Are Your Crops Developing As Slowly As They Are Everywhere Else?

[SabercatPuck]

If they are I suggest reading the book "The Chilling Stars" by Henrik Svensmark to find out why.

Summary:
In only rare instances are 2009 crops developing in line with the five year average, and in most cases, corn and soybean crop stages are 20% behind the five year average. Many small grains are also behind in their development, but not as much. Nearly all state reports have indicated the problems stem from cooler than normal temperatures, hampering expected crop development.

http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2009/07/are_your_crops.html

[snagswolf]

The libs had enough foresight to switch from 'global warming' to 'global climate change'.

Now they can blame this on man too, and use it to raise our taxes.

[EnchantedFrog]

To combat global cooling they will probably repeal the laws outlawing
the use of CFC's and then enact new laws to require the use of CFC's.

[snagswolf]

Or paint the polar ice caps black, which was an idea floated back in the 70s to prevent the impending ice age from happening.

[rhet 2]

I don't know about crops for markets -- but my garden is growing green green green -- and not much else.

Production of consumable fruits is WAY below last year's. And others in town are saying the same thing.

And tomatoes are hurting big time.

And bug activity is way below norm, too -- except for ants. They're happy as clams in their all-weather bunkers below ground. WAY below ground.

So, what do ants know that tomatoes refused to believe and prepare for?

Huh?

I ask you, what can we learn from the ants -- and from the tomatoes, poor dying soon-extinct species?

Why, if we can fight for polar bears, are we NOT fighting for tomatoes? Are they not also living things? Do they not have value to humanity? Oh, the cruelty, when only 20 bucks a month from your lavish way overblown selfish bank account could save a poor tomato from death -- and even worse, starvation and abuse by their owners?

Learn from the ants, my friends -- and save a tomato. The tomato you save today may be the ants' salvation tomorrow.

My take on the only Green Freak Panic Attack movement, anyway.

Climate change: it is what it is. So use your brains and ADAPT, dummies. Find solutions and NEW ways of surviving whatever develops -- because you sure as hell can't stop it, reverse it, or run and hide from it. :wall:

[MrShotShot]

Wasn't the "upside" of global warming going to be increased food production zones throughout the world?

[Celtic Pax]

Crops are very behind up here in Maine....This is the first week farmers have been able to hay. Our Blueberrys are doing fine up until a fungus from Canada has started to get hold. Will require entire areas to be burned over to get rid of the fungus( caused by rainy conditions this year). Strawberryr were at least 3 weeks behind as are most crops this year. So much for Global Climate change (ie: global warming).

[LouC]

We in fly over country know that overly wet cool weather will negatively affect crops that prefer moderately wet warm to hot weather conditions.

Don't need a book for that.

But I appreciate the mention and I found and read an excerpt from the book.

[Spiked101]

Central California here. Ours are fine. Except for the fact that the Peta libs convinced the government to shut off the water pumps so a stupid smelt can survive. Those farm are going under. Other than that though, the crops themselves are fine.

[LouC]

Test.

[snagswolf]

My garden here in PA is pretty much on schedule, possibly a week or two behind.

I started to get some ripe tomatoes about a week ago, before my tomato plants died from Late Blight (made rampant by the cool wet weather.)

Been harvesting beans, lettuce, carrots, zucchini and cucumbers for a few weeks now. The peppers seem to be lagging a bit behind, with plenty of small ones not quite big enough to pick. Pumpkins and gourds are starting to get big. And I guess tomatillas are different enough from tomatoes so the Blight didn't affect them.

[rhet 2]

My garden here in PA is pretty much on schedule, possibly a week or two behind.

I started to get some ripe tomatoes about a week ago, before my tomato plants died from Late Blight (made rampant by the cool wet weather.)

Been harvesting beans, lettuce, carrots, zucchini and cucumbers for a few weeks now. The peppers seem to be lagging a bit behind, with plenty of small ones not quite big enough to pick. Pumpkins and gourds are starting to get big. And I guess tomatillas are different enough from tomatoes so the Blight didn't affect them.

Same here in Texas, pretty much.

All the cucurbits (cukes, etc.) are thriving -- and I've never seen happier carrots -- but carrots love cool damp and hate hot dry while pepper loves hot dry and hates cool damp and tomatoes want hot damp -- and blight is their main problem here, too

Should be great for broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages, though, if it cools sooner than usual -- mid August is normal planting time for those crops here -- and I may move them up a bit because of the abnormal cool-down temps

[snagswolf]

All the cucurbits...
Thank you!!!

I've been looking for a name to call them. I even have a special section in my garden where I've penned them in.

Now I can call it the cucurbit section. Cool!

[rhet 2]

Thank you!!!

I've been looking for a name to call them. I even have a special section in my garden where I've penned them in.

Now I can call it the cucurbit section. Cool!

You're welcome.

I keep trying to pen my own -- and they keep escaping, growing feet long overnight.

My daughter and my neighbors claim they're trying to stage a global conquest.

Got any nifty new pickle recipes? I've now got half a shelf of jars in the pantry -- kosher dills, hot kosher dills, plain dills, bread and butter, limed sweets and sweet gherkins, sours, extra sours and still others .............. guess what people are getting for Christmas this year? :))

And that's not counting the slicers climbing the fence....... and the swing...... and the kentucky wonder vines .......... had to detach a cuke vine from the mint bed across the walkway this morning ............. the dewberries are wondering when their own turn for invasion comes and are trying to take over the pepper nation next door, just so they'll have an evacuation route, when and if it happens ......... :))

This is definitely the "Year of the Cucurbits" -- the boxer who takes it upon herself to patrol the area in defense of my yum-yums is now vastly perturbed because she cannot not, in just the past four days or so, walk her patrol down the walkways without stepping on the most humongous leaves I've ever seen in my entire life.

No kidding. Just measured one zuchini leaf -- two feet plus wide and nearly that long -- and that's just one leaf sticking itself out into the walk area.

Think I might have a touch too much nitrogen in the soil? Would explain the all-leaf no squash phenomenon, maybe, but I haven't got a nutrient test kit to approach the problem "scientifically."

[Apatriot]

To combat global cooling they will probably repeal the laws outlawing
the use of CFC's and then enact new laws to require the use of CFC's.

CFCs are mainly involved in the Ozone breakdown, not global warming.

[SabercatPuck]

I will admit, I don't have a garden, but the two silver maples in my front yard have decided enough is enough and have started dropping their leaves, as have several other trees around town.

[snagswolf]

You're welcome.

I keep trying to pen my own -- and they keep escaping, growing feet long overnight.

My daughter and my neighbors claim they're trying to stage a global conquest.

Got any nifty new pickle recipes? I've now got half a shelf of jars in the pantry -- kosher dills, hot kosher dills, plain dills, bread and butter, limed sweets and sweet gherkins, sours, extra sours and still others .............. guess what people are getting for Christmas this year? :))

And that's not counting the slicers climbing the fence....... and the swing...... and the kentucky wonder vines .......... had to detach a cuke vine from the mint bed across the walkway this morning ............. the dewberries are wondering when their own turn for invasion comes and are trying to take over the pepper nation next door, just so they'll have an evacuation route, when and if it happens ......... :))

This is definitely the "Year of the Cucurbits" -- the boxer who takes it upon herself to patrol the area in defense of my yum-yums is now vastly perturbed because she cannot not, in just the past four days or so, walk her patrol down the walkways without stepping on the most humongous leaves I've ever seen in my entire life.

No kidding. Just measured one zuchini leaf -- two feet plus wide and nearly that long -- and that's just one leaf sticking itself out into the walk area.

Think I might have a touch too much nitrogen in the soil? Would explain the all-leaf no squash phenomenon, maybe, but I haven't got a nutrient test kit to approach the problem "scientifically."
My cucurbits are growing wild too. The zucchini were growing like maniacs. I planted them as seeds on Memorial Day weekend, and by July 12th, I was harvesting foot-long zucchinis. Because they were dominating the space, and because we don't really like them that much (except for zucchini bread), I cut them back to allow the cukes room to grow.

It's cool how they try to escape, isn't it? Their tendrils go everywhere. I try to keep them in, but they refuse to stay put.

Mmmm, the pickles sound good. We don't grow the pickling type, and I've never done any canning, but I'm thinking about starting.

Photos of my garden taken last evening:

Dying tomato plants (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7343.JPG):(
Pumpkin (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7349.JPG)
Cucumber trying to squeeze through the fence (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7352.JPG)
Lettuce gone wild (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7354.JPG)
Watermelon (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7356.JPG)
Snake gourds (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7357.JPG)
Peppers (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7358.JPG)
Tomatillas (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7361.JPG)

[rhet 2]

I will admit, I don't have a garden, but the two silver maples in my front yard have decided enough is enough and have started dropping their leaves, as have several other trees around town.

Man, I LOVE maples! They don't thrive in our alkaline world, so, to me, they're like an national treasure and anyone who has one is a really lucky dog. Have your county ag people even tried to figure out why and help the poor things recover/survive?

We've got a 75 year old sycamore on one side of the drive that just got shredded by a thunderstorm with 60 mile an hour winds two nights ago. And the big old ash on the other side isn't just too happy, either. Even low growing vines got shoved out of position and uprooted by this one. Gotta get out and clean up the broken branches and salvage what I can of what didn't get totally demolished. And restake the three two-year old peach trees that are now leaning way too far over. Mega labor time just to clean up the mess that storm made.

:((

[rhet 2]

My cucurbits are growing wild too. The zucchini were growing like maniacs. I planted them as seeds on Memorial Day weekend, and by July 12th, I was harvesting foot-long zucchinis. Because they were dominating the space, and because we don't really like them that much (except for zucchini bread), I cut them back to allow the cukes room to grow.

It's cool how they try to escape, isn't it? Their tendrils go everywhere. I try to keep them in, but they refuse to stay put.

Mmmm, the pickles sound good. We don't grow the pickling type, and I've never done any canning, but I'm thinking about starting.

Photos of my garden taken last evening:

Dying tomato plants (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7343.JPG):(
Pumpkin (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7349.JPG)
Cucumber trying to squeeze through the fence (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7352.JPG)
Lettuce gone wild (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7354.JPG)
Watermelon (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7356.JPG)
Snake gourds (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7357.JPG)
Peppers (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7358.JPG)
Tomatillas (http://home.comcast.net/~sdwolf/Garden/DSCF7361.JPG)

Man, this computer lag crap is trying me nuts!

My tomatoes look the same as yours. :(( But cantaloupe vines seem to like climbing them anyway. Yuck yuck yuck!

You've got a lot more land than we have. I yearn to sell up and move back to real country, now that we're both semi-retired. No room where we are for fun stuff like your snake gourds.

Wish I knew how to take photos like yours and post them so you could see. I'd love pics of the "crazy paving" and raised beds we're putting in.

Cucumbers have taken over the fence -- and the swing has ceded sovereignty I think. The red bell cowering at their feet is wondering if I've lost my nippers -- but he'll have to wait till I get some more of those broken branches hauled out of the front and back to the alley behind the house.

One of the acorn squash has four vines that I swear are at least 20 feet long stretching toward the back lawn. Bad enough to block access to it's box so I can feed and water the darling -- and the 'maters and peppers beside it. I've bent some chicken wire into a sort of open arch for one of his brothers growing in a raised box at the back side of the patio and have looped those vines over the wire, down and back up again, five or six times now -- time to loop the still lengthening end of that one back down again -- but the wire is now so covered, there's no way except to start it growing on top of itself. Covered with blooms, too, so gentle-gentle-gentle has to be the rule of the day if I want squash to set.

You've got a LOT more peppers than I've got so far. But my pun'kins are bigger and one's already turning orange, nearly the size of a volleyball. But I've got only one Sugar Baby watermelon set. The other vines just grow vines. The blooms fall off without setting fruit, blast it.

[snagswolf]

Man, this computer lag crap is trying me nuts!

My tomatoes look the same as yours. :(( But cantaloupe vines seem to like climbing them anyway. Yuck yuck yuck!

You've got a lot more land than we have. I yearn to sell up and move back to real country, now that we're both semi-retired. No room where we are for fun stuff like your snake gourds.

Wish I knew how to take photos like yours and post them so you could see. I'd love pics of the "crazy paving" and raised beds we're putting in.

Cucumbers have taken over the fence -- and the swing has ceded sovereignty I think. The red bell cowering at their feet is wondering if I've lost my nippers -- but he'll have to wait till I get some more of those broken branches hauled out of the front and back to the alley behind the house.

One of the acorn squash has four vines that I swear are at least 20 feet long stretching toward the back lawn. Bad enough to block access to it's box so I can feed and water the darling -- and the 'maters and peppers beside it. I've bent some chicken wire into a sort of open arch for one of his brothers growing in a raised box at the back side of the patio and have looped those vines over the wire, down and back up again, five or six times now -- time to loop the still lengthening end of that one back down again -- but the wire is now so covered, there's no way except to start it growing on top of itself. Covered with blooms, too, so gentle-gentle-gentle has to be the rule of the day if I want squash to set.

You've got a LOT more peppers than I've got so far. But my pun'kins are bigger and one's already turning orange, nearly the size of a volleyball. But I've got only one Sugar Baby watermelon set. The other vines just grow vines. The blooms fall off without setting fruit, blast it.
Crazy paving and raised beds sounds pretty cool. I'd love to see that.

It sucks about the tomatoes, doesn't it? I was so looking forward to that taste you can only get from backyard tomatoes.

And yeah, those vines will grab onto anything and pull it down if it's not sturdy enough. I've had to cut them away from my pepper plants as they reach over the fence. Nice on the orange pumpkin already. And I had some watermelons planted that were supposed to get to 200lbs and over, but they never seemed to pollinate either.

BTW, at our local farm market, they were selling zucchini blooms. Just the flower part. My wife told me they were a delicacy, but I've never heard of that.

[rhet 2]

Crazy paving and raised beds sounds pretty cool. I'd love to see that.

It sucks about the tomatoes, doesn't it? I was so looking forward to that taste you can only get from backyard tomatoes.

And yeah, those vines will grab onto anything and pull it down if it's not sturdy enough. I've had to cut them away from my pepper plants as they reach over the fence. Nice on the orange pumpkin already. And I had some watermelons planted that were supposed to get to 200lbs and over, but they never seemed to pollinate either.

BTW, at our local farm market, they were selling zucchini blooms. Just the flower part. My wife told me they were a delicacy, but I've never heard of that.

The flowers are edible? Who knew! Raw? Added to salads? Fried? Dipped in honey like the Romans used to salivate over hummingbird tongues? Does she know how they're served?

As much as I could use the spare cash and wouldn't mind selling a few -- and at least tasting one or two, I've got to pull the male blooms off to rub them on the females so I get the blasted squash instead of ground litter with shriveled up nothings. Why they're not cross-pollinating without help beats me -- I've got lady bugs and bees buzzing about the place -- and enough of those white caterpillar producing dumb moths to choke a barn full of mules. Those I would cheerfully slaughter if I could find a way to get 'em to stay still long enough -- damned tired of squashing their God-forsaken offspring -- not to mention the nasty little squash bugs.

Yeah, my Black Diamonds aren't setting fruit, either. Cute pretty little blooms and then NOTHING. Growl.

Best squash recipe in the universe: thinly slice yellow and zuchs -- add a bit of finely chopped green onion and red bell pepper -- add just one shredded jalapeno (or any other hot and spicy you can grab) and a handful of sweet cherry peppers -- hot cast iron skillet with barely enough olive oil to coat the bottom -- stand there flipping the squash/pepper mix over and over just until the slices begin to pale around the edges, then let them brown a bit on the bottom of the skillet -- just a few crunchy brown slices, the others still al dente -- salt and pepper and a tiny bit of butter -- and pig out. I've got 15 bags of that yummy now in the freezer.

I'll micky one, add a bit of butter and have a side with zero real time and energy for the Fall and Winter when my teaching load gets really heavy. I like having entire meal parts already prepared in the freezer or pantry so, when I'm in a rush or dead tired, we get a home-cooked meal anyway with minimum time and effort -- and expense.

[Vaard]

The flowers are edible? Who knew! Raw? Added to salads? Fried? Dipped in honey like the Romans used to salivate over hummingbird tongues? Does she know how they're served?

do a search on "Zucchini Blossoms" without the quotes and you will find hudreds of recipes....

you can do just about anything form stuffing to frying ......


the female ones taste better than the male ones, although they both are good.....


to tell the difference... from wiki...

The female flower is a golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flower grows directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils (where leaf petiole meets stem), on a long stalk, and is slightly smaller than the female. Both flowers are edible, and are often used to dress a meal or garnish the cooked fruit.

Firm and fresh blossoms that are only slightly open are cooked to be eaten, with pistils removed from female flowers, and stamens removed from male flowers. The stem on the flowers can be retained as a way of giving the cook something to hold onto during cooking, rather than injuring the delicate petals, or they can be removed prior to cooking, or prior to serving. There are a variety of recipes in which the flowers may be deep fried as fritters or tempura (after dipping in a light tempura batter), stuffed, sautéed, baked, or used in soups

[Ninjacorpse]

My garden is crazy, I just have tomato and pepper plants but they are producing more than I can give away lol. I guess it does not help I have 6 volunteer tomato plants that popped up on top of the 12 I planted.

[Alaric]

We put the garden in late this year, so I can't make any valid performance comparisons. However, the weeds seem to be doing much better this year than in years past, so conditions for growing plants appear to be advantageous.

Besides, if your garden isn't doing well, its Obama's fault. He promised sunshine and rainbows, and so far hasn't delivered sunshine and the only place rainbows have flourished is San Francisco. ;)

[Vaard]

We put the garden in late this year, so I can't make any valid performance comparisons. However, the weeds seem to be doing much better this year than in years past, so conditions for growing plants appear to be advantageous.

Besides, if your garden isn't doing well, its Obama's fault. He promised sunshine and rainbows, and so far hasn't delivered sunshine and the only place rainbows have flourished is San Francisco. ;)

this is the first year i mulched my veggie garden..... i always mulch my flower gardens, but not my veggie's for some reason........


it noticed a marked improvement of growing and almost no weeds.......

[rhet 2]

do a search on "Zucchini Blossoms" without the quotes and you will find hudreds of recipes....

you can do just about anything form stuffing to frying ......


the female ones taste better than the male ones, although they both are good.....


to tell the difference... from wiki...

The female flower is a golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flower grows directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils (where leaf petiole meets stem), on a long stalk, and is slightly smaller than the female. Both flowers are edible, and are often used to dress a meal or garnish the cooked fruit.

Firm and fresh blossoms that are only slightly open are cooked to be eaten, with pistils removed from female flowers, and stamens removed from male flowers. The stem on the flowers can be retained as a way of giving the cook something to hold onto during cooking, rather than injuring the delicate petals, or they can be removed prior to cooking, or prior to serving. There are a variety of recipes in which the flowers may be deep fried as fritters or tempura (after dipping in a light tempura batter), stuffed, sautéed, baked, or used in soups

I'll have to try that, yes, indeed. Anything in tempura has to be delicious.

[Alaric]

Never mulched the veggie garden. Maybe I'll try it next year. Did you plant starts or did you wait until the sprouts came up before mulching and what did you use for mulch?

[rhet 2]

this is the first year i mulched my veggie garden..... i always mulch my flower gardens, but not my veggie's for some reason........


it noticed a marked improvement of growing and almost no weeds.......

Mulch is my life-saver. If I had to weed stuff, I'd do what the previous owner did and plant nothing but pea gravel by the boxcar full.

What type are you using? I used cedar before, but, with the economy so bad, this year I resorted to the free stuff supplied by the city. It's definitely NOT as good -- but it's better than nothing.

:))

[curtis123]

If they are I suggest reading the book "The Chilling Stars" by Henrik Svensmark to find out why.



http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2009/07/are_your_crops.html

We've had a pretty cool summer here in the Dakotas. Row crops are behind, but the spring wheat is going gangbusters. Wheat thrives in the cooler weather.

[Vaard]

Never mulched the veggie garden. Maybe I'll try it next year. Did you plant starts or did you wait until the sprouts came up before mulching and what did you use for mulch?

i waited till all the vegies sprouted before i muched the area and cleared small rings around the stems so the much wasnt touching the plants......


the biggest difference i noticed was the cucumbers since the soil never had a chance to dry out, the cukes i have harvested so far have been huge.......

[Vaard]

Mulch is my life-saver. If I had to weed stuff, I'd do what the previous owner did and plant nothing but pea gravel by the boxcar full.

What type are you using? I used cedar before, but, with the economy so bad, this year I resorted to the free stuff supplied by the city. It's definitely NOT as good -- but it's better than nothing.

:))

i get a cubic yard of black hemlock for $32 at the bulk places... my wife likes the black mulch because it highlights the flowers in the flower garden so i used the same on the veggies......

the price for red cedar here is $39 a cubic yard.

i end up paying a little more because a full yard wont fit in the back of my ranger.. the front end loaders scoop is wider than the lengtth of my bed, so i get short changed a bit on it, but still cheaper than buying it by the bag......

[rhet 2]

i get a cubic yard of black hemlock for $32 at the bulk places... my wife likes the black mulch because it highlights the flowers in the flower garden so i used the same on the veggies......

the price for red cedar here is $39 a cubic yard.

i end up paying a little more because a full yard wont fit in the back of my ranger.. the front end loaders scoop is wider than the lengtth of my bed, so i get short changed a bit on it, but still cheaper than buying it by the bag......

I don't know of a bulk sales in my area -- so it's by the bag or not. But my Bear is really the negotiator and, when we can, buys bags damaged during shipping for a bit less than the normal price.

:))

I love the black under the ornamentals out front too. With a red brick facing and white trim on the house, it's eye-catching curb appeal, for sure. When the hydrangeas are at their showiest, cars slow down -- and some have stopped, with even a couple of cameras taking pics -- nervous making, but if and when I let one of the dumb realtors actually list the house so I can go back to my real love -- pure out in the sticks country -- it'll be good.

Red cedar for the ornamentals out back. Didn't renew it this year because of cash flow major bites. But the veggies all got the free city who-knows what -- not nearly as good, but better than nothing.

[Vaard]

I don't know of a bulk sales in my area -- so it's by the bag or not. But my Bear is really the negotiator and, when we can, buys bags damaged during shipping for a bit less than the normal price.

:))

I love the black under the ornamentals out front too. With a red brick facing and white trim on the house, it's eye-catching curb appeal, for sure. When the hydrangeas are at their showiest, cars slow down -- and some have stopped, with even a couple of cameras taking pics -- nervous making, but if and when I let one of the dumb realtors actually list the house so I can go back to my real love -- pure out in the sticks country -- it'll be good.

Red cedar for the ornamentals out back. Didn't renew it this year because of cash flow major bites. But the veggies all got the free city who-knows what -- not nearly as good, but better than nothing.

if you google mulch and your city you should find places near you where you can buy it by the truck load... of course, it only works if you have a truck to haul it with otherwise the delivery charge ends up making it about the same price if you buy it by the bag......

[Ninjacorpse]

this is the first year i mulched my veggie garden..... i always mulch my flower gardens, but not my veggie's for some reason........


it noticed a marked improvement of growing and almost no weeds.......

I use cardboard, seems to work pretty damn good.

[snagswolf]

I use grass clippings for mulch. Works very well. When we had the late frost in April, I piled the grass clippings around the plants, and the warmth of them starting to decompose helped keep the plants safe.

And the grass clippings serve as compost over the winter.

[rhet 2]

I use cardboard, seems to work pretty damn good.

I make my own seed pots out of cardboard and newspaper, too. When transplanting, slit the sides of the pot and plant pot and all.

Guess what I do with all the paper I shred? Student essays from last year make great mulch, if you run them through the paper shredder first.

Cardboard and old carpet also makes a great stalk protector. Cut a circle about 3" in diameter, cut a hole in the middle big enough for the main stalk at maturity, cut one line straight up to the middle so you can get it around the baby stalk. For old carpet, shave off the top side, so all you've got is the backing. This stops bugs that come out of the ground at night to chew through the stalks -- and helps retain water right around the roots.

Grass clippings work fine, yes. Just be careful they don't mold or mildew -- had that happen once -- nearly wiped out entire rows before I realized it was the clippings. :((
That's why I now pretty much run those through the compost bin first.

But, beginning this month, we'll start saving the clippings in a big pile in the alley to dry to use for mulch over the winter. Plus, we're going to try putting up a temporary greenhouse in October and putting dried grass clippings around the outside and underneath the raised boxes inside. But hay would be better. Wet green grass gets mold and mildew. And composting green stuff has to be periodically stirred to aerate stuff and prevent that. Plus, it doesn't take much water to compost something -- too much wet is the big reason for stinking compost -- wood chips and hay are aleady dead, so when they rot, they don't stink.

When mulching, think of it as spreading stuff to compost on top of the ground, with your plants growing up through it.

A thick layer of mulch -- at least 4 inches -- stops weeds by blocking light from sprouting weed seeds from underneath and stopping weed seedlings on the top from getting to the dirt to feed on. They're there -- but they die before we see them.

Plus, mulch, as it decomposes, gives off heat, which moves down into the cooler dirt to raise ground temp -- much more important to plant growth than air temp -- but it also gives off heat to warm the air immediately around the stem of the plant. Both warmer soil and warmer air temps encourage earlier sprouting and green up and later fall die off.

Grass clippings are "green" -- not yet dried out. Fall leaves, paper, cardboard, wood chips are "brown" -- already dried out for the most part. Green stuff that gets wet and doesn't get aerated enough gets mold and mildew -- and that makes it STINK -- and spreads to anything growing up through it.

So, I really recommend mixing kitchen scraps (including coffee grounds and egg shells) or grass clippings with already dried out stuff, first -- ratio should be 2 parts brown to 1 part green.

That's what all the websites and books I've read lately say, anyway.