The Vegetable Beet

Natalie Hoidal will be interviewing Steve Poppe and Nate Dalman of the University of Minnesota. Is plastic mulch a key part of your farm that you wish you could ditch? Natalie will get the scoop on possible alternatives to plastic mulch, including non-living mulches and cover crops. Here is a synopsis of Steve Poppe's research on biodegradable plastics in strawberries: https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2019/02/developing-annual-day-neutral.html Here is an article about Nate Dalman's living mulch work in strawberries:https://fruit.umn.edu/living-mulch-strawberries-what-we-learned At 35:00, Black Plastic Mulch is a cover of Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead, with lyrics reworked for the topic of alternative mulches. Lyrics by Ben Werling and Ben Phillips. Performed by Ben Phillips.A black plastic mulch raised bedFor a fast-growing summer plantIt’s non recyclableThat she brought from a sales manIn a winter of best laid plansBut it left a big mess       Living or dead, we need a mulchLiving or dead, we need...A novel non-plastic mulch Or a short-growing legume mulchThat won’t crumble or competeBut I can’t go another dayThere’s a price to pay either wayIf I just turn my head Living or dead, we need a mulchLiving or dead, we need a mulchAnd if I could yield the same as everWith mulch that blocks weeds, then leaves foreverBy spring time, by spring time