Mulching

Intro

Mulching or Mulch means applying shredded matter (organic or inorganic) over the top-soil or simply a protective layer of materials that is spread on top of the soil. Mulches can either be organic -- such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, vermicompost and similar materials -- or inorganic -- such as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Studies conducted at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago have shown that applying organic mulch increases the organic matter in the soil. Microorganisms that are naturally present in the soil degrade the mulch depositing decomposed organic material at the plants’ roots. This organic material provides necessary nutrients and holds moisture in the soil for the plants. Access to these nutrients and moisture is visible above ground in the healthy growth and appearance of the plant. 

Benefits of Mulching

Mulch is important for trees health and care because Mulch insulates the soil helping to provide a buffer from heat and cold temperatures. Mulch retains water helping to keep the roots moist. Mulch keeps weeds out to help prevent root competition.It also gives your garden a neat and tidy appearance. A mulch is usually, but not exclusively, organic in nature. Mulching is an excellent method to reuse and recycle organic waste of garden, instead of burning it and releasing air-pollution. Organic mulch also serves the purpose of providing a slow-release organic fertilizer for soil that doesn’t get washed away during heavy rains.

For as long as trees have grown in forests, leaves and needles have fallen to the ground, matted together, and formed a natural protective mulch over the soil.

Mulching reduces the impact of heavy rainfall on top-soil. When water droplets land on bare soil, the impact causes soil particles to fly in all directions, resulting in soil crusting and slow water infiltration. Most mulches break the impact of the droplets, reducing soil erosion and improves the penetration of water into the soil.

There are many different natural and synthetic mulches are available today, but all perform the following basic functions:

·         conserves soil moisture

·         checks and suppresses weeds

·         protects plant roots from extreme temperatures

·         improves soil porosity for better air and water circulation

Types of Mulches

·         Cocoa Mulch. Chopped cocoa bean hulls add a rich dark color to landscapes — along with an exquisite, chocolatey smell that lasts two to three weeks. ...

·         Straw. A favorite among vegetable gardeners, straw is the stalk of grain plants. ...

·         Grass Clippings. ...

·         Chopped Leaves. ...

·         Compost. ...

·         Mushroom Compost. ...

·         Fresh Wood Chips. ...

·         Pine Straw...

·         Bark chips...

·         Sawdust...

·         Shells...

·         Shredded newspaper...

·         Cardboard...

·         Wool...

·         Animal manure...

·         Pebbles...

·         Rubber Mulch...

·         Plastic Mulch...

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Mulch

Mulching is the placing of organic matter such as straw or lucerne on top of your garden soil. Every gardener should mulch both their vegetable patch and their garden on a regular basis as it is a great foundation ingredient for good soil and is beneficial for almost all plants. 

But contrary to popular opinion continually mulching your garden beds can cause problems for some types of crops, especially in cooler climate and higher rainfall areas.  Knowing its shortfalls can help you maximize the benefits that mulch gives to your garden. 

Below is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using mulch. 

Advantages of Mulch

·         In Summer mulch can reduce evaporation rates by as much as 75%.

·         Mulch retards the heating of the soil by the sun which can inhibit the germination of seeds in the cooler Spring months.

·         Reduces water use by up to 75% as it protects the soil from evaporation.

·         Provides valuable nutrients as the mulch breaks down. 

·         Encourages worms, which aerate the soil and provide fertilizer in the form of worm castings. 

·         Reduces the number of weeds by inhibiting the germination of weed seeds.

Disadvantages of Mulch

·         Mulch retards the heating of the soil by the sun.  In Summer this is not a problem but in early/mid Spring when you need all the warmth you can get from the sun's rays it can inhibit the germination of seeds, especially those seeds that need a higher soil temperature to germinate.  Lower soil temperature can also reduce the growth rate of seedlings.
 

·         Offers great cover for small slugs, which can be devastating on crops such as peas and carrots.
 

·         Can be unsuitable for crops that need fine sandy soil to flourish (such as carrots) or are subject to collar rot in moist conditions (such as garlic).  It doesn't mean you can't grow them in a mulched vegetable garden but you have to be more careful.

Mulching Materials

There is a huge range of mulching materials that are available for the home gardener. The key factors in determining what is best for your garden are cost, quality, and availability. Below are listed mulching materials that I use or have used. It is by no means a complete list of all mulches available. The best thing for you to do is to speak to experienced gardeners in your area and see what they use. Below are some ideas,

Straw

Straw is the mulch that is used in the most garden.Add nutrients and remove weed seeds. 

Advantages

• Fairly cheap.
• Contains fewer weed seeds

Disadvantages

·         Relatively low in nutrient value.

·         Still cost money, whereas stable sweepings can usually be obtained for nothing.

·         It is fairly hard on the hands when handling it without gloves.

Pea Straw

Pea straw is dried pea bushes after the pea crop has been harvested. It is the second most common mulch material I use.

Advantages

·         As pea straw is a nitrogen-fixing plant pea straw mulch is much richer in nitrogen than straw or hay.

·         cheaper than Lucerne, the only other nitrogen-fixing plant that's readily available as a mulch.

Disadvantages

• More expensive than straw.
• As well as containing weed seeds it also comes with some residue pea seeds that readily sprout. 
• Has a very hard texture, which can be hard on the hands.
• The irregular leaves of pea straw plants bind the straw quite firmly together, making it much harder to spread than straw or hay.

Sugar Cane Mulch

Advantages

• Contains no weed seeds, a very big plus as most other mulches contain at least some weed seeds.
• Is soft to touch and is of a uniform texture, which makes it easy to spread.
• Takes a reasonably long time to break down, though not as long as straw.

Disadvantages

• Sold wrapped in plastic, which is not very environmentally friendly.
• It is quite expensive when compared to most other mulches available.

 Sawdust

Sawdust is not normally considered a mulching material as fresh sawdust actually draws nutrients out of the ground as bacteria tries to break down the sawdust's tough cellulite structure. But if it is processed correctly it can be used both as a mulch or as part of the material used in the seedling potting mix

Advantages

·         Either free or very cheap.

·         Easy to spread.

Disadvantages

• Draws nutrients from the soil.
• Needs to be processed first before it can be used on a vegetable patch.

Pine Needles/ Pine Bark             

Pine needles have a very low PH (acidic) which makes them unsuitable as a general mulch.  However, they are ideal for plants that love acid soils such as blueberries and strawberries.

Pine bark is long lasting, and when it does break down it enriches the soil with organic material.

Advantages

·         Ideal for acid-loving plants such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

·         Freely Available or low cost. 

·         The acid soil conditions the pine needles create inhibit the growth of weeds that prefer alkali soils.

Disadvantages

• Not good for any plants that like a neutral or alkali soil.
• Pine needle mulch usually comes with pine sticks and twigs, which do not break down easily.

Other than above, Compost is also can use as a mulch.It is full of nutrients that we want to get down in the soil to feed the plants through their roots. In contrast, mulch is the layer of organic materials placed on the top of the soil as a protective cover.

Leaves are also a wonderful natural mulch. They are most effective when ground or chopped because smaller pieces will lay flatter and stay in place a little bit better than whole leaves.

Some inorganic mulches

• ·         Plastic sheets: These are popular in commercial agriculture.
• ·         Stone, gravel and lava rocks: All of these can be used as a mulch to prevent weed growth and to retain moisture. 
• ·         Rubber mulch: Rubber mulches tend to be used more on playgrounds than in home landscapes. Their primary purpose seems to be to provide a safety cushion for running and playing children. 

Mulching Tips

• ·       Organic mulch usually takes about 2-3 months to fully decompose, depending on the weather. Therefore, keep applying a new layer of mulch every 2 to 3 months.
• ·       Avoid applying mulch too close to the stem of the plants, as it may cause rot and may prevent good air-flow for the roots.
• ·       Check for the depth of the mulch if the soil already has some mulch in it. There is no need to overfeed the soil as excess mulching may prevent good air and water penetration into the soil. Rake the old mulch to mix it properly with soil and to improve the porosity of the top-soil.
• ·       The best time to apply the mulches in the garden is after spring when the soil is warm and humid. It will prevent the unwanted seeds from germinating and growing as weeds, with the beginning of the warmer months.
• ·       Leaves collected during the fall season are good for mulching as they are already in the half-decayed and dry state.
• ·       Apply mulch with the beginning of the winter season, to protect the roots of the plant from soil-frost and cold damage.

  Conclusion

           Mulch helps to suppress weed germination, retain moisture, insulate the soil, and reduce erosion.Newspapers are a cheap option to     mulching and effective in controlling weed growth.It is preferable to use organic rather than inorganic mulches, as they have soil      conditioning properties. Organic mulches not only provides nutrients to the soil but also improves the porosity and water retention capacity of the soil.

A 1- to 2-inch layer of fine mulch should be sufficient, while a coarser material should be 3 to 4 inches deep. Too much of either type can suffocate your plants. In areas where you simply want to keep anything from growing, you can lay it on as thick as you like.

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