What, What, What. You know it, yet you don’t do it. So just DO IT, DO IT, DO IT.
Come on. I know I should be collecting the plastic and bottles and cans and separating my garbage. Do I do it consistently? NO. Do I know what I am doing? YES. So what is my problem. Not enough concern. It is as simple as that.
Is that loud enough for you. I want so much to have an attitude about this but I will restrain myself. I have flaws and I won’t be perfect. It isn’t in our American nature. Effort and conviction, oh yeah. But long-term follow-through is missing. The idea behind recycling does not have enough short term benefits to most people (especially financial). At least not obvious enough to satisfy our immediate gratification.
Back to composting . Anyone can do it. With a composting barrel or a large portion of the dead space around your property you can do it. You could even sell it if you wanted to market it to the local planting community. You just have to collect things that are earthy, break down and end up looking brown and spongy.
You have heard it before. Leaf clipping, mowed up leaves, chipped up branches, kitchen waste (egg peels, old vegetables, fruits and their remains). It could be the tumbler advertised so well. It could be a corner behind some evergreens. It could be a 10 by 10 area that you just throw everything and then once a year you dig into. Whatever it is, make sure the size of your compost fits the size of your effort and ability to manage.
The wonders are the insects, fungi, animals, and as time demonstrates, financial returns. Less mulch usage, water usage, fertilizer usage, and fewer plants dieing. Oh I forget to mention fewer pesticides sprayed on to the property around your children animals and future. Is that enough? Well if it isn’t enough I invite all of you to a future garden party at my house where all these things are put into practice. Yeah party includes alcohol and food.
I will let you all know when. Get yourself ready for an organically good time.
Hi there, love yr advices…help! we having problem with the mulch used last spring beeing very hard, binded with a white substance..almost as if its glued together (and even more under a birch tree) my mums plants can’t grow, they kind of stuck under the mulch. Your professional advice would b very much appreciated, Thank you, Phyllis
Thanks for the encouragement.
Mulch should not be an issue but unfortunately at times it is. Man sometimes gets too involved with making money and turns the most natural things into that which detracts instead of enhances. This does not mean that the mulch you put down was bad (many variable are in play with mulches not organic). Where did the mulch come from? What type of trees produced the mulch? How long was it sitting around before your mum got it? These and so many other questions needs to be answered before beginning to come up with a reason why. The easiest solution is to remove the mulch, clean the area (the white is probably some type of fungus and it might not be beneficial to the trees and plants in the area) and reapply an organic double ground mulch. The courser the mulch the longer it will take to break down into Peat and invite a greater number of beneficial insects and fungi to the area (through the process of breaking down). Good luck and thank you again for your question and the visit.