Autumn-Winter 2026
🌱Natural Farming: Stubble & Mulch: The Soil’s Silent Protector
What a joy to have you back on the blog! Today, I want to share a very special day of work in the garden. It’s not just about "cleaning up"; it’s about understanding how we can collaborate with the earth so it stays healthy and strong on its own. On this occasion, we’ve been working in the orchard area, applying techniques that mimic the wisdom of the forest.
After mowing the grass, instead of discarding the clippings as "waste," we’ve repurposed them as stubble or mulch. This layer of organic matter on the soil performs several vital functions: Retains Moisture: It prevents direct evaporation, significantly reducing the need for watering. Regulates Temperature: It protects the roots and micro-fauna from extreme heat or frost. Provides Nutrients: As it decomposes, it returns nitrogen and carbon to the ground, feeding our plants naturally.
Biological Control: The Micro-Wasp to the Rescue 🐝 One of the most fascinating finds today was observing natural balance in action. On the apple tree, we detected the presence of the woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum), a pest that is usually quite difficult to combat. However, because we avoid chemicals and maintain a diverse environment, its natural controller has appeared: a micro-wasp (likely Aphelinus mali). This tiny insect lays its eggs inside the aphid, eliminating it from the inside out. It’s nature doing its own cleanup!
Video for the processing
"The first cleanup was done a week and a half ago. I placed mulch in the area to protect the soil from the effects of both heat and cold. This also provides a home for beneficial insects within the stubble and prevents soil erosion. The following photos show this process, along with the cleaning of the garden bed. I use every grass clipping as mulch, and I will soon show you the next cleanup as we prepare the natural kitchen garden for the 2026 autumn-winter season."
