If you’ve made it here, you’re probably curious about the benefits wool pellets offer in your garden, and there are many. Some of the reasons we feel so strongly about wool pellets as the premier source of soil nutrition are:
⁂ Water retention. Most soil doesn’t retain water well, so you have to water often to keep your plants alive. Adding wool pellets traps moisture to be under the soil so your plants can drink their fill for longer, and you can use less water to keep them thriving. This is especially impactful in many drought-prone areas (like our home here in the West).
⁂ Slow release of nutrients. Many soil amendments and fertilizers offer your plants a quick hit of nutrition that gives them life - but they don’t last long and you have to constantly reapply to keep plants happy. Wool pellets slowly release nutrients into the soil, so that your plants always have the food they need to grow healthy food for you!
⁂ Soil aeration. Because wool pellets expand as they retain water, they naturally reduce soil compaction and promote aeration. Just like us, our plants need room to “breathe,” and allowing oxygen to get to the roots of your plants means your garden is more likely to flourish.
⁂ Pest deterrent. Wool pellets still contain lanolin, which is an oily substance present in sheep’s wool. And most garden pests really don’t like the way lanolin smells, so they stay away. Some key garden pests that avoid wool are slugs, rabbits, and deer. Add some wool pellets in and they’ll keep clear!
⁂ Community. One of our favorite things about this endeavor is knowing that we’re supporting local shepherds any time we need to source wool from outside our farm. We drive our truck out to pick up from local people who raise sheep and are able to pay them for a product that is often thrown away, or shipped overseas to other markets. By selling to us, our shepherd friends know where their wool is going and how it’s being used to benefit the community around them - and we feel good about the value of that.