And by mulch I mean any old thing, don’t go mortgaging your house for fancy store bought stuff. In the absence of garden waste (which I find hard to believe – there are always things to prune or weed) there will be an old blanket lurking in the shed, a daggy jersey he’ll never miss, a lawn to mow, or plenty of organic matter on the roadside (bracken, leaves, pine needles, seawrack)….. mulch is everywhere!
For the world’s best ever vegie garden mulch put seceteurs in pocket, wheelbarrow in tow and trundle around weeding and pruning. Herbs come into play here – cut and come again vigorous growers like yarrow, tansy, lemon balm, borage and comfrey provide enormous amounts of nutritious matter for mulch. Toss all the ingredients together and spread it on. Too easy.
The thing is to keep topping it up (which is not as arduous as it sounds). This steady drip feed of organic matter is slow release fertiliser – better than any you’ll buy. And as a 2 for 1 deal, it helps keep weeds at bay.
Whenever you mow, spread it on. Whenever you weed or prune – cut it up and spread it on. Returning these bits brings your garden full circle – as it grew it took, now it’s given back.