Mulch For Your Garden
The importance of Organic Mulch can never be over emphasised.
Mulch retains moisture and eliminates most weeds, while
maintaining a healthy soil structure by encouraging a vigorous
worm population.
A mulch is a layer of material placed on the soil surface to conserve moisture, hold down weeds, and ultimately improve soil structure and fertility. Mulching protects plants during winter by reducing the dangers of freezing and heaving, and offers several other advantages.
For example, a mulched plant is not subjected to the extremes of temperatures that affect an exposed plant. The roots of unmulched plants can be damaged by the heaving of soil brought on by sudden thaws and freezes, but a mulch acts as an insulating blanket, keeping the soil warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Mulch that has been applied to the soil during the spring and summer can be turned under in fall, thereby enriching the garden soil. Moreover, certain materials used for mulch contain rich minerals. These break down gradually and work into the soil to feed the roots of plants, soaking into the ground during the first heavy rain. Therefore, mulch fertilizes the soild while it remains on the soil surface, as well as after it decays.
A Boon For Busy Gardeners
For the busy gardener, mulching is a boon indeed. Many backbreaking hours of weeding and hoeing are practically eliminated and machine cultivation is not necessary. Weeds do not have the change to get a foothold, and the few that do can be hoed out quickly. Since the mulch helps keep the soil loose, there is no need to cultivate.
The mulch also keeps the wind and the hot, drying sun from evaporating soil moisture. A few good soakings during the long growing season wil tide the plants over a long dry spell, and mulched plants often endure a long dry season with little watering. Soil underneath the mulch remains cool and damp to the touch.
At harvest-time, vegetables that sprawl on the ground - cucumbers, squash, strawberries, unstaked tomatoes - often become mildewed, moldy, or develop rot. A mulch prevents this damage by keeping the vegetables clean and dry. In addition, mulched rows are easier to walk on and low-growing flowers and vegetables are not splashed with mud.
Mulching Materials
Practically any organic material can be used for mulching. However, since different materials have different textures and properties, they differ in suitability.
Alfalfa Hay:
Coarse and ragged in appearance, alfalfa is most easily handled when green and freshly cut. It has a high nitrogen content and will supply the nitrogen requirements of fruit trees.
Buckwheat Hulls:
Buckwheat hulls make a clean and attractive mulch, but they are expensive and hard to obtain. They can be spread one or two inches deep in summer, and deeper in winter.
Cocoa Been Hulls or Shells:
Excellent as a mulch, they absorb 2 1/2 times their weight in water.
Corncobs & Cornstalks:
Ground into one inch pieces, corncobs have many uses. Their sugar content will help increase the microorganisms in the soil, and the material itself will give a better soil granulation. When using cobs as a mulch, use a layer at least 6 inches deep, and apply a nitogenous material - blood meal, cottonseed meal, bone meal, or compost - to the soil first. Shredded cornstalks also make excellent mulch.
Leaves:
Shredded leaves make an excellent mulch as they do not mat down, and they enrich the soil more quickly than whole leaves. There is rarely any nitrogen deficiency in leaves, so it is not necessary to apply nitrogen to the soil before mulching. If unshredded, leaves should be mixed with straw or some other light material so that they do not become a soggy mass. The mixed mulch can be applied 8 - 12 inches deep for winter.
Mulching Do's & Don'ts
DO use Pine bark, Compost, Mushroom compost, Stable straw,
Leaves, Grass clippings, Wood chips, Wood shavings, Sawdust,
and Seaweed for mulch material.
DON'T use grass clippings and stable straw too thickly, as they
will generate heat.
DO hose down seaweed to wash excess salt away before placing
on the garden.
DON'T use pine needles or gum tree leaves too thickly, as the
material will form a mat which will not allow moisture to pass
through.
DO place mulch on the garden, but not
too deep that water and air cannot penetrate.
image from Growit Gold Garden & Landscape design software
Other articles you might be interested in:
Double-Wide Rubber Border Mulch
In response to your many requests, rubber border mulch in a 12" width that is ideal for edging perennial beds, walkways, and driveways is now available. It lays straight borders or gentle curves, suppresses even the toughest weeds 100%, and conserves soil moisture.
Tree Rings Look Like Bark Mulch – Last Like Iron
Even if you could lay a perfect ring of bark mulch around your tree, it would soon look ragged and need replenishing. These tree rings look just like bark mulch, but they're actually thick mats of recycled tire rubber that will stay in place year after year – you can even mow right over them! They suppress grass and tough weeds 100%, so you won't damage trees by trimming too close, but they let in air, water, and nutrients. Earth-friendly.
Tear-Proof Mat Stops Weeds Between Garden Rows
Weeding between garden rows is tiresome work, and most mulches barely last a season, especially if you walk on them. Now you can solve the problem the way professional nurseries do! Stops weeds dead, yet lets in air, water and nutrients. Walk on it, drag containers over it, even run a wheelbarrow over it without worry. Perfectly sized for most garden rows—just roll it out and
anchor it.
Coco Mats Suppress Weeds Better than Bark Mulch
If you're not diligent about replenishing bark mulch, it will look messy and start letting weeds through after just one season. These thick mulch mats are made of tightly woven coconut fibers and durable natural latex, so they stop weeds for several seasons. They reduce string-trimming chores too, because you can mow right over them.
Large Capacity Garden Cart
There are a lot of look-alike garden carts out there. Some even sell for a little less than our time-tested cart. But don't be fooled! No other yard and garden cart has the quality, durability and ease-of-use our cart offers, at any price. Rated 'Excellent' by leading Consumer Magazine.
Medium Garden Cart
Biodegradable Leaf Bag
Just rake your leaves right into these natural jute bags, close with the attached tie, and toss the whole thing into your compost. The bag will biodegrade along with the leaves. Finally, an earth-friendly leaf bag! Set of 3 bags holds approximately 90-gallons of leaves.
Deluxe Electric Leaf Shredder
Don't drag bag after bag of leaves to the curb, then pay to have them hauled away. Our Deluxe Shredder converts 11 bags of leaves into one tidy bag of nutritious mulch. Most shredders can only handle dry leaves, but ours will also shred pine needles, grass clippings and paper, wet or dry!
Leaf Clean-Up Value Kit
We've put together a kit that includes everything you need to clean up a yard full of leaves quickly and easily, at a savings of 18% over the regular prices. You get six great garden helpers that make short work of a big job, and you save $56.79 in the bargain. Deluxe Electric Leaf Shredder turns 11 bags of leaves into one tidy bag of nutritious mulch!
3-in-1 Vacuum Shredder Deals With Leaves Once and For All
Don't just blow leaves around! Leaf blowers are fine for clearing a small area, but they're no way to clean a whole yard. This powerful electric device vacuums up leaves, shreds them into mulch, and collects them for composting or disposal. Blows, vacuums, shreds with hurricane force! Potent 12-amp motor creates a 225-mph wind to blast leaves and dirt away. Large collection bag and 16-to-1 shredding ratio mean less frequent emptying. Airflow is adjustable.
Sharp, serrated mulching blades. Comfort grip prevents hand fatigue.
