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How To Have A Green Thumb
Without An Aching Back
Save your gardening labour resources. Let Mother
Nature do the work, not your back. Garden smartly and do it
without ending up with a sore back.
Ruth Stout, who passed on in 2006 at a grand old age, left
behind a rich legacy for gardeners. Ruth's study highlighted
aspects found in the world of nature, like the presence of a
layer of mulch, as well as leaving the ground unbroken (in
effect, letting the inhabitants of the soil do the "turning"
- earthworms, microbes, and such). Through her observation
of various natural settings, followed by strategic
implementation of these features, gardening was shown to
become more productive, while reducing the work load.
Application of organic plant waste material directly onto
the soil to a depth of an inch or more generates the
following results:
- The bottom layer of mulch will gradually rot into the
soil, providing a constant supply of nutrients, while
eliminating the need for maintaining a compost pile.
- Moisture retention due to the mulch layer means reduced
need for watering - saving on both resources and labor.
- Mulch effectively prevents weeds from growing, thus
reducing another laborious chore.
- Because of greater nutrient levels, plants can be
positioned twice as densely as normally recommended.
- Even so, those plants will actually produce more than
non-mulched plants. In real terms the combination of denser
spacing and higher production means a fourfold
increase overall.
In addition, leaving the soil unbroken saves the laborious
task of turning the soil, while the soil's compactness
allows the "wicking" action of moisture and nutrients to
flow.
I have had the pleasure of proving these results in my own
garden, as have countless other practitioners of mulch
gardening.
Gardeners and farmers are advised to study the finer points
of the system before implementation.
See the links below, which expand on this system of applying
nature-wisdom for increased productivity while saving on
resources and labor.
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