The Ruth Stout Method and More Tips to Garden Greener
Just because someone has a green thumb doesn't mean they garden green. Learn the Ruth Stout Method and more ways gardeners can be kind to the earth.
Natural mulch
Even if a gardener has a green thumb, it doesn’t mean they always think green when they’re pursuing their favorite outdoor hobby. Here are 6 ways to be kinder to the earth when gardening, including the Ruth Stout Method.
Use the Ruth Stout Method
The late Ruth Stout wrote a series of gardening books in the ’70s on the benefits of mulching in place. It’s called The Ruth Stout Method and I can personally vouch for the fact that it saves labor, feeds plants and conserves soil moisture. The concept is simple: mulch plants and beds with natural debris such as leaves, straw, twigs, prunings, kitchen scraps and pulled weeds. Then let nature do the rest. I mulch in place in the vegetable garden and in a naturalistic border I’ve created with woody plants and perennials. I definitely water less, yet plants seem happier, no doubt because there are more worm castings and other organic matter in the soil. And I’m always gratified to see more birds browsing among the natural mulch. Learn how straw-bale gardening works.