There are two things that anyone should do when trying to build the soil biology in their gardens- one is to grow a cover crop on the soil at all times possible and the other is to use a mulch like organic barley straw. When applying a mulch, you only need an inch or so of mulch to provide a good cover. This helps to accomplish two important aspects of good soil health. The first is that it helps to maintain the moisture levels in your soil. If you allow the top levels of your soil to dry out, then you risk killing off valuable soil biology in that upper layer that you have worked hard to establish. Secondly, a good mulch provides a great ecosystem for the larger biology in the soil, especially the worms. You often will see worms on the surface of the soil scurry away from the light as the established mulch is pulled off.

Only use a very light covering if you have spread a cover crop mix over your soil, otherwise the mulch will work against the sprouting of the seeds.

This is an organic barley straw that we run up to the St. Jacobs area to purchase from the same farmer who supplies us with our organic alfalfa. Keep in mind that a little straw goes a long way, as you only need about an inch deep covering on your garden.

Small box should cover about 20sqft

Large box should cover about 55sqft