Author Topic: Making felt for mulch mats (Read 3660 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** September 25, 2012, 06:09:06 am »

I am thinking of making some felt next year - just to make mulch/anti-slug mats for our strawberries etc.

I was thinking of just carding unwashed fleece and somehow shaping and fixing the wool into a mesh bag in the shape of the square that I want and then bunging it in the washing machine to provide heat and agitation.

Don't know if it will work and am not that keen on using my domestic washing machine.... might try and find a drum machine on eBay.

Is this a crazy idea?

Any views

FiB · « **Reply #1 on:** September 25, 2012, 08:41:46 am »

NOt mad (although I dont think the slugs will be remotely bothered or detered) - The Wooly Shepherd sell mulch mats. I am MUCH lazier than that - I've been arranging all my daggy wool/fleece trimmings around my newly planted trees in thick layers without felting first- it has worked well as weed suppressant (with added N benefits!). I am going to felt myself some welly liners this Autumn though.

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #2 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:02:28 pm »

Felt welly liners sound good.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** September 25, 2012, 11:16:35 pm »

I don't think I would go to all the bother of felting the wool to use as mulch mats - just spread it where you want it. If the fleece is already cotted then you will be using felt anyway, The dirtier it is the more feed the plants will get from it when it rains. I have tried this in the past but I don't think it keeps the big slugs away, and this year it's been the giant black ones which have killed off most of my veg (I didn't use mulch this year though). If you are determined to make felt for the plants, then just putting the whole fleece into the washing machine should make felt which you can then cut into smaller pieces.