Mulching Made Easier Using Tractor

August 14, 2026

Updated on August 15, 2026

On August 10, I got up and put the collapsed cardboard boxes into the wagon. I put a knife in my pocket to cut the cardboard. It was the start of mulching time.

I cut and put the cardboard around the newly planted pawpaw and around the willows. I was putting cardboard around the figs when Bruce came out. He found me, getting ready for mulching. Bruce was excited since this meant he could use the tractor right away. Tractor Time!

Carrying a shovel, wearing gloves, Bruce headed to the tractor. He drove it to the pile o’ chips and scooped up a bucket. I continued to put cardboard down. Once Bruce came back with the tractor, I followed him down the hill to the trees I had surrounded with cardboard.

Once pawpaw and willows were munched, Bruce drove the tractor to the figs.

Bruce put chips on the cardboard I had placed around the figs. I continued to down cardboard while Bruce put chips on the cardboard. I was close to running out of cardboard, when Bruce had to go inside for a bit. I asked him to bring more cardboard when he came out. I was using up the last of cardboard when Bruce came back with more.

I finished putting down cardboard and Bruce finished adding wood chips. The bucket of chips was just enough that Bruce didn’t need to get more.

And now I interrupt the scheduled post to bring you some news.

After the Alabama Butterfly Atlas identified a butterfly for me, I decided to become a citizen scientist and report the sightings of butterflies I see in Alabama. We have so many on Blackberry Homestead.

https://alabama.butterflyatlas.usf.edu/about

I have been emailing my spotting of butterflies and counts.

I was looking at the garden when I saw this skipper. If I identified it correctly, it might be the first one seen in Colbert County. The country next to ours has had a spotting.

Fingers crossed!

***Updated section***

The Alabama Butterfly Atlas identified the above butterfly as a Clouded Skipper. “ I know skipper in the ID slide looks darker, but that is because it is fresh.  As butterflies get worn, they lose lots of scales and tend to get lighter.”

I didn’t know that butterflies lost scales on their own. I always thought they lost scales from being touched. It makes a big difference in color.