Pea straw square bale
Pea straw square bale
Sheep Manure Bag
Cow Manure Bag
What form is the pea straw sold in?
The pea straw bales come in what is considered 'standard small bales' out of the paddock. Each bale is approximately 1 metre in length x 35 cm height x 50 cm width.
What is pea straw?
Pea straw is the stem of the field pea plant which provided peas for stock feed. Once the peas have been harvested, the remaining plant matter is packaged into small manageable square bales.
What is pea straw used for?
Pea straw is predominantly used as garden mulch. It reduces water loss from the soil and put nutrients such as nitrogen back into the soil as it decomposes. Pea straw can also be used for animal bedding.
Benefits of pea straw in the garden?
Pea straw is a commonly used garden mulch with numerous benefits. These include:
Water Saving: Generous use of pea straw mulch can reduce watering by 60%. Pea straw mulch prevents loss of soil moisture by evaporation, but still allows rain to penetrate to the soil.
Weed Reduction: A thick layer of pea straw can actively suppress weeds from growing through the mulch layer and prevent seeds of weeds from germinating.
Nutrients: As pea straw mulch decomposes, it releases nutrients such as nitrogen back into the soil.
Organic Matter: Pea straw increases the organic matter in the soil. This improves soil structure and drainage, and encourages earthworms and soil microbial activity.
Tips for using pea straw
It is important to create a continuous covering with pea straw mulch so that the soil is not visible. Ideally a minimum ground covering of approximately 50 mm - 80 mm is desirable. However, we recommend that you don't hold back, as creating a thick layer is an excellent method to retain soil moisture.
Some plants such as roses, require a small space to be left without mulch around the base of the stem. The high moisture levels created by the mulch can cause rot in the rose stem. Roses still benefit greatly from pea straw mulch, just not right up to the plant stem.
When should I apply pea straw?
Ideally pea straw should be spread liberally around the garden during spring. If application is left until the heat of summer, then much of the natural soil moisture will be lost.
Check out the photo gallery to see examples of pea straw in action.
What form is the sheep manure sold in?
The sheep manure bags are packed in small bags with similar volume to that of a small potting mix bag.
What is sheep manure?
Sheep manure is the faecal matter from sheep. It is great a source of nutrients and organic matter for the garden. The lower nutrient levels of sheep manure makes it suitable for plants that cannot tolerate the more concentrated nutrients contained in some other animal manures, such as cow manure.
What is sheep manure used for?
Sheep manure is used to build up garden beds, increase soil nutrients and boost organic matter levels.
Benefits of sheep manure in the garden?
Sheep manure has numerous benefits in the garden, including:
Organic Matter: Sheep manure is excellent for boosting organic matter in the garden bed. Increasing organic matter levels improves soil structure and drainage plus encourages earthworm and soil microbial activity.
Water Binding: A garden containing healthy levels of organic matter is better able to cope with extreme amounts of water. Adding organic matter to water phobic or water repelling soil (soils that repel water) makes these soils better able to hold water. Whereas soils that are prone to water logging can develop an improved soil structure with the addition of organic matter, allowing better soil drainage.
Nutrients: Sheep manure is used to increase soil nutrient levels. Sheep manure can improve the nutrient levels in soils that are naturally nutrient poor or replace nutrients depleted by previous plant use.
Tips for using sheep manure
When adding sheep manure to the garden, it can be applied as thick as you like. Annual applications help to maintain soil nutrient levels. Sheep manure is great for most plants, including roses and vegetable gardens.
What form is the sheep manure sold in?
The cow manure bags are our smallest product. Due to their heavier weight, they are packed in slightly smaller bags. As the cow manure is pulverised, it has a soil-like consistency.
What is cow manure?
Cow manure is faecal matter from cows. It is a great source of concentrated nutrients and organic matter for the garden.
What is cow manure used for?
Cow manure is used to increase soil nutrients and boost organic matter levels.
Benefits of cow manure in the garden
Cow manure has numerous benefits in the garden, including:
Organic Matter: Cow manure is great for boosting organic matter in the garden bed.
Water Binding: A garden containing healthy levels of organic matter is better able to cope with extreme amounts of water. Adding organic matter to water phobic or water repelling soil (soils that repel water) makes these soils better able to hold water. Whereas soils that are prone to water logging can develop an improved soil structure with the addition of organic matter, allowing better soil drainage.
Nutrients: Cow manure is a fertilizer very rich in nutrients.
Tips for using cow manure
The high concentration of nutrients within cow manure can be too much for some plants. Sensitive plants may be 'burnt', experiencing die back or even death from excessive amounts of cow manure. Such plants prefer the lower concentrations of nutrients found in other sources, such as sheep manure.
What form is the TM sold in?
The TM bio-stimulant solution was originally designed for farm application, however it is now offered in easy ready to use small containers for garden applications.
What is TM?
TM is a bio-stimulant that stimulates the repopulation of indigenous microbes in the soil, boosting levels of beneficial micro-organisms and flora in the soil. This in-turn boosts the quality of the soil and plants.
What is TM used for?
TM was designed in Canada and is primarily used for farming applications. However it is also applicable for gardening. TM is now available and has been re-formulated especially for gardens.
Benefits of TM in the garden?
TM has many benefits for the garden, including:
Increases Organic Matter: Thriving micro-organisms in the soil increase the organic matter in the soil itself and thus conditions the soil.
Soil Aeration: The addition of TM into the garden increases the microbial and organic activity. This increased activity aerates the soil, improving soil drainage.
Improved Nutrient Efficiency: Among the micro life forms stimulated by TM is mycorrhiza, beneficial thread like fungal growths. These efficiently extract nutrients from soil particles and make nutrients available to garden plants at increased concentrations. This provides for stronger, healthier plants.
Healthier Plants: All the points above improve the growth quality of plants (thicker cell walls) and therefore decrease problems with diseases and pests.
Tips for using TM
When applying TM, it is important to only apply it to the soil. Application to the leaves of flowering plants, will cause the plant to drop any flowers.
The activation of micro-organisms in the soil takes time to initialise. Like all bio-stimulants, it is common for it to take up to 1 year (depending on the frequency of applications) before any improvements to the garden and plants may become noticeable.