Mulch solve so many problems it ranks jolly high up on a nurseryman ’s list of best friends . Mulch controls weeds , proceed grunge moist , and forestall eroding and runoff . Organic mulch enrich the territory when they decompose , adding nutrient and improving soil structure . A blanket of mulch maintains even dirt temperature , which promotes healthy plant growth . In winter in northern climates , for example , mulch keeps the soil from the freezing and thawing that disturbs rootage arrangement . Mulch also arrive at a garden take care estimable , move over beds a consistent and finished appearance .
What to Use for Mulch
The best mulch textile are complimentary or inexpensive and usable topically , even in your own back yard . Leaves make terrific mulch , specially if you chopped them up first . ( A lawnmower is good for chop leaves . ) Leaves left to dilapidate for a few years make leaf mold — great for the soil . forage clipping make expert mulch — but only if they have not been treated with herbicide because weedkiller residue can kill your plants . Spread grass clipping thin or they will get moldy and clumpy . Compost is the ideal mulch ; just circulate it on top of the grime instead of mixing it in . Although not very attractive , newsprint ( do n’t employ sheeny or dark-skinned paper ) is a good mulch ; top it with leave of absence or grass clippings and you wo n’t even sleep together it ’s there .
calculate on where you live , you might have free access to seaweed , cedar shavings , or pine needles . Pine needles increase the sour of the soil , so you might desire to set aside them for acid - loving plants like azalea and blueberries . Some towns keep piles of woodwind chips for residents to utilise . If arborists are doing tree diagram body of work in your neighborhood you may inquire them to put down a pile of chips in your grand . Fresh chips really practice up nutrients as they age , so save them for a few months before you put them on your garden .
If you ca n’t feel enough free or almost complimentary mulch , you could certainly grease one’s palms it . Hay and straw are popular mulches for vegetable gardens ; stubble is less likely to have weed seeds so it ’s a just option even though it is usually more expensive . Flower and shrub borders mulched with bark chips look very professional . you may corrupt bark mulch in bag or by the truckload . Be certain you know what kind of mulch you are buy ; you ’ll need to deflect cypress mulch , for example , because it ’s made from endangered bald cypress trees .
Stones , shell , and other inorganic cloth make attractive mulch . While they do n’t contribute nutrient or ameliorate soil structure , they do keep weeds down and the soil moist . Plastic , rubber , and other man-made mulch may be useful in certain situations . If you ’re using stone mulch , decorative garden stone often seem courteous localise in the garden bed nearby .
How to Apply Mulch
Remove weeds before you mulch . Three inches is the recommended profundity for use most organic mulch . If your leaves are ironic , spread them about six inches cryptic . Three to six sheets of paper are enough . To protect flora from louse and diseases leave at least an inch between the mulch and the stems of the plants .
The best time to apply mulch depends on what you are maturate and your purpose for mulching . For bloom or vegetable garden it ’s good to wait until the ground warms up ; otherwise the mulch will keep the soil temperature depressed and inhibit plant growth . Wait until seedlings are a brace of inches grandiloquent before mulching around them . If you want to keep soil temperature from waver during the winter , practice mulch after the earth freezes .
Want to learn more about using mulch in your garden?
We ’ve just scrub the surface of the topic of mulch , and it ’s an important discipline for any nurseryman . To learn more about the what , why , and how of mulching , check out these sites :
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has an excellentguide to mulching .
North Carolina State University offer up guidance onmulching trees and bush .
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service has a fact canvas onmulching vegetable .
Lynne Lamstein gardens in Maine and Florida and is currently working on a sustainable landscape . She has a degree in ornamental horticulture from Temple University .
