I know you’ve been looking at seed catalogues lately. It’s still plenty cold outside, but now is the time to dream. And as you plan, I’d like to encourage you to consider incorporating wool in your garden.
Why you should use wool:
- Conserves water. Wool holds 20-30x its own weight in water and releases it slowly.
- Controls weeds. As a mulch, wool lasts up to 2 years.
- Decays naturally. Unlike some weed barriers, wool is completely biodegradable.
- Repels pests. Wool may help with pests like deer and slugs.
- Improves soil. Wool boosts organic matter in the soil and adds to the soil biology.
- Fertilizes naturally. Wool provides a slow-release 9-14% nitrogen fertilizer.
- Regulates temperatures. Wool acts as an insulator against both heat and cold.
How you can use wool:
- Place in the bottom of the hole as you plant your transplants.
- Mulch around long growing plants like potatoes, tomatoes, brassicas, peppers.
- Add to your compost pile. Beware that wool can be very clumpy, so if you do this be sure to pull it apart well and add it in small bits gradually.
We’ll have garden wool available to buy on Shearing Day (details below the photo).
Join us on Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 9 am – noon (come and go as you wish). The farm is located at 13275 Blair Street, Holland, Michigan.
We will be shearing our sheep that day, and our open house is geared toward folks who want to see shearing on a working farm and learn more about wool production. We will have fiber artists demonstrating their work that day, and we’ll have our farm products–including wool items–available for sale in our store.
The open house is suitable for people of all ages, though very small children sometimes are bothered by the noise and smells of the sheep barn. Wear old clothing and dress warmly–we shear in a barn. And while this event is free, we would love it if you would consider a purchase from our store or a donation to help offset the costs of hosting this event.
