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What is olive grove mulching?

Olive leaves that are normally burned as waste from olive pruning processing can instead be used as a beneficial mulch material! When the clippings are mulched in the middle of the isles the olive leaves compact together and create a protective blanket on the soil. This mulch layer prevents weed growth, reduces evaporation, and extends the growing season of olive trees by around 40 days compared to non-mulched clippings.
Olive leaf mulching provides benefits for crops and the climate by avoiding emissions from burning and can be considered an adaptation practice for withstanding extreme climate events.
There is no benefits of continuing to burn olive leaves, as mulching them is a more sustainable vegetation management option.
BENEFITS OF MULCHING CLIPPINGS FROM OLIVE GROVES? The benefit is that there is no double handling and a lot less transport involved. The other factor to consider is that the tree has produced branches over the years, made from nutrients it pulled from the soil. Now if you cart away the branches you will have to replace those nutrients with fertilizers. If you use the branches and convert them into wood chips, the wood chips will disintegrate over time putting those nutrients back into the soil.
ᐳ REDUCE WATER USAGE
ᐳ STIMULATE ROOT GROWTH START MICROBIAL LIFE IN YOUR SOIL
ᐳ KEEP YOUR SOIL TEMPERATURE DOWN
ᐳ INCREASE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL
ᐳ REDUCE WEED GROWTH
ᐳ SAVE MONEY BY USING LESS PESTICIDES
ᐳ INCREASE THE GROWTH RATE OF YOUR TREES
ᐳ ULTIMATELY INCREASE YIELDS
THE MULCHING PROCESS Clippings are placed in the middle of the isles after the seasonal pruning has taken place ready for the mulching process. The mulcher is used to run over the clippings on the ground to mulch them into fine wood chips, in the same time it would taken laboures to load the branches on a trailer and cart them away to the burn pile, this process has already been completed. Not to metion taking all the nutrients away from the tree to be burned.
ᐳ THE SOIL COVERED IN A THICK LAYER OF WOOD CHIPS FROM THE MULCHING PROCESS
ᐳ MOISTURE PRESENT - LESS IRRIGATION TIME
ᐳ MORE EARTHWORMS PRESENT
ᐳ COOLER GROUND DURNING THE SUMMER MONTHS
ᐳ SMALL OLIVE TREE ROOTS START TO FORM CLOSER UP THERFORE LESS WATERING
ᐳ HEALTHY ROOT SYSTEM
CARTING AWAY CLIPPINGS TO BURN Cart away the branches you will have to replace those nutrients with fertilizers. If you use the branches and convert them into wood chips, the wood chips will disintegrate over time putting those nutrients back into the soil around the olove trees. The most cost effective way is to chip the material. In the same time it would taken laboures to load the branches on a trailer and cart them away to the burn pile, this process has already been completed in less time.
ᐳ CARTING AWAY THE BRANCHES AND CLIPPING YOU WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE NUTRIENTS WITH FERTILIZERS.
ᐳ SOIL THAT HAS BEEN BAKING IN THE SUN FOR DECADES
ᐳ NO LIFE VISIBLE AND DIFFICULT TO GAIN ACCESS INTO THE SOIL
ᐳ THERE WAS NO MOISTURE PRESENT ON THE TOP LAYER
ᐳ THE SOIL IS ROCK HARD AND DRY
ᐳ THE GROUND REMAINS HOT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS
ᐳ NO VISIBLE ROOTS
HEALTHIER TREES = MORE PRODUCTION Lets us break down the annual prunings into fine mulch material! By doing so you will facilitate decomposition, nutrient recycling, weed contorl, enhance soil health, prevent erosion, improve water infiltration, thus benefiting crop growth and overall agricultural productivity.
If you would like a quote or to discuss your options for olive grove mulching, forestry mulching or other land management services, please don't hesitate to contact Beaver Mulching.
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If you would like to know more or would like a site visit, please don't hesitate to reach out.
0414 860 522
info@beavermulching.com.au