Wool Mulch

On the weekend, I planted out some of my pea plants for the season, a couple varieties. 'Meteor' is a dwarf variety I'm trying for the first time this year. The other is an early sugar snap variety called 'Sugar Ann'. I grew it last year. They were crisp and delicious straight off the plant. So good, I'm not sure a single one made it as far as the kitchen door, but I'm digressing before I even start.

As I planted out these seedlings, I though it might be nice to give you a bit of a flavour of one way I protect the precious soil around my plants. I use wool. When I say wool, I mean raw sheep's fleece.

Now, you might be wondering, how does one obtain raw sheep fleeces without owning livestock? Well, In the UK, and particularly here in Devon, there are sheep dotting the hillsides all over the place.

I tend to contact local farmers directly by email. The UK Fleece Directory is a priceless resource. I love the fact this website has a section that breaks down the list by Region making it easy to stay local. I, personally, favour the Dartmoor farmers, because I like supporting their way of life which sustains Dartmoor's stunning moorland habitat. 

 

Additionally, Dartmoor sheep are farmed for lamb rather than wool, so the wool is not high quality. As such, I can often get a lot of it for a good price when I collect the fleeces in person. Always a good excuse to explore new places and meet amazing, passionate people. Such a precious thing.

 

You might be wondering why I choose wool rather than something more common like woodchips. My answer is three fold. 

 

Number one, wool is so versatile. I use it in pots just as much, if not more, than in the main garden.

 

Secondly, it is reusable. I used it last year, collected most back up in the autumn, and I am now laying it out again. Totally impractical with woodchips.

Thirdly, wool adds to the soil serious quantities of beautiful slow release nitrogen fertilizer. Sheep's wool contains a whopping 10-11% nitrogen. The wool does not even need to decompost to help the plants grow. One study found that crop yields of basil and swiss chard were 1.6 to 5 times greater in potting soil amended with raw fleece. What more can I say but, Wow!

 

What a natural resource. Just a joy to use from every angle. Happy gardening!