Question for Super Sprout!

[katynewbie]

 I have watched the pics of your lovely plot and all the mulch with great interest.
The question is: if I scatter all my kitchen waste (cutting out the middle man/bin!) along with lots of straw etc, will it encourage slugs/foxes and other nasties?

Would love to join in and mulch away happily, but I worry...

What do you think Sprout?

???

[katynewbie]

[supersprout]

Sorry only just seen this katy, been busy with the plumming ;)
Thank you for the compliment - still waiting to see how the plot behaves in Autumn/Winter!
That's an interesting q, I'd say the jury's out on raw kitchen waste but it's worth a go.

Mulching guru Ruth Stout has an interesting take on the slug question. She says that the argument runs:

Slugs like moist conditions
Mulching makes moist conditions
therefore mulch = slugs
???

She never had a problem with slugs.

Touch wood, I don't have a problem with slugs on my plot either (though they do appear on other peeps' plots) (no rubbish/bed edges?). Mulching has made no difference at all to the slug population that I can see - SO FAR!! Remember I'm new to this too ::)

Foxes and vermin? Not if it's vegetable waste and not meat? Though it can look alarming 'raw', so I like to cover it with a thin layer of straw for Neatness. I've had no problem, though one of my neighbours has rats in his compost heap :-X

At the moment I prefer to use veg waste on long-term veg - brassica, asparagus, jerusalem artichoke - and keep the nice stuff - straw, compost, leaves - for between the faster growing crops. That's aesthetics rather than nutrients!

Might be worth trying veg waste discreetly somewhere on the plot and see what happens?

SSxx

[redimp]

Also slugs might be quite happy eating the mulch rather than the crops and adding their waste to the general condition and fertility of the soil.

[supersprout]

Now there's a thought! :o ;D ;D

[katynewbie]

 :)

Hmmm, lots to think about!

Have looked at the Blessed Saint Ruths' stuff, v interesting.

Think I will have a go on a small area and see what happens, thanks!

;)

[supersprout]

Do say how it goes katy :)