(Taken from November)
This week I’ve had some much-needed help in the garden. My friend Paul, visiting from England, has been hacking away at the undergrowth in the more neglected areas and planting small trees and shrubs to create what will eventually be a forest garden. This has given me some much needed time to sort out my plants in the front garden that have quickly outgrown their pots and need more room to spread their roots out in comfort. He has also been going out to work with me. It has been a pleasure working with some one else, not least because he has been going to choir with Julie and is practising while he digs! While Paul is here we are planning to have a morning session on mulching on Saturday 1st of December. Paul will talk a bit about mulching and there will be hands on experience (bring wellies, raingear, gloves etc) and handouts. Paul has brought over a few specialist tools and of course you are welcome to look around. The cost is a tenner (or a donation if you prefer). For more details call me on the usual number (see below). In the meantime, here is Paul to talk some more about what mulching is.
Last week I introduced the concept of mulching as a way of maintaining and improving your garden without working too hard. Instead of digging (or double digging) your garden before planting you can simply mulch. Mulching is applying a top dressing of organic or inorganic materials to suppress weeds and improve soil fertility. You can use well-rotted horse manure, mushroom compost, seaweed, carpet, cardboard and even old cotton rags. It is complementary to the use of compost but easier. Ian and I have been trying to put our ideas into practice but my aching bones are telling me that we might not have the art perfected yet (If any-one has a motorized wheel barrow let me know!) I have used this system in the past with excellent results however you need to keep your nerves as old bits of carpet and cardboard lying around the garden does not exactly have that “garden makeover” look. The system may take a year or two to look good but when the materials have rotted in the soil is wonderfully rich, producing great crops of veggies, loads of flowers etc. If you think that what I’m saying is rubbish “literally,” we are putting your money where our mouths are on the open day. At least you can come along and see what I am talking about it action.
Why dig anyway! It is a primeval instinct. Put a spade in the hand of a small child and they will immediately imitate a digging action. Though lazy to a point of fastidious principle I still see a spade and think dig. We have evolved the mind-set to dig but have yet to develop the back muscles and stamina. If you want a he man body go to the gym, if you want an Eden to laze about in put your spade beyond use and start to mulch (it saves on weeding too)!
Farmers are digging all the time. They call it ploughing and use big machines to take the strain. It is the technique that humans have used since they first settled and developed agriculture in the near east thousands of years ago to keep the forest at bay. It’s a great idea if you want to grow a cereal crop quickly in a semi arid climate but it requires lots of intense inputs both in labour and resources to maintain its fertility. It also damages the natural soil structure.
Soil is a complex and wonderful medium. A hand full of dirt is a source of endless fascination. Put it under the microscope and there is more life and drama than a week of soap output on the telly.
First lets consider the bacteria that live in the soil. There are two main groups, aerobes that live in the first few inches, thriving in the surface conditions and anaerobes that live a bit deeper and like it cold, dark and wet. When we dig we change this natural state of affairs and by turning the soil we put the penthouse dwellers into the basement and the basement dwellers into the penthouse. They do not like this at all. In fact they dislike it so much they die! Initially this has a beneficial effect and the soil is made more fertile as the bacteria decompose. In time however, the soil becomes less productive relying on expensive inputs of artificial fertilizer. So mulching makes sense. Looking forward to meeting any interested would be mulchers on Saturday 1st December. Cheers!
Last week I introduced the concept of mulching as a way of maintaining and improving your garden without working too hard. Instead of digging (or double digging) your garden before planting you can simply mulch. Mulching is applying a top dressing of organic or inorganic materials to suppress weeds and improve soil fertility. You can use well-rotted horse manure, mushroom compost, seaweed, carpet, cardboard and even old cotton rags. It is complementary to the use of compost but easier. Ian and I have been trying to put our ideas into practice but my aching bones are telling me that we might not have the art perfected yet (If any-one has a motorized wheel barrow let me know!) I have used this system in the past with excellent results however you need to keep your nerves as old bits of carpet and cardboard lying around the garden does not exactly have that “garden makeover” look. The system may take a year or two to look good but when the materials have rotted in the soil is wonderfully rich, producing great crops of veggies, loads of flowers etc. If you think that what I’m saying is rubbish “literally,” we are putting your money where our mouths are on the open day. At least you can come along and see what I am talking about it action.
Why dig anyway! It is a primeval instinct. Put a spade in the hand of a small child and they will immediately imitate a digging action. Though lazy to a point of fastidious principle I still see a spade and think dig. We have evolved the mind-set to dig but have yet to develop the back muscles and stamina. If you want a he man body go to the gym, if you want an Eden to laze about in put your spade beyond use and start to mulch (it saves on weeding too)!
Farmers are digging all the time. They call it ploughing and use big machines to take the strain. It is the technique that humans have used since they first settled and developed agriculture in the near east thousands of years ago to keep the forest at bay. It’s a great idea if you want to grow a cereal crop quickly in a semi arid climate but it requires lots of intense inputs both in labour and resources to maintain its fertility. It also damages the natural soil structure.
Soil is a complex and wonderful medium. A hand full of dirt is a source of endless fascination. Put it under the microscope and there is more life and drama than a week of soap output on the telly.
First lets consider the bacteria that live in the soil. There are two main groups, aerobes that live in the first few inches, thriving in the surface conditions and anaerobes that live a bit deeper and like it cold, dark and wet. When we dig we change this natural state of affairs and by turning the soil we put the penthouse dwellers into the basement and the basement dwellers into the penthouse. They do not like this at all. In fact they dislike it so much they die! Initially this has a beneficial effect and the soil is made more fertile as the bacteria decompose. In time however, the soil becomes less productive relying on expensive inputs of artificial fertilizer. So mulching makes sense. Looking forward to meeting any interested would be mulchers on Saturday 1st December. Cheers!
Horticultural.
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