The quick answer is a 1 # bag cover 30 sq feet.

The longer answer is how we use wool pellets. We use them differently in different situations.

• If planting a pot or container, mix 1/2 cup per every gallon of soil. Push any pellets that pop up after watering back under the soil or leave them if you don’t mind a bit of white!

• Inside plants? Use the 1/2 cup per every gallon of soil for repotting. Already potted, sprinkle on top of the soil and push into the soil with a pencil every 6 months. For succulents, use half the amount of pellets.

• When planting seeds, open up the soil where the seeds will be planted and either mix pellets into that soil or sprinkle the pellets along with the seeds. Aim for mixing the pellets where the roots will be growing.

• If re- planting a starter plant let’s say a tomato or pepper plant, dig a hole for the starter plant putting the soil from the hole into a bucket. Utilize the 1/2 cup per every gallon of soil ratio to backfill around the plant OR sprinkle some pellets into the hole where the plants are being planted. Personally, we like mixing the soil with pellets that will be backfilled around the plant method. This way there are pellets all around the roots.

When should I use Sheepy Shreds? What is the difference? Make sure to read our Sheepy Shreds page but here is the quick answer:

• Use pellets mixed into the soil and use wool mulch on top of the soil. Please note, mulch will be white.

• Wool mulch insulates the ground and holds over 3 times its weight in water just like the pellets. It probably doesn’t add nutrients to the soil but the insulation properties are a win-win for soil health.

• Have an issue with blight in your soils? Encircle wool mulch thickly around your tomatoes. It makes a nice blanket to stop the blight from spreading from the soil to your tomatoes.

• Grow Strawberries? Strawberries love a wool mulch. The University of MN has a great article about growing strawberries with wool. https://conservancy.umn.edu/items/36cfa8d5-1962-45b1-aba7-127dd07b5302

• Have hanging baskets or containers drying out really quickly? Use a layer of wool mulch on top of the soil and mix pellets into the soil. Some growers even use a layer of wool mulch at the bottom of their pots just make sure the pot has really good drainage if you go this route.

• What is a difference between using Sheepy Shreds and a fleece right off the sheep. A fleece will take 2 years to break down. Sheepy Shreds take just over a year. A full fleece will felt and can be a struggle to deal with the following year if plants have grown into it. Just beware of this, we don’t want you saying farmer words! Beth likes to use full fleeces to start new garden beds or in places she won’t be digging into for a few years such as walking paths in the garden. Layer thickly to block weeds and know they can be slippery if wet. Sheepy Shreds can be worked into the soil the following year.

• If buying fleeces from a local shepherd, please pay them. They have had to spend money to shear their sheep and wool takes good nutrition to grow.

Make sure to check out our Woolly Insights Blog for more information!