Straw as mulch ~

[kioria]

Oh yes, how could I forget the insane amounts of worm castings that fill my garden now? It's so beautiful.

Val, I do the same thing with my scraps - except I tuck them under my mulch all summer as well.

Katrina

[valereee]

Katrina, I haven't usually done the trench composting during the summer, mostly because it seems I'm always building a new bed and I build them by setting up a compost pile there, letting loose some worms, and adding to it all summer. I stop adding to it once cold weather arrives because I figure the worms won't have time to get to the extra food added on top during the winter before I want to plant in it. Next spring I've got a great bed, and I move the worms to a new spot where I want to start another bed.

But once I'm done setting up new beds, I'll probably side-dress my vegetable beds and perennials with my nightly compost, too. I do like having worms, though.

Val

[Tomstrees]

I usually trench alot of my garden in the fall
and fill with my entire compost pile ~
This year - I'll take the straw off -
Do the compost this - and covewr back
up with straw ... wow ... I'm thinking about
how much better the soil will be ! ?

~ Tom