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Hopefully this isn't a “too
late smart” practice. The reason this can be said is for the learning such
a simple help with my gardening. For all the years to search for straw
from wheat fields, hay grown old while stored in barns, and, or, any
other mulching material, something must be said as to the nuisance of the
efforts. When we didn't happen to own a pick up truck, it was fortunate a
generous Uncle lent us his. Once the hay we brought home was so full of
mildew it about was the last straw (is that a pun?) Sorry!
Last year after seeing a
television show on Lasagne gardening at the web site:
http://www.electricscotland.com/gardening/lasagne.htm It was
determined we would give this a try.
Well, let me make it
clear. It is a wonderful way to garden. The only regret is that we didn't
try it earlier. In the flower beds the newspaper is simply opened up and
put around the flowers you wish to protect from weeds. If one immediately
can wet the paper down with a water hose, you have ready, the paper has
less opportunity to blow away. The windy hill where we live make this a
must. With layering of top soil and a little manure the plants become
just remarkably lovely.
For an added bonus it was
discovered bales of newspapers can be purchased from the local newspaper
office here for a very small sum. Of course, you may ask friends to save
their used papers for you also. This year finds a freedom from having to
search about for the mulch needed.
What a great thing it is
for folks to share their ways of doing these little things.
A large wrecking bar to
punch through the paper in order to set plants helped make it easier to
plant. Seeds can be sown without punching through the paper, but just on
top of the layers. See
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/easygardening/mulching/mulching2.html |
