Odour aside, sheep manure is an incredibly versatile animal manure. One of the benefits that I like the most is its ability to be used for more than just a soil ammendment. As it's so cheap here in Australia, being the 2nd highest producer of sheep in the world (China -1st, NZ - 6th, UK - 7th and US - 11th), I've started using it as mulch. Mulch? Are you sure that's wise?

Sure it is. Sheep manure is low in nitrogen - compared to other animal manures - so it won't burn your plants. Plus, it's a natural slow-release fertiliser and this is part of the versatility of using it as a mulch. I usually pour it on to about a depth of 50mm (2") ensuring that it doesn't touch the plant's stem. Then I just water it as I would normally reticulate the garden.

I've found a local supplier where I can get guaranteed weed-free marbles at a rate of $10 for a 100L bag which is fairly cheap (comparably cow manure costs $8 for 25L and chicken approx $11+ for 25L). The only down-side is that the manure is very dry and takes a few days before it will retain enough moisture to begin breaking down.

Some gardeners will only ever dig it in to their beds arguing that unless you do it will become so hard that it will never break down. This is not the case, and when piled as high as I do you can dig into the manure mulch within a few weeks and see the layer directly above the soil beginning to decompose.

So what are the myriad of benefits for using sheep manure;

• Natural slow-release fertiliser
• Can be used as an organic mulch
• Low-odour
• Easy to handle
• Relatively inexpensive
• Fairly easy to obtain and most providers usually offer door-side delivery
• Lower in nitrogen than other manures yet still high in Phosphorous and Potassium - great for plant growth
• Depending on the source can be obtained weed-free
• Looks great

While I do use other manures in my garden - chicken in the veggie patch, horse and cow as additives for the compost heap - I much prefer sheep manure in my garden beds.

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My garden maintenance area is finally well under way. After years of moving temporary compost bins around as each section of the garden was landscaped they have now taken up their final residence behind the kid's cubby house.

This is one of only two sections left that still need to landscaped. This area will eventually cater for our vegetables and aquaponics setup but will most likely be the last area completed. We're still researching the whole backyard aquaponics deal and are noticing many others are starting to take it up - so we can learn from their successes and mistakes.

This maintenance area will be kept out of view by the kid's cubby and I plan to use the roof from their play house as a water catchment zone for some rain barrels. These barrels will hopefully store enough water to keep the compost moist enough to breakdown quickly. And, to save space they will sit just above the compost heaps on a specially-made platform.

The other area left to be landscaped is this one below.

It's where my temporary compost bins have stayed for the past year or so and as you can see there's a large pile of prunings yet to be shredded.

This area is next on the To-Do list. It will be our Tropical Rainforest garden consisting of bamboos, palms, bromeliads, mosses and cannas. It will have a waterfall and pond taking up most of the space and at the opposite end will contain a large 10-seat spa - not one of those fibreglass jobbies, mind.

No, I plan to construct the spa myself out of limestone blocks and mosaic tiles - reminiscent of a Roman bath. This will be covered with a thatched roof and overlook the pond and boardwalk.

I've been looking forward to creating this garden area since we first built the house but it's had to sit on the backburner while other more important areas were erected around it. And, it's still some time before we finish a few of our other projects and get into this one but I'm hoping that next summer might be the start date.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

We've seen gravel mulch, glass mulch, rubber mulch - darn it, we've even seen coloured mulch. But just when you thought we'd seen it all, along comes a Kiwi vigneron who wants to try his hand at mulching with mussel shells. Mussel shells?

It makes sense, really! In New Zealand they're hardly short on a steady supply of these little molluscs yet they're only valued for their meat. The shells end up as a wastage product.

So is this just a case of reusing a material in another format? Not at all. Apparently the Renwick vineyard is trialling the side benefit of ripening their grapes through the increased light mirrored into the vine's canopy as the shells fade. It increases the ripening characteristics of the fruit without increasing the levels of sugar.

How could Mussel shell mulch be useful for home gardeners?

It doesn't necessarily need to be mussel shells, it could be any type of shell that is used (Abalone may be a little too hard, and not easy to source either).

If this vigneron's trials are successful it could mean a boon for cold climate gardeners who struggle to grow fruit trees because the produce won't ripen in time. New Zealand's a good climate to be testing this in and if it proves true the reflective qualities of this mulch will become highly prized.

If you plan to try this mulch in your own home garden you may want to wash them a few times before applying to your fruit trees. The salt that can become encrusted on these shells will eventually break down and will increase the alkalinity of the soil - hardly a bonus for lime-loving fruit trees.

Due to the interlocking shape of these mussel shells they do work well as a mulch. They will restrict the growth of weeds and retain moisture in the soil.

Is there anyone else who's been using shells as mulch in their gardens and found similar benefits?

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (4)

Once you've made all that beautiful compost, the next challenge is deciding what to do with it all.

You could dig some into an impoverished garden bed as soil improver, mulch your plants and even turn it back into potting mix or garden soil.

Yet, as the ultimate gardening resource compost isn't just limited to these options. In fact as a fertiliser it rates almost as high as worm castings. And depending on whose opinion you seek, it may even be better. So while most gardeners have come to appreciate 'worm wee' as a bona fide organic liquid fertiliser, there are still a few that need convincing that compost tea is just as good.

In fact, using your compost as a tea rather than applying it straight to your garden beds will actually make it far more efficient in boosting your plants growth. As a liquid, compost tea will cover nearly 3-4 times the area that normal compost alone could achieve and also prepare your plants to better source their own nutrients from the soil.

How do you brew compost tea?

For making compost tea the ratio of compost to water is approx. 1:10. So, if you have a 20L bucket then you will only need 2kg of compost.

Heap the compost into a hessian or cheesecloth bag and add to your half-filled 20L ( 5 Gallon(aff.)) bucket of water. Then increase the volume of water until it is completely full. Leave this to draw - as you would a teabag - for about a week agitating a couple times per day. The agitation provides oxygen which is essential for the process.

When the tea is a dark earthy brown colour it's ready to use. Dilute one part compost tea with 5 parts water and then you can start applying to your plants. And, they will love you for it.

As you can see, it's not really a difficult process and if you've gone to all the effort of making your own compost then turning it into a liquid tea is merely a formality.

Tips at a Glance

Making the tea - 1 part compost : 10 parts water
Time to brew - 1 week
Agitation - 2-3 times per day
Dilution - 1 part compost tea : 5 parts water
Application - Once every 2-3 weeks

What's available in the Compost Tea market?

This Compost Tea starter kit might be a good option or thos who want an organic product without all the fuss and mess of making your own. Obviously, it's not as cheap as making your own compost tea and with individual tea sachet bags one wouldn't expect that it could be. But, the benefit of this product over already mixed compost tea is that it can sit on your garden shelf ad infinitum and be ready to use when you want.

This product makes 100L (24 gallons).

An easier alternative is buying a liquified concentrate that can be added to your watering can at a rate of 5tbsp per gallon (80ml per 4L). With a liquified concentrate you waste no time at all in brewing you compost tea as all the work has been done for you. It's the most convenient organic product available when it comes to compost teas.

This product makes up to 50L (12 gallons).

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)

With Starbucks, and now other cafe's, giving away their used coffee grounds to home gardeners what are we supposed to do with this free resource?

Fortunately Sustainable Enterprises have come up with a few pointers to help us out;

• Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.
• Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
• Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
• Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
• Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests - this is the one that most interests me. I'm going to give it a try around my agapanthus and see if it does the trick.
• If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms

If you have other uses for Starbucks coffee grounds in the garden let me know.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)

There are two ways to feed plants and gardeners are often divided as to which method is the best. Some swear that foliage fertiliser sprays are the most efficient and effective method at delivering nutrients to a plant. Others, especially the permaculture set, are adamant that ground based fertilisers are the better of the two.

Well, it may just be that both are essential. In fact, using both foliar spray and slow-release fertilisers may be an even better outcome for you plants.

We've been re-indoctrinated to believe that the soil in which a plant grows is the most important element in our garden's health. And quite rightly so. However, this has come at a cost because our perceptions of foliar spray fertilisers has become more negative.

We know and understand that plants receive most of their nutrients through their root system. If the soil is healthy and well nourished then the plant can feed well and grow with a minimum of fuss and problems. Even pests and disease are less likely to trouble our plants.

What we may not know is that using foliage fertilisers may actually increase that intake - and exponentially as well.

This report explains the process;

By applying a foliar fertiliser directly to the leaf, it increases the activity in the leaf, at the same time increasing chlorophyll and thus photosynthesis. Because of this increased activity, it increases the need for water by the leaf. In turn this increases water uptake by the plants vascular system, which in turn increases the uptake of nutrients from the soil.

So, in actual fact while we need to maintain the nutrients in the soil the use of foliage fertilisers can increase their effectiveness and the plants efficiency at using them.

How to use foliar spray fertilisers

Foliage fertilisers always retail in liquid form, or at least in powder form that requires them to be dissolved in water. This is the best way for your plants to draw their nutrients from the fertiliser.

Most plants will only require a slow-release fertiliser application once at the start of each growing season. However, foliage fertilisers can be applied much more often and this depends on the type of plant grown.

• Perennials - should only require a foliar spray every 6-8 weeks during their flowering or growing season.
• Annuals - are much heavier feeders because their whole growth needs to be completed from seedling to producing plant within one growing season. Therefore, their fertilising needs are heavier and they will require a foliage fertiliser every 3 weeks at a minimum.
• Vegetables - on the other hand, vegies need even more and should be fed through their foliage every week during their production season. This will stave off any pest and disease problems and increase the yields of your vegetables.
• Fruit - if you compare the speed of most fruit trees from flower to produce you will notice that it is considerably slower than say, a carrot crop which can be ready within 12 weeks. Therefore, there is less need for fruit trees to be fertilised and these should be treated the same as your annuals.

With foliar spray fertilisers, the key nutrients you want to impart are potassium and phosphorous - in that order. Nitrogen, which is responsible for leaf growth, is your least desired element as the foliage will grow well to the detriment of fruit and flowers.

One of the most popular foliar spray fertilisers is fish emulsion. However, it's not the best as most fish emulsions usually have a ratio of 5:1:1 which is great for growth to the exclusion of blooms and fruit. You would be better finding a liquid fertiliser with an NPK ratio of 1:1:1.5.

So, the final outcome is that both are necessary. We need to feel our soils with slow-release fertilisers, compost and other organic materials but we should also be feeding our plants with foliar sprays to help them grow.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (4)

Your garden soil is your greatest asset. If it's kept healthy and alive then growing plants won't be a problem. But, if you ignore it, abuse it, or work it too hard you will find that your plants aren't going to stick around.

Organic Gardening came up with this great list of tests that you can perform in your own garden to bring your soil up to speed.

1. Soil structure & tilth Dig a hole to the depth of a shovel and crumble the soil in your hand. It will either be cloddy, powdery, or granular. Granular is the ideal as it allows better movement of air and water.
2. Compaction
   Drive a piece of thin wire into the soil. The point at which it bends displays where the soil is becoming too compact. A foot or more of easily penetrable soil is ideal as compacted soil inhibits root growth.
3. Workability
   Simply judge the effort necessary to prepare beds for planting. If it's too hard to work with your soil then you will have many problems with your plants.
4. Soil Organisms
   Dig a hole about 6 inches deep and inspect the animal life present. This includes earthworms, centipedes, spiders and other insects. If you count less than 10, your soil does not have enough active players in the food chain. The reason why this is so important is that the more active life beneath the surface of your soil, the less chance of disease and other pests.
5. Earthworms
   As with the last test, dig another hole and count the number of wriggling earthworms. Three worms are good, five are better. No worms = low quality organic soil.
6. Plant residue
   One month after turning over your cover crop, re-dig the area and inspect the decomposition. If you can still recognise plant parts as well as plant fibers and darkly colored humus this demonstrates that the soil activity is good.
7. Plant vigor
   All factors being equal (no adverse climate problems or seed timing issues) then your plants should be healthy. They should also be relatively uniform in their growing stages, size and colour.
8. Root development
   Dig up a growing weed and inspect its root development. The roots should have white, fine strands that appear healthy. Brown roots indicate drainage problems and stunted roots may show that disease has set in.
9. Water infiltration
   Remove the bottom from a tin can and insert it into the soil leaving 3 inches above the surface. Fill with water and time how long it takes for the water to dissipate. Repeat this several times until the rate of absorption slows and your times become consistent. Anything slower than 1/2 to 1 inch per hour is an indication of compacted soil.
10. Water availability
    After a soaking rain record how long it takes for your plants to show signs of thirst. The basic lesson is that if plants require more frequent watering than typical for your region, your soil is probably the culprit.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sure. Anyone can make compost. But, can they really make it?

Compost isn't the hardest thing in the world to create - it's just a matter of mixing a whole heap of dead organic matter and leaving it to its own devices. A few weeks to rest, then turning it over every few days and Voila! you have compost.

Six weeks ago I set out to journal the process of making my own compost. From the start, through each turn and then the final product. I didn't want to bore you with all the photos so I limited it to just the ones you needed to see.

Here's how I make compost and what I use it for...

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

Many home gardeners opt to buy in mulch when the weather begins to warm. In an effort to protect their garden beds from water evaporation and help combat weed growth they instinctively purchase large mulch loads and then spend the weekend dispersing it.

But, have you ever considered what goes into making that load of mulch?

Presumably it's bark and leaf matter that's been recycled as a byproduct of the timber millers. And, in many cases this is what you're getting. However, if you expect it to be 100% of the overall product you're either living in denial or ignorance is bliss.

Many mulch wholesalers and manufacturers will substitute a variety of items to bulk up their volumes. Wood pallets and crates - usually made from foreign timbers are a great alternative to sourcing natural timber fibres. And, while we would like to believe that it is just the waste products that are being used, many times the whole tree including the inner core is ground.

While this is still all natural it means that you're the one getting the raw end of the stick. The inner trunk of the tree will decompose far quicker that the bark which means you will have to mulch your garden more often. Suppliers who mulch the whole tree and imported softwoods benefit from cheaper overhead costs and also from increased customer orders but usually charge similar prices to quality providers.

And, what about those articles that warn us of bringing ants and termites onto our properties. Is there any cause for concern? The simple answer is no.

How can you tell what's in the mulch?

Before you allow the mulch to be offloaded onto your driveway, check the contents. Here are some things you should be able to look for and discuss with the supplier;

• Check for green or light-coloured wood - bark mulch should be fairly dry to moist if it is old enough and should have a dusty feel about it. Softwood that has been sitting in a mulch pile for some time will look greenish and have a slimy texture.


• Ask the supplier where they source their mulch from - many tree removal companies run a mulching arm as part of the business operations. While this is not a bad thing and the mulch produced will have no ill-effects on your gardens, it is an inferior product compared to milled bark and should be much cheaper.


• Ask how long it is stored for - the longer the mulch is stored the more decomposing has already taken place. If the mulch has been sitting in their yard for some time then it may rot down too quick in your garden beds, and thereby force you to buy more later in the season.

The best mulch you can get is from recycling your own plants and materials, and it's cheaper too. But if you must buy from a mulch supplier, take the time to find out what you're getting and don't just settle for what you've been given.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (4)

Many home gardeners opt to buy in mulch when the weather begins to warm. In an effort to protect their garden beds from water evaporation and help combat weed growth they instinctively purchase large mulch loads and then spend the weekend dispersing it.

But, have you ever considered what goes into making that load of mulch?

Presumably it's bark and leaf matter that's been recycled as a byproduct of the timber millers. And, in many cases this is what you're getting. However, if you expect it to be 100% of the overall product you're either living in denial or ignorance is bliss.

Many mulch wholesalers and manufacturers will substitute a variety of items to bulk up their volumes. Wood pallets and crates - usually made from foreign timbers are a great alternative to sourcing natural timber fibres. And, while we would like to believe that it is just the waste products that are being used, many times the whole tree including the inner core is ground.

While this is still all natural it means that you're the one getting the raw end of the stick. The inner trunk of the tree will decompose far quicker that the bark which means you will have to mulch your garden more often. Suppliers who mulch the whole tree and imported softwoods benefit from cheaper overhead costs and also from increased customer orders but usually charge similar prices to quality providers.

And, what about those articles that warn us of bringing ants and termites onto our properties. Is there any cause for concern? The simple answer is no.

How can you tell what's in the mulch?

Before you allow the mulch to be offloaded onto your driveway, check the contents. Here are some things you should be able to look for and discuss with the supplier;

• Check for green or light-coloured wood - bark mulch should be fairly dry to moist if it is old enough and should have a dusty feel about it. Softwood that has been sitting in a mulch pile for some time will look greenish and have a slimy texture.


• Ask the supplier where they source their mulch from - many tree removal companies run a mulching arm as part of the business operations. While this is not a bad thing and the mulch produced will have no ill-effects on your gardens, it is an inferior product compared to milled bark and should be much cheaper.


• Ask how long it is stored for - the longer the mulch is stored the more decomposing has already taken place. If the mulch has been sitting in their yard for some time then it may rot down too quick in your garden beds, and thereby force you to buy more later in the season.

The best mulch you can get is from recycling your own plants and materials, and it's cheaper too. But if you must buy from a mulch supplier, take the time to find out what you're getting and don't just settle for what you've been given.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (4)

In Helotes, San Antonio Texas (a mere drive southwest of Austin) is a fire that has been burning since almost Christmas and continues to burn. The cause of this month-long fire - a mulch pile!

Measuring 80 ft high (24m) and 800 ft wide (240m) - the size of five Olympic swimming pools - this mulch monstrosity has been pouring out smoke since Dec 26. Residents have been displaced from their homes and billeted at local accommodation outlets throughout the city.

Even after a specialised firefighting team were brought in to extinguish the fire - costing more than $1.7m - it appears that the fire won't be brought under control for at least another month. That's one very hot mulch pile.

It's tragic that this problem even occurred but it highlights how hot organic matter can become once bacteria begin to do their work. Gardeners are always talking about how hot the centre of the pile needs to be in order to kill any wayward seeds but this story borders on ridiculousness.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

Every year more than 700 million new tyres are created replacing a similar amount that ends up getting burnt or discarded in waste sites. In fact, in Australia alone more than 70% are still being tossed away annually.

Fortunately gardeners aren't wasteful people and we've used them to stack potatoes, add a swing for the kids and even turned them inside out and planted flowers in them. But there are only so many potato tires, swings and planters that one garden needs.

So the new trend is to apply rubber mulch on your garden beds and why not? It comes in a range of colours, doesn't break down (not in your lifetime anyway) so you shouldn't need to replace it and it's easy to apply. Plus there are no smells that keep your neighbours indoors.

With so many benefits it seems hard to bypass an obvious solution to the rubber recycling problem.

That is until you find out whether it has any detrimental side effects to your garden. And, alas, it does. Recycled rubber mulch contains enough zinc, cadmium and other heavy metals to destroy your favourite ornamentals in one foul swoop.

Rubber mulch is often extolled with the virtue of containing nitrogen but it is so minimal that the heavy metals far outweigh any pre-conceived benefit.

This would be okay if it were where the story ended. You could easily decide to steer clear of applying rubber mulch to your garden and resume normal organic applications. But it seems that recycled rubber mulch is becoming more common as a bulk filler for normal organic mulch as well.

This is a little disconcerting for gardeners especially when you can't identify many of the ingredients that go into the mulch you buy from your soils provider.

The solution: It pays to ask. If your mulch retailer can't tell you if recycled rubber is used as a filler then find one that can. At the very least, if you are still in doubt, go back to composting your own natural waste products.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're a fan of making your own compost - and if you garden you should be - then building your own compost screen is the next step.

Compost screens can perform a few different functions. Firstly, they can have a broad mesh that allows most of the compost through but retains any larger uncomposted items such as chunks of bark or large twigs that found their way into the heap.

They also can be interchanged with a finer mesh that allows even smaller compost particles through to produce a high-quality potting mix or seed-raising mix for you. These screens are easy to use and if produced effectively can be stored away quite easily.

If you're looking for some plans to build your own check out these very practical detailed tips from the Pennsylvanian DEP.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (7)

Considered as a ratio, 1 in almost every 10 trees will find their way into landfill, disposed of unthoughtfully or worse still - incinerated. Which must make us wonder why we even bother to educate people to use 'real' Christmas trees instead of their artificial counterfeits.

Sure, a 'real' Christmas tree will break down within 5 to 10 years while a plastic wanna-be will take aeons but the environmental effect of disposing rather than recycling is of paramount importance.

Assuming the average Christmas tree weighs 4.5kg this calculates as 11.5 thousand tonnes of rotting plant material in places where the nutrient run-off may be detrimental rather than helpful.

Scarier than this is the thought of having 11.5 thousand tonnes of pine incinerated causing creosote deposits and harmful smoke polluting the environment.

What's the Answer?

People are truly lazy beings. If something becomes an inconvenience then as a species we will find the easiest way to deal with it. So, when it applies to waste we would rather dispose of it than drive out of our way to have it recycled.

Therefore, each retailer of 'real' Christmas trees should become responsible for the recycling and mulching of them. If this means raising the price so that the trees can be collected and recycled accordingly then so be it.

Let's be a little less consumeristic at Christmas and make sure that 100% of 'real' Christmas trees are recycled into garden mulch.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you've been following Lisa's blog Millertime recently you would have enjoyed her posts on growing mushrooms indoors. It's a great concept for gardeners wanting to experiment with growing mushrooms and will keep you busy during the cold winter months when everything else in the garden is hibernating.

What was even more exciting about seeing these mushrooms pop up was finding out that it had only taken Lisa 5 days beore she was able to harvest them. The variety Lisa started with was the Oyster Mushroom but any gardener can grow Shiitakes, Enokis and even Morels.

The beauty of growing mushrooms via a kit is the convenience. Most mushroom kits come complete with the substrate (or growing medium) and includes the mycelium ready to bear. Combine the two and Voila! you have an alternative meal for dinner.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Curtin of Spade Work : From Plot to Plate fame wrote a post recently asking readers the question Bagged Compost or Farmers' Manure?. Choosing between sterile crap and organic crap!

It's actually a question that I thought would have had much more heated debate as gardeners jostled to have their opinions heard. Nevertheless, it did uncover some great thoughts and topics for further discussion.

Patrick from Bifurcated Carrots made a poignant claim that manure can carry the E. coli virus. So true in fact that it is quite possibly the reason for the recent outbreak in spinach which killed 3 people and made hundreds sick.

Now, no gardener wants to unwittingly introduce a deadly pathogen into their vegetable patch so it would seem that sales of bagged compost are set to skyrocket. Gardeners just won't take the risk.

But, if gardeners and agriculturalists have been using the stuff for centuries, even millennia, and bagged compost uses it as a main ingredient, why would you steer clear of it? My take on buying bagged compost is the same as buying a pre-packaged pizza over making one yourself. The homemade variety wins every time.

I would much prefer to use farm manure any day. So how do you eliminate the risk of carrying bacteria?

Continue reading "Bagged Compost vs Farm Direct Manure" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (6)

Like anything, moderation is good. As shown here before mulch volcanoes around the base of trees can actually prohibit the tree's success. The same can be said if too much mulch is applied to a garden bed. When landscaping your garden the most mulch you would want to apply is 10-15cm (4-5in) of organic material and approximately 5cm (2in) of inorganic material.

In spring we will commence the annual mulching of our garden beds before the summer season arrives. This will aid in halting evaporation that removes the water from our plants that we pay so much for. I'm a big fan of mulch, not only for its purposes but also for its aesthetic qualities. It's like putting a black background behind a photograph.

If you want to neaten your garden before you put it on the real estate market - mulch the beds. It makes an incredible difference. I've seen homeowners who have done this and instantly the house looks better.

So what types of mulch are there and what are their purposes?

The types of mulch are varied and can be anything organic or inorganic.

• Straw/Hay/Lucerne - These are great to put around fruit trees and look great in cottage gardens. They're inexpensive materials and will keep down weeds very effectively. The best way to apply this type of mulch is to first put down some blood and bone fertiliser around the base of the tree. Overlay this with some newspaper to cover the spread of the tree and then cover the paper with sheep or horse manure (slow-release fertiliser). Finally apply the straw densely over the manure and water in.
  


• Manufactured Mulches - we've just applied some mushroom compost to our beds because of the ease of use and high manure levels within the mulch. Mulches purchased this way have a uniform colour, usually very dark, and can be easily spread across the garden beds. In our ornamental beds we applied some blood and bone before adding the mulch while we just applied the mulch (no fertiliser) to our native garden. The reason, Australian natives don't mind some fertilising but not in abundance.
  


• Material Mulches - these mulches are used predominantly for aesthetic purposes. They may consist of broken coloured glass, pebbles, woodchips or any other material than can still allow water to seep in and yet minimise evaporation.
  

What are the purposes for laying mulch?

• Aesthetics - this may or may not be the biggest reason for your desire to mulch. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve. You may be trying to create a particular feel to a landscape and these materials help convey that. It may be that you just want to neaten up your garden and are laying a backdrop for this.
  


• Feeding Your Garden - we usually purchase feeding mulches because we prefer to put these items onto the garden in the hope of improving soil quality. As these mulches break down further, they condition the soil and add to it.
  


• Keeping Weeds Down - this is a great strategy for using mulch and the reason why it should be applied generously. The heat and density of the mulch will slow down weeds from germinating and also being able to penetrate it. It also means that you shouldn't put your mulch right up to the base of the plant as it is possible to kill them.
  


• Slows Evaporation - one of the big reasons you would mulch your garden is to stop evaporation. During the hottest months it's quite possible to see more water being evaporated from your garden than you're applying to it. Mulching will slow down this process and allow the plants to retain their required moisture.
  

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (1)