2025-11-23
Mulch, seaweed and patience
After the first big autumn storm the beach is covered in kelp. Two barrow loads per tree, laid in a ring away from the trunk, then a layer of wood chip on top to keep it from blowing away.
It is slow, heavy work, and the smell is not for everyone. But the trees that get it every year are visibly stronger, and the soil under the mulch is dark and full of worms in a way the rest of this sandy field never is.
Wash the seaweed if you are worried about salt. I leave it out in the rain for a week, which on this coast takes care of itself.