Living Mulch

The fall of 2012 we began a new way of mulching our gardens. In years past we have always collected thousands of bags of leaves to mulch the pathways, it looked and worked beautifully and it added tons of organic matter to our gardens. However, it was very labor intensive and as our gardens have grown into a farm in recent year I knew we had to make a change.

Then I began to take notice of other farmers planting cover crops in the pathways for weed control.  This was so clever! Sow seeds after beds are made and let them go- some mow the pathways others don’t. I knew we had to try this.

Well, we planted five gardens so far with a couple of different crops and are reaping the benefits!! Look for the details of how-to, what-to, and when-to plant cover crops to protect your soil, provide habitat for beneficial creatures, and to add lots of organic matter to your soil in my June 2013 newsletter.

Buckwheat and Japanese Millet in photos below planted in pathways around our beds covered in Biotelo biodegradable film: