Establishing good, high-quality soil in your raised bed is critical for healthy, beautiful plants. There are a couple different ways to achieve this, but one simple way to build healthy soil is by the addition of sheep wool pellets.
Not only do wool pellets add carbon and organic matter into your soil, they also:
-hold 3x their weight in water to help reduce how frequently you need to water
-slowly release nitrogen, potassium, and other micronutrients for plant health and growth
-biodegrade in 6 months
-increase your soil porosity - as wool pellets biodegrade they create pockets of air
-support American sheep producers
The application of wool pellets is simple! In the spring when you're amending your beds getting ready to plant, mix in the wool pellets with your soil or compost at a rate of 1 cup of wool pellets per gallon of soil OR 1 pound per 10 sq. ft.. So in a typical 4'x8' bed, you will need 3 pounds of wool pellets. I recommend focusing on the top 3-6 inches of your soil to get around the roots while your plants are growing. If you're looking to use wool pellets in containers, below is a guideline of how many wool pellets you will need based on common pot sizes (we also include this with every order.) Read more on how to wool pellets here.
Most fertilizers and soil amendments are sourced internationally. Wool pellets provide a natural, renewable, and LOCAL option to nurture plants of all shapes, sizes, and purposes. This underutilized sheep wool is being wasted, which doesn't sit right with me. By turning this byproduct into an effective fertilizer and soil amendment, it benefits sheep producers and gardeners alike while promoting a healthy food system.
Check out our other blog post about the research regarding the effectiveness of wool pellets, including a pilot study we did with a local Nebraska vegetable producer.
If you want to read more about using wool pellets as a soil amendment in your raised garden beds, check out this blog by Bailey VanTassel. She gives a good insight on how she uses them in her raised garden beds in southern California.
Our wool pellets are available for purchase online and can be shipped anywhere in the US. If you have any questions, please drop a comment below or email me.
Happy planting!
Megan ❤