What are some factors that should be considered when deciding whether to use mulch? In many cases, the potential problems of having mulch are inferior to the benefits of mulch. Plus, there are numerous options to prevent any issues that arise when mulch is used. Organic mulches come from plant materials such as bark, leaves or needles, grass clippings, or compost. Here are some considerations for your vegetable garden. It is best to use dry grass and build up that layer gradually to a few inches thick.
Using a thick layer of green grass will give off excessive heat and foul odors rather than decompose like other organic materials. Grass clippings decompose rapidly and provide a dose of nitrogen to the growing plants. It is best to avoid clippings from lawns that have been treated with herbicides or fertilizers.
Hay and straw are clean, light, and they break down relatively easy, giving your plants more of what they need to grow. Avoid products that are full of weed seeds that will later sprout in your garden. Since straw and hay will compost pretty quickly, check the depth after about six weeks as you will probably need to add 2 or 3 inches to help keep the weeds down and moisture in the soil.
If you are looking to raise acidity levels in your garden soil, using pine needles as mulch is a great option. During heavy rain, pine needles tend to stay put and do not wash away making them a great choice for sloped gardens. A 2 to 3-inch layer of leaves will provide good weed control and decompose fairly quickly. Easy to get, leaves will improve the soil by releasing nutrients during the decomposing process.
Leaves that have been mowed or run through some other type of shredder will remain in place longer than unshredded leaves, and they will decompose faster, as well.
Probably the most common type of mulch, bark and wood chips come in various varieties and colors. As bark and wood chips break down, the organic matter gets worked down into the soil through the activity of earthworms and insects that live and burrow in the soil.
I always leave space around my squash for them since they help with pollination. I have tried mulching my garden with silver mulch, only to find hordes of pillbugs underneath it! Contrary to what many say, they do eat growing plant material, not just dead plant material. I have seen them munching potato leaves as the potatoes were growing! They also ate my marigolds!
I tried pine straw mulch, and it attracted ants! If I use hardwood, there is a slug and snail problem. I use lots of diatomaceous earth, iron phosphate, and spinosad, but it seems that the insects keep coming. The best thing for me seems to be to leave my garden unmulched and then encourage the birds, frogs, and lizards to help eat the pests.
I use plenty of compost to help retain moisture. Does anyone have any other ideas? I have raised beds. I used bark mulch in them last season. I added compost to each bed last fall and turned over. The bark mulch has not broken down yet this spring. I want to remove it in the beds I'm using for root vegetables. Is there a good way to do that? Please and Thanks! Depending on the size of the pieces of bark in your mulch, it can take several years for them to break down.
To remove the bark chunks that are mixed in the soil you might have to screen the soil. Prop it up on a tarp or lay it over a wheel barrow to catch the screened soil. In the future, use grass clippings or straw mulch in vegetable beds. Save for bark for permanent plantings such as perennial beds or around trees and shrubs. Keep the screen frame; it will come in handy for screening compost.
Please tell your readers not to put too much mulch around their trees. In my residential area, the "lawn services" make money selling and piling the mulch in large thick circles around each tree. The mulch is 12 or more inches thick, and the circle is 4 feet larger than the tree trunk. You see it everywhere, in shopping centers, church yards, office parks.
These "mulched" trees have fewer leaves each year, and finally die. The bales of straw I've gotten from home depot are full of seeds. It may be helpful if you're trying to grow your own hay, but I'm not.
I'm worried my potatoes are going to be smothered by all the fresh green hay growing up through the straw that surrounds them. I would be very angry with any retailer who sells weedy hay as weed-free straw! True straw is just the stalk of the grain after the tops where the seeds are have been harvested. Can you take it back or have you used it all? I still would complain to them.
In the future, inspect the bales as best you can and make sure no seedheads are present. If you have access to a pond and it has an overgrowth of pond weeds, such as chara algae, I recommend pulling that stuff out and using it for mulch.
I use chara algae as mulch and it suppresses weeds, allows water to pass through, and adds zero weed seeds to your soil such as green waste can do. Your article touts all the benefits of mulching, and the different types to use; THEN you mention how it allows various pests to show up under it. Do the benefits of mulch really outweigh the prevalence of garden pests?
I have a problem with slugs and long ago removed all mulch from my yard. I've never found a good solution for controlling those nasty creatures, and I've tried many, many treatments. I AM going to place some lime around my hostas as a preventative this year. If you have pets or wildlife, you should avoid cocoa mulch, because chocolate and its byproducts can be fatal to animals if consumed.
Nothing beats well-composted, nutrient-rich animal manure when it comes to mulch for vegetables. Two words of caution, however, before you add this type of mulch to your garden bed: Fresh manure burns plant roots, and dog, cat, and pig manure can harbor disease-causing organisms—avoid all of the above!
Lava rock, crushed gravel or crusher dust, marble chips, and pea gravel will not break down, making them a popular option for walks and pathways, thanks to their one-time investment of cost and labor. Plastic polyethylene film is impermeable, which means that water and other nutrients cannot pass through.
While this quality makes it ideal as a short-term weed killer, plastic is not suitable for long-term use. Remove the plastic at the end of the growing season to keep it from deteriorating in the sunlight, and then replace it the following year.
Landscape fabric is a better choice for long-term use, as it suppresses weeds but also allows air and water to pass through; however, it is a more expensive material. Landscape fabric is best used with a layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips, on top. Rubber mulch—manufactured from recycled, pulverized tires—is inexpensive and highly durable, which makes it perfect for high-traffic areas, such as playgrounds. Leave it out of your home landscaping projects, though; rubber mulch does not decompose, and some studies indicate that toxins found in the rubber can actually leach into the soil.
Plus, mulch that is too deep can cause a buildup of excess moisture in the root zone, which can stress the plant and lead to root rot. Most professionals recommend limiting your layer of mulch to a depth of between two and four inches. To ensure success, take these few steps before laying mulch down: 1. Remove weeds 2. Moisten the soil thoroughly. Ensure that the water you apply is penetrating. If water is running off the surface, fork through some compost to aid with the water retention.
If you are planting into the soil, add some compost into the planting hole. Apply large particle-sized mulch thickly 6 — 8cm deep , keeping the area directly around plants clear. If you are using bark- or wood-based mulches, you might consider sprinkling some blood and bone over the soil. This extra nitrogen will compensate for any nitrogen being taken up by the gradual decomposition of the mulch.
If you like avoiding waste, being practical and saving money, then upcycling is for you. With a little imagination and a keen eye you can make…. Read More. In Mulching , Water Conservation. By SharronP. Why mulch? Particle size and water conservation A trial conducted by Yates a number of years ago explored the effects of particle size and highlighted a couple of important differences between chunky and fine mulches. Chunky-fine Combination — a mix of half chunky and half fine particles able to fit through a 2mm screen.
Evaporation Rate To test this, a layer of each mulch was added to soil to a depth of 25mm. Soaking Up Water The tendency for mulch to soak up water rather than allow it to travel through to the soil and plant roots was tested by pouring ml of water onto each of the mulches in pots. Results The chart below shows that chunky mulch was the best for reducing evaporation rate, and for allowing water to travel through.
Organic Mulches Organic mulches add nutrients to the soil, but the rate and extent of addition varies according to their composition and particle size. Wood Chips A by-product of the timber industry, these are usually readily available and, because of their usually large size and freedom from weeds and pesticides, make good mulch. Shredded Bark This is also a byproduct of the timber industry — pine or hardwoods — and is supplied in different sizes.
Recycled Mulch Obtained from kerbside recycling this mulch contains a mixture of sizes and also, occasionally, bits of glass or other materials. Straw Straw is the stem material from grains and legumes remaining after the crop haa been harvested.
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