When should you mulch? Materials used for preparing Mulch: 1. Plastic mulch: A thin layer of polyethene is used to cover up the soil. Organic mulch: Any decomposable organic material that can be used to cover the soil is organic mulch.
Benefits of Mulching: Mulching helps to retain soil moisture, so less amount of water is required during irrigation. Mulch directly conserves water. It traps surface water of the soil that would otherwise get evaporated quickly. Geotextiles , also called landscape fabrics, let air and water through to the soil beneath while keeping weeds from coming up. But still, there are some drawbacks: When exposed to light, geotextiles degrade over time.
To make them last longer, cover them with a second mulch they're ugly, so you'd want to, anyway. Similar to plastic mulch, keep geotextiles away from shrubs. Shrub roots and weeds grow up into the landscape fabric, which means you'll have to rip the landscape fabric upon their removal.
There are two cardinal rules for using mulch to combat weeds. First, lay the mulch down on soil that is already weeded, and second, lay down a thick-enough layer to discourage new weeds from coming up through it.
A four-inch layer of mulch will discourage weeds, although a two-inch layer is usually enough in shady spots. If you know that a garden bed is filled with weed seeds or perennial roots, try a double-mulching technique to prevent a weed explosion. To do so, set plants in place, water them well, spread newspaper, and top it with mulch. Mulches that also retains moisture like wood chips can slow soil warming. In spring, pull mulch away from perennials and bulbs for faster growth.
A wet mulch piled against the stems of flowers and vegetables can cause them to rot; keep mulch about one inch away from crowns and stems. Mulch piled up against woody stems of shrubs and trees can also cause rot and encourages rodents such as voles and mice to nest there. Keep deep mulch pulled back about six to 12 inches from trunks.
Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Thus, it prevents water from moving into the air Fig. Figure 2. A layer of mulch can help prevent water from evaporating from the soil. Mulches modify the soil temperature in home gardens. Applied in late fall, winter mulch insulates the roots, crowns, and stems of winter crops from extremely low temperatures. Conversely, soil covered by black or clear plastic or dark organic mulch in early spring warms faster than bare soil Fig.
This allows earlier planting of warmseason crops. To keep the soil cooler in summer, use lightcolored paper such as newspaper. Organic mulches such as compost and sawdust also keep soil under the mulch layer cooler in summer.
Dark soil warms much faster than does lightcolored soil Fig. Figure 3. Dark-colored plastic used as mulch warms the soil. Figure 4. Light-colored mulches keep the soil cooler. Organic mulches enrich the soil as they decay and improve the environment for plant growth. Soils high in organic matter are easier to till and better suited to vegetable gardening. Adding organic material makes the soil more crumbly, especially clay soils that pack and crust. Mulches also help plants by gradually making the soil more fertile.
But doing it too early could create problems, as could doing it too late. When's the right time to mulch your garden? Here, we break it all down. The right time to mulch a garden is dependent on what type of plant material you are mulching and the weather conditions, says Kurt Morrell, the A. In general, mid- to late spring is mulching season-that's when the soil is warming up from the freezing temperatures it experienced all winter. Doing it too early will slow down the warming process, which the soil needs to do its job.
Morrell also warns against mulching late in the fall.
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