about mulch

In response to someone's homework today I put this post up. http://permaculturevisions.com/mulch-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/ http://permaculturevisions.org Mulch – The good, the bad and the ugly Mulch, in the long term, for the garden or farm can never be bad. It is always useful to reduce evaporation, protect the soil and worms from erosion and increase your store of organic material. In the short term, throwing mulch on without considering the effect can result in undesired effects. If you apply: the mulch too thinly – this can result in a light cover that encourages existing plants and seeds to thrive (they are simply ‘top dressing’ the weeds). fresh grass clippings, pulled weeds or prunings you might find that it contained grass seed or that some plants resprout where you don’t want them. material that has not yet decomposed, you might start to witness nitrogen draw-down (when the leaves of plants near the mulch begin to turn yellow). It is wise to put a good layer of compost or aged urine or manure underneath the top layer of ‘green’ material. mounds of fresh clippings that can generate heat and burn the plants below (this can be handy if you are wanting to burn out an area). Usually it is wise to keep the mulch in a heap until it has stopped burning (the burning kills weed seed within the heap too, so it is handy) then apply the mulch when it has cooled. hair for mulch hair as mulch heavy mulch full of naturally occurring allelopathic chemicals (such as eucalytpus) – this will not be kind to any tender, unaccustomed plants. Basically, be aware that non-natives may not like native mulches. putting mulch too close to the trunks of your trees can kill them. They can develop collar rot where the trunk suffocates, gets too wet and rots away. Some materials do not decompose quickly (hair, old wool, re-used cotton) so are good long term protection. The ideal mulch is living mulch which replenishes itself year after year. This mulch can be edible such as sweet potato (kumura). April Sampson-Kelly

Down to earth climate friendly household tips

Did you know that you can make your own garden remedies from natural products?

For Mould on fences and paths - do this
Mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and either spray or paint on.

For Slugs - Slug it to them!!! give them a cup of diluted coffee 1 part to 9 parts water..

Natural weed killer..
For a really difficult plant that you need to kill..
pour on a mix of 1/2 cup of salt and 2 cups of vinegar.
This will kill everything so don't let any of it get onto anything precious. It also stays in the ground for a long time -the salt content is is the main active ingredient.
If you have an accidental spill you should dig out that section of soil.

To avoid your compost worms escaping.. line the lower bins with an old mesh curtain.
They will try to escape if you forget to feed them... Wouldn't you?

A cheap way to make a worm farm is simply to cut a one metre square of garden cloth mesh,
sew up one side and the top. Place some straw, paper, and worms in the bag along with food scraps. (Not Meat) Fold the open end up and place it under the bag. Sit the bag in a shady spot in the garden and refuel regularly. Move it about and the castings will fertilise your garden.
Don't forget to wear gloves.

If you need a fungicide for your plants try this.. mix 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon kitchen detergent into 2 litres of water.. spray on.