Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

What a lift, to get all that without spending a dime! Are you mulching for
winter now or later on? So many feel they have to spend the money for mulch
and amendments in those little bags, and end up spending more on garden
produce than they'd spend at the market. 

We have a county chipping place nearby where we can load ourselves, but we
found a bigger one where they'll load a pickup for five dollars. It's all a
bit coarse for mulching some of our beds but great for spreading on paths
between beds. We may need to use some on beds but with a layer of aged
manure compost under the chips, and drip under that. Usually we have little
or no rain in spring until summer monsoon here, so mulching is absolutely
essential - no garden without it. Like the old mountain climber said,
getting to the top is optional; getting back down is not ;-)

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 12/22/2006 at 6:54 AM Carrie Shepard wrote:

>Last week, there was a cleanup crew out on the street and I ran out and
>begged them to dump the load on my property.  I was too late for that
>load, it had already been requested, but they told me maybe the next one. 
>So, 8am this morning there they were, YIPPEE!
>   
>  I can't believe how blessed and happy I feel right now.  The guy was
>funny as he could see the joy in my face over that load and he told me
>most people don't want it, but turn around and go buy it from the stores
>in little bitty bags <LOL>.   I told him he can dump more here anytime and
>he assured me that they were going to be in my area for a while, so he'll
>bring me more.
>   
>  This is exactly the inspiration I needed to get to working more out in
>the garden on the days when the weather's nice.  I'm gonna have to order
>new hoophouse plastic, it didn't survive our little OK blizzard.
>   
>  Happy Holidays and Garden planning,
>  Carrie
>
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