Agriculture. What if ferns replaced manure? A Basque artisan's winning bet

Harvested in the valleys of the Basque Country by farmers who wanted to get rid of it, the fern is now finding a second life as mulch. This plant-based soil, rich in organic matter, has already attracted local infrastructure, such as in Anglet.

Although less commonly used than dead leaves or tree bark, ferns are nevertheless good mulching materials. "Some customers even tell me that it's a luxury product," says Stéphane Gelos, founder of Mendiko Paillage in Saint-Jean-le-Vieux . This carpenter has been producing since March 2024. He buys his raw material from farmers, who are increasingly interested in the approach, because collecting the plant, present in many regions where the soil is acidic, helps avoid slash-and-burn.

In agriculture and gardening, mulching involves laying down a layer of organic material, about ten to fifteen centimeters thick, to mitigate the effects of climate change. "This practice, made from ferns, is quite old, but it was done on a small scale, and not ground up," explains the carpenter. He had discovered the technique from a friend before taking over the business, seeing the potential of the approach. For him, beyond protecting against the cold and rain runoff on the soil, "ferns provide seven times more nutrients than cow manure. They are also very rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphorus, and are ideal for repelling slugs."

From the Jardins de Marqueyssac in Dordogne, listed as one of France's remarkable gardens, to customers from Le Mans, the unique recipe in France is popular, but remains largely unknown, according to Stéphane Gelos. "It's very useful for permaculture and avoiding soil treatment." The city of Anglet has placed some on one of its roundabouts. Mendiko mulch products are sold in bulk, in bags of one cubic meter or two hundred liters.

Iratze mulch from the Mendiko brand is available on the website mendiko-paillage.fr/ , directly by email: [email protected] or by telephone: 06 23 26 88 36.