whole lotta mulching going on

[jacko]

a neighbour a few doors away from me has rabbits and said i can have the used rabbit bedding that he clears out every few days.i've been using this soiled straw as a heavy mulch for winter around my bamboos.i'm going for the bamboos growing in a compost heap approach to see what emerges next year in terms of growth,also its a great mulch for the cold weather.some of it is a foot deep bit like a heavy tog duvet for the soil.underneath this is a layer of autumn leaf litter plus the normal bamboo leaf litter and a load of aged horse manure.

[Adam D]

That certainly is a lot of mulch!

[Mr List]

it also looks pretty nice when combined with the bamboo.

[GoggleboxUK]

It does look great but I bet it doesn't smell all that good.

Should do wonders for both the health of the bamboo and the local rat population.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Excellent idea.

[Ste]

I could imagine that blowing everywhere in strong winds

[jacko]

it doesnt smell that bad and its weighty so doesnt blow about in the wind.as for rats and mice i've never seen any as there are dozens of cats round here.its mainly soiled straw, rabbit droppings and bits of vegetable matter like the odd cabbage leaf and bits of carrots no grains or food pellets.once its rained there is no bad smell.if you want something that smells try the 'vital earth' range of soil improvers and eco mulch that stinks for a good few weeks.last years weather killed two of my bamboos with the ground frozen solid so i'm putting this thick layer down to see if it helps.

[gdudey]

I empty our rabbit's litter straight in to the beds during the cold months. Its seems to work well and rots down very quickly. Good for you and your neighbour putting it to use rather than it going to landfill.

[Tom2006]

Hopefully it wont be tested! Good idea though.