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?
???
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
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.
Now there's a thought! :o ;D ;D
:)
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!
;)
Do say how it goes katy :)