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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Re: goats vs compost

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  • From: Lisa in Oregon <lisamaciver8@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: goats vs compost
  • Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 12:25:35 -0700 (PDT)

I'm not sure I understand entirely - you mean use the plants themselves

as mulch directly on these beds (or other beds), perhaps chopped/torn
up somewhat?

Animals turn organic matter into smaller amounts of organic matter...
of greater or less quality, i.e. nutrients? Of course, the amount
from one spinach plant is mixed with a lot of organic matter that
comes from pasture and hay.

Does mulching actually differ much from composting, that is, isn't
the end result quantity of organic matter similar? Mulch just sort
of composts in place - been experimenting with that, I'm not fond
of hauling wheelbarrows back and forth. I have an unbelieveable
amount of worms in the soil, red and gray.

I worry that letting plants flower and set seed uses up the nutrients
that are in the roots, which should stay in the soil. With beans,
for green manure are you supposed to cut them just as they flower,
before the N is sucked up from the roots into the seeds? Although
producing seeds, presumably high protient, would be valuable for
chicken diets. Of course, a chard plant acts as a perfect earwig
trap, so they had quite the protien addition to their diets anyway.

Lisa in Ashland Oregon




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