It’s the end of winter, February-March, and we’ve got out the hedge trimmer, the shears, the chainsaw and, of course, the shredder! (Be careful not to prune after March 15 to allow birds to nest peacefully)
Everything we cut on the estate is shredded to be used as natural mulch for our flowerbeds and vegetable garden. Natural, local mulch has many advantages and is a precious ally for saving time and water, enhancing soil biodiversity and improving the health of your plants. It’s also widely used in permaculture, as it enables a complete plant cycle.
And shredding and mulching are possible for any type of garden. We lived in the center of Lille with a 70m² garden and a small electric shredder to mulch our flowerbeds and use everything we cut on the spot.
Our tips 
:
- we install a minimum of 10 cm of mulch so that it lasts all year until the next brush cut.
- And our mulch is a mixture of green = Nitrogen (green leaves, clippings) with brown = Carbon (dead leaves, branches). This makes it possible to work with just about any type of plant, and makes the job easier. Otherwise, the ideal is green for green, brown for brown, i.e. mostly green leaves and plants at the foot of the plants, and wood chips at the foot of the trees.
Water savings
Mulching protects the soil from evaporation and helps maintain moisture at the feet of plants.
The benefits:
- less watering
- saves watering time
- for better results!
Stop weeds
Mulching prevents light from reaching the soil, thus preventing weed seeds from germinating.
The soil is also held in place by the “down” of mulch, and is not eroded by the effects of wind and rain.
The benefits:
- Saves time with little or no weeding.
- A floor that stands up well
Protection in summer and winter
Mulching protects the soil from the sun’s scorching rays in summer and from frost in winter.
The benefits:
- Healthier plants
- Less plant loss in summer due to sun and in winter due to frost
- No need to remove frost-sensitive bulbs in winter, saving time
The return of biodiversity
Mulching attracts many animals above and below ground. These allow the mulch to break down into humus for plant nourishment and natural soil aeration (no need to scrape to aerate the soil).
The benefits:
- Nourished plants mean healthy plants
- Aerated soil absorbs water better
- Saves time by eliminating floor scraping
