Comments on Japan Farmers Markets: Tatami Mat Break Down: The Story of Mulching Innovation Continues

Christina, You should keep an eye out for them, bu...

2012-05-11T08:36:06.448-04:00

Christina, You should keep an eye out for them, but as Kevin mentions above, you might want to check to see if they mats are pre-treated with any chemicals. Another person I interviewed for an article said he and his wife chose their mats based on the fact that the igusa grower didn't use a chemical known to be harmful to pollinators.

As to your question if it would be too heavy for your seeds, my hunch is that yes, it would be. I use old plastic grocery bags to make a quick and dirty greenhouse for sprouting, although a glass bowl would also work. You just need to keep them cozy until they sprout.

Kate, I totally understand! But you know, you might want to look into what native species grow in your area and work from there. Why make more work for yourself if you could have a beautiful prairie or other cool planting? Seriously, it will be less work, benefit pollinators, save water and energy, and look awesome!

Kevin, Thanks for the good advice. I need to learn how to ask that question in Japanese.

I wonder how many yoga places use anything but pla...

2012-05-09T23:55:29.333-04:00

I wonder how many yoga places use anything but plastic mats. I'll have to keep an eye out for those mats. I wonder if I could plant seeds and use that as a cover until they sprout or if it'd be too heavy? Thanks for the awesome idea.

No trick to share, but I wanted to say that I love...

2012-05-09T09:59:29.881-04:00

No trick to share, but I wanted to say that I loved this idea and, unfortunately, my yard really DOES qualify in the 'weed' category! ;-D

We use tatami mats in some places, but have stoppe...

2012-05-09T03:42:09.434-04:00

We use tatami mats in some places, but have stopped because the string is just too annoying when it gets tangled in weeds and branches and what not. We also tried using it as a lid over some no-till beds that we wanted to keep from being compressed by the winter snow. We built boxes around the beds, and laid the tatami over the boxes with still a few centimeters between the tatami and the soil. It worked well and was strong enough under the weight (regular boards just break) but it became so heavy after water-logging all the snow melt, it took me and a friend half a day to drag them all off of the boxes to the side of the garden. They were impossible to carry because too waterlogged.

Finally, before you use the tatami you might want to make sure it is not treated with any chemicals. Some of the cheaper tatami mats might be.