AS A SUPERIOR MULCH PEA STRAW SERVES MANY PURPOSES
GROUND BLANKET - will help insulate against extreme hot or cold temperature changes.
SHELTER - alleviates water loss through evaporation by 70-80 per cent, and decreases soil compaction from rainfall.
- bales can also be used as wind protection for young plants.
WEEDS - a thick cover of mulch slows down weeds by denying them light the same as plastic sheeting does.
NOURISHMENT - offers a slow-release nutrient source as it decays and restricts ground covers that compete for nutrients.
HELPS - to check disease by keeping leaves separate from the bare soil. Straw type mulch will keep fruit off the ground and help prevent fungus diseases moving onto the fruit from the soil.
A garden area covered with a good thick layer of Mulch is much easier to maintain, as it provides a protective layer between the elements and the soil, keeping the root system of plants from heat stress, lowers water consumption & assists keeping down the weed growth. Pea Straw is also used as a key component in "No Dig" gardens.
METHOD.
Starting from the base layer place 10 to 15 cm of leaves (and sticks if your soil has poor drainage).
Next place 6 to 8 cm newspaper followed by 9 to 12 cm of lucerne hay, then place on top 3 cm of animal manure, which can be fresh or pelleted.
Now add 15 cm of pea straw, followed by 3 to 4 cm animal manure, again.
Then 8 to 10 cm of compost or composted soil to which you plant the seeds or seedlings into.
Finally for the top layer, place a thin cover of pea straw to act as the mulch.
Water each layer as you place it down then each day for the first week. From this point water as it needed.
