permaculture

["Charles de Matas" <cdematas@hotmail.com>]

Hey Rob, thanks for the comments on John Jeavons and double digging.  I went 
and ordered two of JJ's books.  I think the method might help me in the 
difficult situations that I face.  There are bush fires on my land every 
year.  This year I had to work hard to prevent fires reaching my compost 
heaps and grass piles and the mulch around my trees.  In previous years the 
fires have burnt up compost piles and practically all the surface mulch.  
It's very difficult to prevent the fires from spreading.  I've had to 
concentrate on protecting a small area.  Hoeing around compost piles and 
mulched trees seems the only reliable way to prevent fires reaching them.  I 
try raking the grass after I cut it, but even that doesn't stop the fires 
from spreading.  The smallest particles of dry grass that the rakes miss are 
enough to propagate the fires.
  I wish I could do what other people have suggested, just leaving organic 
matter on the surface, but over the past few years I think the soil has been 
losing organic matter because of the fires.  If I have finished compost I 
will much prefer to dig it into the soil.  Leaving it on the surface is much 
too risky.  Just a few days ago there were more fires that reached my land 
and burnt up a lot of grass that I could have used for compost, mulch etc.  
I'm thinking of buying a rotary cutter, with the nylon string, to use, 
although I dislike using power tools.

Charles  (Trinidad)

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