoa Lowes", West Lowes (for West Knoxville) East Towne Lowes (for the one in East Knoxville at the East Towne Mall area) and Clinton Lowes for the one in Clinton which is a town just outside the Knoxville./Knox county area in the Maryville city limits. Soon there will be a "Newport Lowes" because they're building one in Newport, Tennessee which is 14 miles from Dandridge, Tennessee (where I live and about 25 miles from the other stores...........)

Them calling that Lowes the "Rainier Lowes" is their way, that's all. Doesn't make him a dumb ass. And then you make me laugh by then saying that you'll go check Home Deprived tomorrow for red mulch. Yer a trip, son. But the logic of going to a Home Deprived which is 4 blocks from you makes sense. Test the Lowes next for service and get back to us. I'm curious as to the discussion regarding HD and Lowes on Nursery staff...................being a former one who cared and whose former customers used to and still come in asking for me because I knew the answers, the plants names, where they went (the plants) and made customers feel good after they came into the garden center.

maddie

[mailbox]

Point well-taken. I hope the inspector returns the call I made to his voice-mail this morning. I would much rather deal directly with whomever made the complaint. I could accomodate them by building a fence...or maybe just negotiate the complaint away.

-- [e-mail] (Charles Packer) ungoogled: mailboxATSIGNcpacker.org

[Warren]

Two entirely different products.

The red mulch that was being talked about was bark mulch artificially died to look more like redwood, and to stay redder longer than real redwood. It's a little darker, richer red than fresh redwood, and looks rather fake, even though it's supposedly intended to look like real, organic bark mulch.

The red mulch used for tomatoes is a bright red, inert, plastic sheet. There's no attempt to make it look natural. It's not an aesthetic product. It's purposes are to reflect red spectrum light back to the foliage, and retain moisture in the soil. It also keeps the soil warm in marginal weather.

I would never suggest to anyone that they put dyed bark mulch around food crops, but I put the red plastic mulch around my tomatoes. They are not interchangeable.

BTW... While I can find that ugly red dyed bark mulch with no problems, I haven't been able to find the red plastic sheets locally in the spring when I'm actually looking, and have resorted to mail ordering it each year.

[Travis]

Last year I planted cherry type tomatoes and used red plastic mulch. I have nothing to compare last year with but the tomatoes were tasty and plentiful.

Thanks for remembering about the boo.

[Travis]

OK so Lowes has a weird way of naming their stores. I mostly buy from independent nurserys but when I am at a HD or a Loews I always check to see if they might have something I might want. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. When I am looking for a specific plant I will have already researched it enough that I don't need to ask questions no matter where I buy it.

I am probably old enough (62) to be your big brother but if you want to call me son it's OK by me.

Thanks.

[madgardener]

well, yer just ten years older than me.........it's just a Southern thing............... that's all maddie

[madgardener]

[madgardener]

college at UT to ask a pertinent question and I keep missing the new head of Ag.........I'll corner his ass soon enough. The timber bamboo by the way in town has poked up thru the road!! I was amused............and wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it one day. it had found a crevase to creep thru and had shoved up thru the asphalt. amazing and scary shit. I don't want ANY of it. I'll take it cut, thank you! m.