Living mulch/ groundcover for coffee

greenspun.com : LUSENET : David's Organic Forum : One Thread

We have a weed control problem & need some advice on suitable legumes etc for in between rows of coffee. Also which legumes are most suitable for summer & winter ,in Heavier basalt soils also lighter sandy loams. We live in the Mummulgum area 25kms west of casino approx 130 metres above sea level. Many Thanks John.

-- John & Pat Breeze (breeze@nor.com.au), January 25, 1999

Answers

living mulch/groundcover for coffee

Pintoi peanuts would be a good year round ground cover. I don't know if they grow well in your area. They handle mowing well and if you leave them they will outcompete lots of weeds. Some legumes , lupins in particular , get very bad caterpiller problems when they flower. I always slash them before they flower. Another possibility would be Shaws creeping vigna. It grows well on the coast. It climbs a bit but is quite easy to control.

-- David Roby (robyalst@nrg.com.au), February 11, 1999.

I also found pinto peanut very effective. Just one thing to consider is keeping it away from places you DON'T want it, eg veggie gardens. It spreads only slowly but once established it is tough and deep rooted - good for groundcover, but hard to remove if you put it in the 'wrong' place.

Another suggestion: get general information on groundcover species for your particular area from the Dept of Ag - not specifically organic, but useful.

-- Julia Hazel (jhazel@nor.com.au), February 14, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ