What is mulch?
Any type of material that is spread or spread as a coating on the soil surface is called mulch. Mulch is used to maintain soil moisture, suppress weeds, keep the soil cool and make the garden bed more attractive. Organic mulch, in particular, contributes to soil fertility by helping it to decompose. In this article we are going to talk about all the types of mulch.
All the types of mulch
Organic mulches
Some of the organic mulches are:
- The bark of the tree is crushed or grated
- compost
- Organic Fertilizer
- The grass is arranged
- Newspaper
- Chopped leaves
- Straw
Organic mulches decompose and must be replaced. This process improves soil fertility as well as its organic content. In general, the drier and woodier the mulch, the slower it will decompose and the less nutrients it will give to the soil.
Uses of organic mulches:
Bark mulches are best used around trees, shrubs and non-dug areas such as crossings and planting sites. These wood mulches do not mix well with the soil, and this can be a problem when moving them to grow new plants. However, they are more durable than fine mulch.
Compost and composted agricultural fertilizers can be used anywhere as long as they decompose and are free of weeds. You can use them as mulch and cover plants during the growing season to insulate and speed up the release of nutrients.
Lawn mowing is a mixture that best adapts to remote areas of the garden and where you want to suppress weeds. Grass fragments, like many green plant debris that contain a lot of water, decompose very quickly, they can be somewhat sticky and have an unpleasant odor, so be careful when using them. Grains of grass also tend to block water and prevent it from passing through.
Ideally, you should use a lawn mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn to increase the fertility of the soil. However, if you put grass clippings in a bag, still do not throw them away unless you have used herbicides or other pesticides on the grass. Artificial grass care products can be bad for some plants, and you definitely do not want to use them in your vegetable garden. However, untreated grass clippings can be used both for indoor compost and as open mulch in uncultivated areas.
The use of newspapers as mulch is becoming increasingly popular. Most newspapers, especially in their black and white sections, are written in organic colors. Shredded newspapers have been used for many years to preserve the root moisture of plants during transfers. Newspaper sheets have an extraordinary ability to retain moisture and act like other organic mulches to suppress weeds and control soil temperature. They are also suitable for stimulating the regrowth of stunted grass.
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To use as mulch in the garden, spread a layer of 4 to 8 sheets of newspaper around the plant. Wet the sheets to maintain their position. On windy days, it is better to wet the sheets first and then put them in the desired place. The newspaper is covered with a layer of 3 to 8 cm of other plant mulch and it is better to prevent the growth of weeds during the growing season.
Chopped leaves are natural mulch. Shredded leaves are used everywhere as mulch, and areas with shredded leaves have a greater advantage than areas without it. Also, more worms are absorbed into your garden soil.
Some gardeners do not like the view of the leaves in the garden and do not consider them suitable for formal gardens, but if you apply a layer of leaf mulch before the plants spread in the spring, they will interfere with the view of the garden. Chopped leaves are great for forest gardens and if you spray a layer of them in the garden in the fall, they will start to decompose during the winter.
In rainy areas, uncut leaves can join together and repel water. However, if this happens, you can pick up the leaves and soften them with a rake.
Straw and alfalfa are also popular mulches for the vegetable garden. They prevent the spread of soil and soil-borne diseases up and down the lower leaves of plants and make the roads less muddy. The straw decomposes slowly, and this process takes the entire growing season. It also creates a home for spiders and other beneficial insects that can move around and help control pests, and finally, when it comes time to plant a new crop or rest in the vegetable garden, collect it and work. It is easy to get on the ground.
There are many organic mulches to recommend, especially the fact that they regularly help improve the soil. But as you can see below, Inorganic mulch also has its place.
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Inorganic Mulch
- Weed control, which should be annual against regular weeds
- Tips on weed control problems
- Weed pruning tools
Examples of inorganic mulch
Black plastic
Decorative fabric
Stone / sand
Inorganic mulches act as a barrier to retain moisture and prevent weeds. They do not fertilize the soil at all and on the other hand do not decompose and often need to be replaced with organic mulch.
Uses of inorganic mulch
If you like the ability of plastics and decorative fabrics but do not like the view, you can use a thin layer of tree bark mulch as a camouflage on plastic or fabric.
Although the bark of the tree decomposes, weed seeds remain on the plastic or fabric. You should also replace the tree bark when it decomposes.
Tip: If you are building a high bed, make it so that the width of the plastic or fabric completely covers the bed without any seams or cracks.
Plastics and decorative fabrics are a good choice for around main crops and other shrubs and trees. These plants do not need much fertility and in most cases you will not work on these beds regularly so do not worry about weeds that grow during the summer.
However, plastics get very hot in the summer, and in addition to suffocating weed seeds, they can destroy all the good things in the soil, such as plant roots, unless there is enough moisture. Make sure you allow enough water to pass through when piercing the fabric. If you see a hole full of water on the plastic or fabric, it means that you have not done proper drainage. Decorative fabric has pores and should not be a problem unless the holes are blocked.
Sand and rock act well as mulch in areas that require adequate drainage or substrates with low heat-loving plants, such as Mediterranean orchards and rainforests. It will be difficult to remove the stone, so think carefully before using sand and stone as mulch.
The choice of which mulch to use depends on what function and beauty you are looking for.
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