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We have been market growers for 13 years and use a no-tillage, permanent mulch system that has served us very well. Although we have but a half-acre of intensive beds--not counting the half-acre of alleys between them--our garden has brought in enough money to completely support 2 adults and help raise four children. Within the first couple of years we moved away from all tillage and found, right in our neighborhood, maintenance gardeners that will gladly work all day in our behalf gathering grass clippings and leaves for our beds with plenty left over to decay in the alleys. They deliver it right to the gate and even dump it into the waiting 10 cubic foot carts that we keep in front. for that purpose.
In order to enjoy a net increase in soil fertility, I hope everyone understands, inputs such as fertilizer, mulch, even soil, need to be brought in from outside the garden gates. This is in accordance with the principle in chemistry that that tells us that elements cannot be created or destroyed--at least in our backyards anyway. Elements can just be moved around and, over time, form compounds of one kind or another. For example, plant proteins as they decay in the soil break down into more simple amino acids and later mineralize into ammonia, natrates and nitrites. Mulching and making compost, if the materials originate in the garden itself, will result in no net increase. This is why the copious application of organic materials from out of garden sources will result in a net permanent increase in soil fertility as long as less material leaves the garden than what's brought in.. It adds real value to our properties, just like money in the bank, but under the radar of the tax assessor.
And there is no problem getting this stuff from commercial landscape gardeners. Around here, and I suspect just about everywhere in the developed world, they have to pay big money to dump it at the landfill. As receiver, you are in the driver's seat. Just tell them that you don't want no sticks, branches and viney stuff that's hard to fork and manage and they'll say "yes sir, I can have just what you're looking for on Tuesday." Just look around for a maintenance truck in your neighborhood and stop for a chat.
Some may say, "Oh John, they use harsh chemicals on those lawns that I don't want in my garden." I would reply that you should ask the gardener about whether he uses them or not. You have much more to worry about using materials from farms, hay in particular, that has given a market gardener or two a serious headache. The really harsh stuff, in the US anyway, requires a prescription from a licensed pest control adviser and, in addition, requires a licensed applicator to put it on. Ordinary maintenance gardeners don't have these credentials.
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