Free Mulch by Mary ( April 2013)
Sometimes things just go our way! Last winter, Todd happened to notice the power company trimming trees along our lane. So, he bravely asked if they would dump the mulch in a pile for us. They not only gave us what was from our property, but all that was in the truck! What a gift. This huge pile was enough for one apple orchard, plus some odds and ends.
We make our own mulch using the chipper shredder when we clean up small branches, but it is a slow process. The cover around each tree and bush disappears faster than we can keep up. What we really want to do, is mulch the whole bed. Every bed. We have read that this not only preserves the moisture, keeps the weeds down, but is the only fertilizer needed as it disintegrates. I find the last part hard to believe, but I'm up for the experiment.
Each tree in the apple bed closest to our house received a layer of rich compost we made at our city home, and then a layer of chopped manure made by the horses and chickens. A wheel barrel full of water was used to lightly soak layers of newspapers which we placed over the top of the whole bed to keep the weeds from coming up, and then a thick layer of mulch. Larry & Todd transported the mulch, and Nancy and I did the newspapers and helped with the spreading and leveling. We were a good team, but it still took us a few hours of hard work.
 Layers of mulch and manure around each tree. |  We soaked thick layers of newspaper in a wheel barrel of water. |
A lot of work, but the mulch should hold in the moisture and help control the weeds.
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A Mulch Quote
