Fill me in on mulch...(new questions in post #6)

[Rikki Jean]

Okay, I PROMISE that this is my last question...for this evening anyway. Sorry that I'm asking so many, but I'm really excited about gardening, and I want to do everything as "right" as possible!

Anyway, I hear/read the term mulch thrown around, and I understand it's purpose to a point, but I don't really know anything difinitive about it. What exactly is it's purpose? What do I use for mulch? Where does it go?

Okay, no more questions from me tonight. I'm going to stop with the ignoring my family in pursuit of gardening happiness.

[rainbow dancer]

Mulch is organic matter to cover the soil. It prevents that the soil will dry out and will also keep weeds at bay.
Best mulching material is straw, but you can also use any other organic matter like grass clippings etc.
I love mulching!

[lightheart]

I use wood chips and sawdust in paths to keep weeds down, when it starts getting old and broke down I will toss it in the garden beds or the compost pile, I have to be sure to add more manure when I do that becasue the mulch still isn't broke down all the way and will rob nitrogen from the soil taking it away from my plants I want to grow.

I use straw, hay, grass clippings, leaves around my plants to keep weeds from growing and to keep moisture in the soil.

You can also use mulches to extend the seaon, think of like a blanket keeping the soil warm.

don't mulch just put in the ground plants, can cause too much moisture and they can damp off and die. wait until they get established. also don't put mulch right up against the plant when you do, can cause rot also.

You can also use stone to mulch with, although it doesn't really build the soil up (may possibly add some minerals from water running over it, but would be very minor). Stones or rocks will help the soil retain water and also can be used as a heat sink to keep the soil a little warmer after the sun has shined on the rocks all during the day, kinda like a hot water bottle taken to bed with you under the covers to keep you just a little warmer.

I have also seen shredded paper and pieces of cardboard used as mulches.

[garden-gal]

Using mulch not only prevents bare soil erosion for garden beds, it also keeps the soil at a more constant temperature, usually being cooler. If you live in a dry climate, mulching also prevents you from having to water your plants as often (conserves moisture). I find a good thick layer of leaves as a mulch really helps to attract earthworms to the general area.

[Rikki Jean]

thanks for the info!

[Rikki Jean]

Okay, two more questions.

I tried mulching around my cucumber plants with leaves last week, but it all blew away...how do I keep that from happening? Will they stay in place better if I shred them first? It tends to be a bit windy here.

When I mulch over a newly planted area, am I supposed to cover everything? If the mulch helps with weed suppression, how will the seedlings come up through it? Is this the dumbest question ever?

[lmonter]

Did you wet down the leaves? I don't think shredding would help much, just make it easier to blow away or break down (and if you want the mulch to last a few months, yeah).

I didn't mulch last year until after I'd planted things and they'd started coming up. Which meant a bit of hand weeding for a while there, but still. Worked out okay, and my pole beans sure tried to mutiny and take over the garden.
I just can't do all transplants straight into lots of mulch - takes too much time. But I'm also coming around to the 2-inches of mulch thing for weed suppression. Maybe next year - this year I'm going to attempt just using contractor's cloth in the back garden beds and see what happens. I'm going to have a hard enough time planting in a month at 38w pregnant anyway.

[eastmillcreekmama]

Originally Posted by Rikki Jean

Okay, two more questions.

I tried mulching around my cucumber plants with leaves last week, but it all blew away...how do I keep that from happening? Will they stay in place better if I shred them first? It tends to be a bit windy here.

When I mulch over a newly planted area, am I supposed to cover everything? If the mulch helps with weed suppression, how will the seedlings come up through it? Is this the dumbest question ever?

I like to water my mulch down ( I use straw) and this keeps it in place. We have bad wind, so I apply a thick layer, and wet it down really well, and it creates its' own thing and doesn't blow away.

If you're planting seeds directly into your beds, I plant, and the apply a VERY light layer, just to keep the cats from using the bed as a litter box OR I apply the mulch thickly, and then pull it back to make little rows for sowing. Later, when the plants are bigger, I will fill it in as needed. If you mulch heavily over top, the seedlings will likely not come up through, or will come through VERY leggy and not do well

HTH