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| Pulling back the cardboard mulch at Eileen's |
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| tiger worm party!! |
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Last week we uncovered two beds at Eileen's that had been covered by a thick cardboard mulch in October. As each layer was peeled back the ground sprang to life! centipedes, millipedes, spiders, slugs, tiger worms, earthworms, wood lice, wire worms, all ran for cover( or just sat there in shock!) a feast of life under decomposing cardboard. Underneath the cardboard the soil was fine and dry, a lovely rich colour, after a winter of decomposing manure and compost. It was warm to the touch too-perfect for planting that day.
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| Plastic mulches at Jac |
I couldn't help but notice the difference at Jacks a day later when we uncovered beds that had been covered in black plastic for a winter mulch around the same time. No army of insects, no lovely warm rich colour in the earth below. It seemed devoid of life. The added mushroom compost seemed cloddy and sterile, although the bed improved with a lot of vigorous digging and the temperature was warm to the touch too.
It makes you wonder about the usefulness of plastic in the garden, does it really have a place in the veg garden over winter or are we better sticking with biodegradable organic stuff like cardboard and newspapers that provide a home for so much insect life while the world slumbers?
Very interesting Marie. What does Eileen do with the cardboard and mulch she removes? Onto the compost heap?
ReplyDeleteGood morning Eliza!
ReplyDeleteyes onto the compost heap, you know Eileen she is forever recycling-worms and cardboard could not be allowed to go to waste.I am using cardboard mulches myself around the fruiting trees and bushes this year. It will be interesting to see how they get on.
Hi again, I used cardboard and mulch around the fruit trees last year, but I found the process needs to be repeated throughout the year, as only a few months later and all the mulch was once again covered in the ever vigorous and determined Golden Vale grass......
ReplyDeleteI have chicken pellets, can i put them around my fruit trees? Do i need to poke a hole and pour them in?
Hey Eliza,
ReplyDeleteyep that's the downside. It must be quite a thick much to keep it going for several months, even better if it can be combined with something else on top of it like Home made compost or well rotted manures.
Chicken pellets are great for gooseberries and soft fruit but they are too high in nitrogen for fruit trees-it would drive on leaves and stems not fruit and flowers. If you can poke holes it will deliver the manure to the roots quickly, as plants are already growing that's what i would do.If you cant get seaweed use comfrey leaves for your fruit trees!
Well, good thing I checked re the chicken pellets and fruit trees. I just revived what i thought were four dead gooseberry bushes but they are all alive and I've fed and mulched so fingers crossed! Just have to keep the wretched guinea fowl away now......
ReplyDeleteWith comfrey do i make a liquid feed, I presume I do......
thanks so much for taking the time to answer!!
Its no bother! Just cut the leaves and lie them around the trees. Again, like the cardboard you might have to put something heavy, have you got home made compost ?, on top to keep them from blowing away. You can of course make the liquid feed too if you prefer. x
ReplyDelete