Thank you for an informative video. I have never mulched with straw but I have also never thought of mulching with old thatch either. I will definitely give that a try. Looking forward to seeing more videos from you
Thank you, Nolan, I am so glad I was able to pass on some knowledge. If you do give it go then let me know how it goes for you and I'm looking forward to sharing more of my experiences.
@@robertgilkerson8517 thanks for taking the time to drop me a comment and share your experiences! Seems like you have taken the effort to find clean straw and if you can then I agree it's probably once of the best mulches you can use! Sorry to hear about your dud batch of hay, but those are the risks I guess. Happy growing 🌻
I also tried mulching with straw. Big mistake! Lots of seeds that germinsted in my raised beds! 😆 I try leaves, but they normally blow away the moment the wind blows. Pine needles are also good to mulch with. They have no effect on the acidity of the soil. Thanks for your video. Keep it up!
Thank you so much, Roxanne, and you raise a really good point about the pine needle mulch. It is a really great option that I didn't mention but adds really good structure and qualities to the soil and also doesn't make soil acidic as the myth that goes around. Looking forward to sharing more of my knowledge with you!
I always leave my bales to sit for weeks/ months in order to reduce seed problems. They sprout in the bales before you put it in the garden. The bale also starts to break down which means it will give back to the garden quicker.
This is a really good step you add which, if there are any herbicide residues, will probably leech out during that process too. I might give this a go! 🌻
@@MySustainabilityJourney I find giving the bales a good soaking with the hose gets the seeds sprouting. I generally use pea straw in the garden and the other method I use is, spread the bale in the garden bed well before planting. This will allow enough time for the pea sprouts to appear and then just give the straw a turn over which will uproot the shallow seedlings. This may have to be done twice but, it will pretty much eliminate the seed problem before planting. Alternatively, let the peas grow to a foot or so tall and then stomp/ cut them all down to stop them growing. This adds more mulch to the bed for free. 😉 Always put some manure down before the straw to combat any nitrogen loss from the straw breaking down. This should resolve the issue with stunted growth. Happy gardening.
I used straw one year and never again. It was a home for slugs. They were everywhere under the decaying straw. I don't have that issue when I use leaves.
I totally agree with you! I had endless issues using straw as a mulch, but luckily not slugs or snails like you did because that's really not a pest you want settling into your veggie garden 🌻
I'd like to address your three issues with using straw as mulch. 1. Pesticides. This is a legitimate concern. It's your garden and you should be able to control what goes into it. I don't want any peas in my garden because I hate them. But I'm not so concerned about pesticides. You should be able to control what goes into your garden. 2. Weed seeds. If you use a thicker carpet of straw the roots of the weeds don't reach the soil before they can very easily be pulled out. If you have just a thin layer of straw those weeds are more of a hassle to get rid of. If you don't want to do any weeding, or if you are physically unable to do weeding, this is a viable concern. But if you are ok with doing very easy weeding, a thicker layer of straw could fix this. 3. Plants not growing well. This could be due to a number of issues. Two plants grown in different areas will grow due to factors such as different soil conditions and different amounts of sunlight. But if the issue is caused by the straw it would be a lack of nitrogen. The soil bacteria consumes vast amounts of nitrogen when breaking down high carbon mulches like straw. This can be fixed by adding nitrogen rich fertilisers like manure or compost.
Thank you! I was about to dump some donated straw all over my garden. i find the lightweight mulches such as leaves blow away! using the home depot woodchips due to lack of options but now i worry about the same issue of chemicals. eek!
Thanks for the comment Katie! Yeah it's so tricky with straw because you just don't know what was sprayed on it or how recently it was sprayed. You could literally wipe out years of soil building 😔 As for wood chips, you just need to find out if they are treated wood chips or not. You generally don't want treated woodchips as chemicals could leech into your soil, it luckily there are lots of options for untreated wood chips. I hope you find a solution that works for you 🌻
Thanks Craig! Now I don't feel like I'm missing out. I've always loved the idea of straw because it's so light and dry (especially for strawberries) but I know it would be blown right out of my beds. I like the idea of that fine mulch. I must look out for that. The last mulch I bought had big sticks in it, nevermind the glass, plastic, rope and stones too.
Haha, yip, you aren't missing out at all. I have seen pics of your garden (which is lovely) but yes, with wind the straw will be everywhere! I have also had your experience with the fine mulch before if having big sticks and then some junk in it too. There was a really good suggestion of pine needles, which could work really well for you!? I recently did some reading up on University research and papers around pine needles and there is no evidence that they alter the PH of the soil, which means it could be a really good, clean and natural option in windy areas!
@@MySustainabilityJourney I went to Flandorp yesterday and got a few bags of their mulch. Looks awesome from what I could see through the little hole in the bags. I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I like the idea of pine needles. I didn't know it was something you could buy.
@@jolenee1914 oh wow that's AWESOME! Please let me me know how it goes and how it works for you? Always happy to find and try new options 😁 WRT pine needles it's incredibly difficult to find for sale, but we have copious amounts of pine trees in and around CPT so grab some strong bags and fetch what you need 🌱
Strangely enough the 2nd (bigger one) got mostly hot afternoon sun and the smaller one morning into early afternoon sun so it should have been better off...
Oh my word I used a lot of straw over my beds .I did not think about herbicides😢 the sprouts is the least of my worries as pull them and use them as green manure
Yeah, unfortunately this is not something that is top of mind to most people and is so easily overlooked. I agree with you on the sprouts as I have done the same in the past 🌻
I was afraid to use starw on my veggies because I heard of the extensive herbicide use. However, I use store bought straw as a mushroom growing substrate. Do you think mushrooms absorb herbicides? Now Im afraid i will end up eating herbices laced mushrooms
Hmmm...I would be cautious of this because I recently saw that mushrooms are often used in areas where there is toxicity exposure to absorb it up and clean up the area. They then say you should not eat these because they have absorbed checmicals and toxins so I would be cautious. However, you can soak your straw in water overnight and water beans or peas with the water. If they start whilting or growing funny then there is contamination and if they are just fine then your batch of straw is clean. I hope this helps 🌻
It all depends on the type of herbicide, which you more than likely will not know or be able to find out 😞 If it is a persistent herbicide then you have big problems as farmers spray it once and it is effective in their fields for years. In this instance you would need to try and remove as much soil and possible and start again. Heat (hot composting) and UV rays from the sun are not effective at breaking these down, unfortunately. The other option, which I hope it is, is contact-based weed killer. Those should break down a lot quickly and will lose it effectiveness over time, but you might continue to have short-term struggles. The best option would be to grow a few different plants all together where there might have been contaminated straw to see what happens. Beans and tomatoes are usually the first to die off so give those a go to get a good idea quite quickly 🌻
Interesting! I have not yet heard of this and maybe it is not available where I am. Where are you based? Would love to find out more about this option as I love straw as mulch 🌻
That's a good point you raise there, however, adding a carbon rich material, like straw, on top of the soil won't rob it of any nitrogen. This will only happen if you mix it into the soil. I have done a video on nitrogen tie up that might give you some additional insights on the topic 🌻 ua-cam.com/video/Gf8WF9A2ZqE/v-deo.html
Use pine needles instead. Go wherever you have pine trees in the area and you can fill up some pretty big buckets in no time from the forest floor from under pine trees.
This is a really great suggestion, thank you 💚 Some time ago I was actually researching this because I was concerned with acidity, but every study showed dried pine needles to nothing to the PH of the soil and that the plants have a greater impact on the PH than decomposing pine needles. I go mushroom foraging in our local pine forests every weekend now that it is winter, so I am going to take you up on this can grab a bag with each trip 🌻
So if you used the straw properly you wouldn't have that problem with seeds growing. Put the nail of straw in a extra large trash bag spray it with the hose until completely soaked and close the bag and put in in direct sunlight the year before if you can. Or wrap a soggy old round ball in a tarp and peel it off in layers and cover the soil
What you are saying is spot on, however, almost nobody stores their straw for over a year to use in the garden. I completely agree that this will get rid of most of the nasties but the problem is that everything out there tells you to just put down straw and I wanted to warn people about the dangers of doing so. Your feedback is valuable and spot on and will no doubt help others watching this video too. Thank you 🌻
Hi there. I recently got some much which is woodchip from a local indigenous trees that were felled. It's mostly small chips with a few sticks and larger pieces. In some of my beds the soils is moist in others it's as if the mulch is stopping the water getting to the soil. Could this be and is woodchip ok as mulch.
Hey Vinessa, thanks for your great question. So, things get tricky when it comes to a mixed wood chip mulch. Some plants, like the blue gum (eucalyptus) have toxins in their leaves that can severely stunt growth of plants and are quite often made into chips. I have seen blue gum mulch wipe out and entire bed. They are great for walkways but not growing beds. This is the perfect example of good intentions without knowing whats in the mulch. Same goes for the straw, we just don't know what is on it. What could be happening if different levels of moisture and density of the wood chips. Meaning that when you water the chips actually absorb the moisture and don't let it through. It's the fine mulch that causes issues by creating an impenetrable layer but big chips won't do that, but they will absorb moisture. I hope this helps you out 🌱
@@MySustainabilityJourney thanks for the super quick response. There are no alien trees in the mix. I will give a deep water and then try maintain moisture better.
@@vinessavanrensburg9320 it's only a pleasure and glad to help, even if it's just a little. Have you possibly got the option of drip irrigation? That would give you the best results as you never 'water' the wood chips. Everything is happening underground and it's been a game changer for me. That brown drip pipe works incredibly well and is super cheap! 🌱
That's on my budget and will be next purchase. Please explain more about the brown pipe. I've looked at some at our agri and they're black. Then also looked at the drip tape from livingseeds.
Amazing and it will be worth every cent! The brown pipe is the Toro irrigation pipe that most nurseries sell. Why I prefer this is that it does not have a drip irrigation device in, which easily clogs. It is literally a piece of thick plastic that when under pressure leaks and creates the dripping. I have had nothing but issues with drippers as they clog to easily. Even more so because I use my rainwater tank water. I think the drip tape work on the similar principle so maybe get a couple of meters of each and see which works best for you before you decide on a larger scale 🌱
This is a really good option that adds lots of nutrients back into the the soil. The only thing I make sure of is to thinly apply it as grass tends to cake together and make it impossible for water to get through 🌻
There is a company in Noordhoek called Soil Builder that sells it with an inoculation ball containing minerals and earth worm eggs. Google Soil Builder and you will see all the info on it 🌱
If, as you say, straw has or may have residue, then the seeds of the plant that they are making food out of have poisons in it. What is the difference?
You can test the straw by soaking it in water and giving the water to a bean plant, and to avoid seeds growing it needs to be thick enough (haven't tried this myself, just research).
You need to add manure with the straw when you put it in the garden. The microbes need nitrogen to break down the straw. If you don't add nitrogen/manure then, the microbes start taking the nitrogen from the soil which robs nutrients from your plants. That's why your plants aren't doing well. I use pea straw in the garden and always add a layer of composted manure with the pea straw. This solves the nutrient deficiency. Remember, most of your growth issues is caused from nitrogen being used up in the process of breaking down the straw.
Good points raised here and valuable insights, shared, thank you 🙏 For me, this is not the right fit as I am adding no fertiliser or external inputs into the garden. To me, that makes food even more expensive than the shops and is not a very sustainable thing to do (just my opinion). I use a layered approach of greens (grass clippings, compost, etc) and browns (thick layers of fallen leaves) which works wonders and reduces the risk of any possible contamination by herbicides often found on straw 🌻
@@MySustainabilityJourney I prefer to not purchase external material too but, sometimes it's necessary when it comes to manures. If you have chickens, you can use their manure to keep it all in house. Another thing you could do is soak the grass and even stinging nettles, weeds etc in a bucket of water and let it steep for a couple of weeks. This will extract the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium from the green material and bake it available in the water which, you can poor straight into your compost or water down and pour straight onto the garden beds. This would help fix any nitrogen deficiency as well. One thing to be in mind, sometimes the composting process can use up most of the available nitrogen in your compost which means when you use it in the garden, it won't have enough nitrogen for plant health. At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong way, just the way that works best for you and your garden. It's great these days that the internet allows us gardeners to share and learn easier than ever before. Take care.
@@MySustainabilityJourney lots of leaves on hand is great. Chicken or goat manure is great if you have them. Most neighbors wouldn't mind a free chicken coup cleaning even if you don't have them 😂
How is straw as a mulch treating you? Let me know if you experience the same issues with straw mulch as I do.
Thank you for an informative video. I have never mulched with straw but I have also never thought of mulching with old thatch either. I will definitely give that a try. Looking forward to seeing more videos from you
Thank you, Nolan, I am so glad I was able to pass on some knowledge. If you do give it go then let me know how it goes for you and I'm looking forward to sharing more of my experiences.
I use straw and I love it. I do make sure it comes from herbicide free farm. I used hay one year and lost my plants to grazon poisoning.
@@robertgilkerson8517 thanks for taking the time to drop me a comment and share your experiences! Seems like you have taken the effort to find clean straw and if you can then I agree it's probably once of the best mulches you can use! Sorry to hear about your dud batch of hay, but those are the risks I guess. Happy growing 🌻
I also tried mulching with straw. Big mistake! Lots of seeds that germinsted in my raised beds! 😆 I try leaves, but they normally blow away the moment the wind blows. Pine needles are also good to mulch with. They have no effect on the acidity of the soil. Thanks for your video. Keep it up!
Thank you so much, Roxanne, and you raise a really good point about the pine needle mulch. It is a really great option that I didn't mention but adds really good structure and qualities to the soil and also doesn't make soil acidic as the myth that goes around. Looking forward to sharing more of my knowledge with you!
If you shake the straw really well the seeds will come out it has to be done a couple times it will work if you do it proper
This was very informative, thank you.
@@robertsgirl9205 I have heard if you let the new bails sit for awhile and start decomposing, it is easy to remove the seed growth.
I always leave my bales to sit for weeks/ months in order to reduce seed problems. They sprout in the bales before you put it in the garden. The bale also starts to break down which means it will give back to the garden quicker.
This is a really good step you add which, if there are any herbicide residues, will probably leech out during that process too. I might give this a go! 🌻
@@MySustainabilityJourney I find giving the bales a good soaking with the hose gets the seeds sprouting.
I generally use pea straw in the garden and the other method I use is, spread the bale in the garden bed well before planting. This will allow enough time for the pea sprouts to appear and then just give the straw a turn over which will uproot the shallow seedlings. This may have to be done twice but, it will pretty much eliminate the seed problem before planting.
Alternatively, let the peas grow to a foot or so tall and then stomp/ cut them all down to stop them growing. This adds more mulch to the bed for free. 😉
Always put some manure down before the straw to combat any nitrogen loss from the straw breaking down. This should resolve the issue with stunted growth.
Happy gardening.
I used straw one year and never again. It was a home for slugs. They were everywhere under the decaying straw. I don't have that issue when I use leaves.
I totally agree with you! I had endless issues using straw as a mulch, but luckily not slugs or snails like you did because that's really not a pest you want settling into your veggie garden 🌻
I'd like to address your three issues with using straw as mulch.
1. Pesticides. This is a legitimate concern. It's your garden and you should be able to control what goes into it. I don't want any peas in my garden because I hate them. But I'm not so concerned about pesticides. You should be able to control what goes into your garden.
2. Weed seeds. If you use a thicker carpet of straw the roots of the weeds don't reach the soil before they can very easily be pulled out. If you have just a thin layer of straw those weeds are more of a hassle to get rid of. If you don't want to do any weeding, or if you are physically unable to do weeding, this is a viable concern. But if you are ok with doing very easy weeding, a thicker layer of straw could fix this.
3. Plants not growing well. This could be due to a number of issues. Two plants grown in different areas will grow due to factors such as different soil conditions and different amounts of sunlight. But if the issue is caused by the straw it would be a lack of nitrogen. The soil bacteria consumes vast amounts of nitrogen when breaking down high carbon mulches like straw. This can be fixed by adding nitrogen rich fertilisers like manure or compost.
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed comment. Your insights are totally valid ans add great context. Thank you 🌻
Thank you! I was about to dump some donated straw all over my garden. i find the lightweight mulches such as leaves blow away! using the home depot woodchips due to lack of options but now i worry about the same issue of chemicals. eek!
Thanks for the comment Katie! Yeah it's so tricky with straw because you just don't know what was sprayed on it or how recently it was sprayed. You could literally wipe out years of soil building 😔
As for wood chips, you just need to find out if they are treated wood chips or not. You generally don't want treated woodchips as chemicals could leech into your soil, it luckily there are lots of options for untreated wood chips.
I hope you find a solution that works for you 🌻
Happily I have a source of straw that doesn't have the herbicide strayed on it or a lot of seeds.
I am so envious because straw really is an incredible mulch! 🌻
Thanks Craig! Now I don't feel like I'm missing out. I've always loved the idea of straw because it's so light and dry (especially for strawberries) but I know it would be blown right out of my beds. I like the idea of that fine mulch. I must look out for that. The last mulch I bought had big sticks in it, nevermind the glass, plastic, rope and stones too.
Haha, yip, you aren't missing out at all. I have seen pics of your garden (which is lovely) but yes, with wind the straw will be everywhere! I have also had your experience with the fine mulch before if having big sticks and then some junk in it too.
There was a really good suggestion of pine needles, which could work really well for you!? I recently did some reading up on University research and papers around pine needles and there is no evidence that they alter the PH of the soil, which means it could be a really good, clean and natural option in windy areas!
@@MySustainabilityJourney I went to Flandorp yesterday and got a few bags of their mulch. Looks awesome from what I could see through the little hole in the bags. I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I like the idea of pine needles. I didn't know it was something you could buy.
@@jolenee1914 oh wow that's AWESOME! Please let me me know how it goes and how it works for you? Always happy to find and try new options 😁 WRT pine needles it's incredibly difficult to find for sale, but we have copious amounts of pine trees in and around CPT so grab some strong bags and fetch what you need 🌱
Artichoke likes and thrives with shade . The small one looked like it got beat down from sun more often
Strangely enough the 2nd (bigger one) got mostly hot afternoon sun and the smaller one morning into early afternoon sun so it should have been better off...
Oh my word I used a lot of straw over my beds .I did not think about herbicides😢 the sprouts is the least of my worries as pull them and use them as green manure
Yeah, unfortunately this is not something that is top of mind to most people and is so easily overlooked. I agree with you on the sprouts as I have done the same in the past 🌻
Thank you for your time
It's only a pleasure 🌻
I was afraid to use starw on my veggies because I heard of the extensive herbicide use. However, I use store bought straw as a mushroom growing substrate. Do you think mushrooms absorb herbicides? Now Im afraid i will end up eating herbices laced mushrooms
Hmmm...I would be cautious of this because I recently saw that mushrooms are often used in areas where there is toxicity exposure to absorb it up and clean up the area. They then say you should not eat these because they have absorbed checmicals and toxins so I would be cautious. However, you can soak your straw in water overnight and water beans or peas with the water. If they start whilting or growing funny then there is contamination and if they are just fine then your batch of straw is clean. I hope this helps 🌻
Anyway of rectifying the situation once contaminated materials had been introduced..
It all depends on the type of herbicide, which you more than likely will not know or be able to find out 😞 If it is a persistent herbicide then you have big problems as farmers spray it once and it is effective in their fields for years. In this instance you would need to try and remove as much soil and possible and start again. Heat (hot composting) and UV rays from the sun are not effective at breaking these down, unfortunately.
The other option, which I hope it is, is contact-based weed killer. Those should break down a lot quickly and will lose it effectiveness over time, but you might continue to have short-term struggles.
The best option would be to grow a few different plants all together where there might have been contaminated straw to see what happens. Beans and tomatoes are usually the first to die off so give those a go to get a good idea quite quickly 🌻
Just buy the straw for growing grass, it’s weed free and will stick together once wet the first time
Interesting! I have not yet heard of this and maybe it is not available where I am. Where are you based? Would love to find out more about this option as I love straw as mulch 🌻
@@MySustainabilityJourney depending on how much area you are trying to cover it might be harder to get in bulk but it’s called EZ straw
@@joew8013 amazing, thanks for getting back to me, appreciate it 👍
did you add nitrogen to your straw mulch? I heard straw is carbon and it uses a lot of nitrogen from your plants
That's a good point you raise there, however, adding a carbon rich material, like straw, on top of the soil won't rob it of any nitrogen. This will only happen if you mix it into the soil.
I have done a video on nitrogen tie up that might give you some additional insights on the topic 🌻
ua-cam.com/video/Gf8WF9A2ZqE/v-deo.html
Use pine needles instead.
Go wherever you have pine trees in the area and you can fill up some pretty big buckets in no time from the forest floor from under pine trees.
This is a really great suggestion, thank you 💚
Some time ago I was actually researching this because I was concerned with acidity, but every study showed dried pine needles to nothing to the PH of the soil and that the plants have a greater impact on the PH than decomposing pine needles.
I go mushroom foraging in our local pine forests every weekend now that it is winter, so I am going to take you up on this can grab a bag with each trip 🌻
So if you used the straw properly you wouldn't have that problem with seeds growing. Put the nail of straw in a extra large trash bag spray it with the hose until completely soaked and close the bag and put in in direct sunlight the year before if you can. Or wrap a soggy old round ball in a tarp and peel it off in layers and cover the soil
What you are saying is spot on, however, almost nobody stores their straw for over a year to use in the garden. I completely agree that this will get rid of most of the nasties but the problem is that everything out there tells you to just put down straw and I wanted to warn people about the dangers of doing so.
Your feedback is valuable and spot on and will no doubt help others watching this video too. Thank you 🌻
Hi there. I recently got some much which is woodchip from a local indigenous trees that were felled. It's mostly small chips with a few sticks and larger pieces. In some of my beds the soils is moist in others it's as if the mulch is stopping the water getting to the soil. Could this be and is woodchip ok as mulch.
Hey Vinessa, thanks for your great question.
So, things get tricky when it comes to a mixed wood chip mulch. Some plants, like the blue gum (eucalyptus) have toxins in their leaves that can severely stunt growth of plants and are quite often made into chips. I have seen blue gum mulch wipe out and entire bed. They are great for walkways but not growing beds.
This is the perfect example of good intentions without knowing whats in the mulch. Same goes for the straw, we just don't know what is on it.
What could be happening if different levels of moisture and density of the wood chips. Meaning that when you water the chips actually absorb the moisture and don't let it through. It's the fine mulch that causes issues by creating an impenetrable layer but big chips won't do that, but they will absorb moisture.
I hope this helps you out 🌱
@@MySustainabilityJourney thanks for the super quick response. There are no alien trees in the mix. I will give a deep water and then try maintain moisture better.
@@vinessavanrensburg9320 it's only a pleasure and glad to help, even if it's just a little. Have you possibly got the option of drip irrigation? That would give you the best results as you never 'water' the wood chips. Everything is happening underground and it's been a game changer for me. That brown drip pipe works incredibly well and is super cheap! 🌱
That's on my budget and will be next purchase. Please explain more about the brown pipe. I've looked at some at our agri and they're black. Then also looked at the drip tape from livingseeds.
Amazing and it will be worth every cent! The brown pipe is the Toro irrigation pipe that most nurseries sell. Why I prefer this is that it does not have a drip irrigation device in, which easily clogs. It is literally a piece of thick plastic that when under pressure leaks and creates the dripping. I have had nothing but issues with drippers as they clog to easily. Even more so because I use my rainwater tank water. I think the drip tape work on the similar principle so maybe get a couple of meters of each and see which works best for you before you decide on a larger scale 🌱
I use cut grass. I just spread it out around the plants.
This is a really good option that adds lots of nutrients back into the the soil. The only thing I make sure of is to thinly apply it as grass tends to cake together and make it impossible for water to get through 🌻
Where do you buy the thatch mulch?
There is a company in Noordhoek called Soil Builder that sells it with an inoculation ball containing minerals and earth worm eggs. Google Soil Builder and you will see all the info on it 🌱
@@MySustainabilityJourney I cant seem to find them. Any other info you can share?
@@stefanbotma363 that's very weird. Not sure if they are still operational but here is the website I managed to find www.soilbuilder.net/ 👍
If, as you say, straw has or may have residue, then the seeds of the plant that they are making food out of have poisons in it. What is the difference?
Yeah, I believe this is a major part of why more and more people are growing their own food so that they know what is in it 🌻
You can test the straw by soaking it in water and giving the water to a bean plant, and to avoid seeds growing it needs to be thick enough (haven't tried this myself, just research).
Hello 😊👍
Hi 😁
😊🙏🙏👍
Luckily, I get my straw locally from a guy who I know doesn’t use herbicide.
Ah, that's awesome that you found this because straw is one of the best mulches and soil builders. Enjoy it 🌻
I would hope that people are not using herbicides and pesticides!!!
Unfortunately it is not gardeners (or at least mostly not). It is large scale agri that is spraying the living daylights out of plants and soils 😭
You need to add manure with the straw when you put it in the garden. The microbes need nitrogen to break down the straw. If you don't add nitrogen/manure then, the microbes start taking the nitrogen from the soil which robs nutrients from your plants. That's why your plants aren't doing well.
I use pea straw in the garden and always add a layer of composted manure with the pea straw. This solves the nutrient deficiency.
Remember, most of your growth issues is caused from nitrogen being used up in the process of breaking down the straw.
Good points raised here and valuable insights, shared, thank you 🙏
For me, this is not the right fit as I am adding no fertiliser or external inputs into the garden. To me, that makes food even more expensive than the shops and is not a very sustainable thing to do (just my opinion).
I use a layered approach of greens (grass clippings, compost, etc) and browns (thick layers of fallen leaves) which works wonders and reduces the risk of any possible contamination by herbicides often found on straw 🌻
@@MySustainabilityJourney I prefer to not purchase external material too but, sometimes it's necessary when it comes to manures.
If you have chickens, you can use their manure to keep it all in house.
Another thing you could do is soak the grass and even stinging nettles, weeds etc in a bucket of water and let it steep for a couple of weeks. This will extract the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium from the green material and bake it available in the water which, you can poor straight into your compost or water down and pour straight onto the garden beds. This would help fix any nitrogen deficiency as well.
One thing to be in mind, sometimes the composting process can use up most of the available nitrogen in your compost which means when you use it in the garden, it won't have enough nitrogen for plant health.
At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong way, just the way that works best for you and your garden.
It's great these days that the internet allows us gardeners to share and learn easier than ever before.
Take care.
@@MySustainabilityJourney lots of leaves on hand is great. Chicken or goat manure is great if you have them. Most neighbors wouldn't mind a free chicken coup cleaning even if you don't have them 😂