Recycling
I recycle whenever possible. Two favorites are newspapers and woodchips. I was able to twice load my pickup with pine tree woodchips and these, together with bundles of accumulated newspapers, gave me the incentive to weed the overgrown walkways in my vegetable garden.
I first remove the weeds, then lay down the newspapers (typically open the newspaper at the middle and ensure plenty of overlap to block the sunlight), and then cover with a thick layer of woodchips. In addition to newspaper (glossy inserts removed), I also use cardboard and paper sacks provided they do not have a plastic film on any surface. This heavy mulching prevents weeds, conserves moisture in the soil, provides food for the earthworms, and removes competition from weeds for the scarce water. I think it also removes habitat for some of the pest insects and the bonus is the garden looks more attractive to visitors.
Scuppernong
Scuppernong are my favorite muscadine (a type of grape native to the southeastern United States). When the scuppernong turn a golden bronze color they are ready for the eating – as you bite down on this large grape your mouth is filled with an indescribable sweetness. Since I do not use chemicals there is no need for washing the scuppernong. However, there are many eager consumers and as you reach for the muscadine a large wasp may be disturbed and fly noisily away. Last year there were lots of stink bugs around but, so far, they are not in evidence.
The First Crow
I was surprised this morning, as I approached the hen coops, to hear an unmistakable rooster crow. We have two coops and fenced outdoor areas – one for the 6 older egg laying girls I inherited from my neighbor, and another for the youngsters – 7 hens and a rooster. “Buffy” is a Buff Orpington rooster and he certainly has filled out in recent weeks. He has even taken to trying to intimidate the two Black Jersey Giant hens, who are not sure (yet) what to make of him. Although there was a trifle uncertainty it definitely was a crow, repeated a couple of times as he tuned and validated it.
Question: After a big storm don’t you find that the newspapers get blown around?
I do bury the newspapers under a thick layer of wood chip mulch and after a few rains the mulch and the paper settle on the ground. Although we have had some strong winds, so far the mulch has not been blown around. Probably due to the lay of the land and I do have woods on the east which may blunt the winds coming in from the west. I use the newspapers more as a weed barrier (actually a barrier to prevent the sunlight reaching the soil) than as a mulch and my worms within a few months go through most of it. I like your website and will be spending some time on it.