All about mulch

People who are just starting out as a gardener have the most basic understanding of what mulch is. Meanwhile, knowing what material to use and how to mulch soil for strawberries and other plants with your own hands, you can avoid many mistakes. The use of wood chips and coconut mulch is also noteworthy.

Any experienced summer resident will be able to explain what the word "mulch" means and what meaning it has for the garden. It should be noted that this agrotechnical "assistant" is very effective. Unfortunately, many underestimate the value of this method, believing that it only takes time and effort, bringing little benefit. Usually, such assessments are associated with illiterate work and lack of consideration of the intricacies of technology. In short, mulch is a layer of material that is laid out around the stems of cultivated crops.

This method of protecting the soil and the plants themselves has been used for a very long time. However, it became most popular when a similar fashion emerged in foreign countries.

Its most important purpose is to protect against weeds. If the special layer is wide enough, the growth of harmful plants is reduced several times. It is also important that it will be possible to reduce the intensity of irrigation, since moisture and nutrients are retained under the protective layer. The frequency of loosening the soil is reduced, while its structure is optimized. Under cover, the land suffers less from the bright sun in the summer, from the cold and snow in the winter.

This moment is especially relevant in the coldest winters, when only mulch sometimes saves perennial plantations from death. But it also has a number of other functions. Among them, the fight against infections stands out.

In addition to purely mechanical control of weeds, after mulching, the aisles are shaded, and this also interferes with the development of weeds. On hot days, the optimum temperature is maintained under the mulch. Laying out a special material in the fall prevents wind carry-over, washout and other unpleasant events. Practice shows that in this case the plants develop much better in the next season. Finally, mulched plants produce more adventitious roots.

For the site, you can choose several types of mulch.

At home, for mulching, it is quite possible to take various types of wood chips. The peculiarities of its pedigree origin must be taken into account. In any case, wood chips should not be placed next to the plantings themselves. Large pieces of wood can be poured over mature plants and mature seedlings. But they will take away too much valuable nitrogen from seedlings.

You can sprinkle any plants with medium and fine chips. But its influence will have to be compensated by active irrigation with liquid mixtures containing nitrogen.It must be understood that any tree rotting in the soil significantly increases its acidity. On soil that is already acidic, this is best avoided. Mixing sawdust with lime and other recognized alkalis helps prevent acidification. You can just wait for the harvested tree to grind.

Grass mowing is very effective in controlling evaporation. It also negatively affects various snails and slugs. The use of diseased plants must be carefully avoided, as this threatens the spread of infection. The same applies to vegetation affected by various pests, including those after final rotting in barrels.

This type of mulch can be very helpful. However, some of its types contain very few biologically active components. Almost all plants concentrate most of them in grains, while the green mass accounts for very little. Forbs and hay must be used after aging for at least 2 years. When fresh, they will heavily clog the soil with seeds.

The straw is shipped to consumers in bales weighing 16-20 kg. Self-harvesting of such mulch is possible using hand presses. After harvesting with the combine, additional chopping of the straw is not required. In areas with perennial berries, it is laid out in the aisles. You can mulch potatoes with straw immediately after the first sprouts come out.

Mulching with grass cuttings, leaves and litter is suitable for any crop. The risk of any harm is minimized, which is very important for inexperienced gardeners. This mulch helps to retain moisture in the ground. Saturation with nitrogen is also important, which is sorely lacking in many vegetable gardens. Laying should be done in a thick layer, because foliage is prone to drying out and loss of volume.

The dark color of this type of mulching material makes it very attractive in preparation for winter. But you need to be more careful to cover the foliage with perennial plants. When greens are converted to humus, acids can be released that can cause serious harm. The trunks of the plants are wrapped with plastic wrap or plastic bottles are used. You don't even have to dig up the ground, but spread the leaves over the holes pierced with a shovel handle.

The use of pine and spruce cones is most justified for:

• blueberries;
• cranberries;
• rhododendron;
• heather;
• garlic;
• Luke;
• potatoes.

If cones are laid out under trees and bushes, their layer should be 100-150 mm. For vegetables, it is 50-70 mm. Once the mulch is laid out, it should be watered. It is very good if it is not just water, but a fungicide solution. From vegetable beds, as soon as the crop is harvested, the mulch should be removed immediately. It is left under the trees until spring.

The use of needles of coniferous plants is most appropriate for acidophilic plants. Most often these are hydrangeas and rhododendrons. In parallel with such a shelter, nitrogen fertilization is carried out. It is highly undesirable to use needles for crops that need calcium. It is undesirable to take fresh coniferous litter (until it turns brown).

You can use medium, high-moor, and low-lying peat. The latter option is suitable for any soil and in any season. It will loosen the soil, but add almost no nutrients. The middle and upper types contain substances that suppress vegetation. Therefore, it is advisable to use them for preliminary preparation of empty beds or as a basis for compost.

Mulching with black material is quite widespread. Most commonly used agrofibre with a density of 0.1-0.13 kg per 1 square meter. It is guaranteed to suppress weed growth.With proper care, the appearance of rot and mold nests is completely excluded. The service life of agrofibre reaches 4-5 years.

In some cases, use geotextile... It must be black. The material is buried in the ground. In places where the cultivated plants themselves are located, it is necessary to make cuts. Soil moisture is completely preserved under the geotextile lining, however, such material cannot be combined with the cultivation of strawberries.

Attractive and mulching spunbond. It is excellent at suppressing weeds. But one must understand that only dense material can qualitatively perform such a task. Like other similar coatings, it should be black in color.

This method has been used for several decades. Not just any film is suitable, but only specially adapted for mulching. Holes are made in any polyethylene or mixed tape. Most of the rolls supplied to the market have a width of 1 to 3 m.

In a number of summer cottages, translucent films are used. They are needed to prepare seedlings for planting. However, in addition, it is supposed to treat the land with herbicides. Melon film must be of the highest quality. The black and light-proof film is used in the cultivation of other crops. Thanks to it, water consumption for irrigation is noticeably reduced. But one must understand that plants can overheat under impenetrable black matter.

Analyzing the pros and cons of mulching with expanded clay, it is worth pointing out:

• spectacular appearance;
• the convenience of use;
• long drying period;
• a large number of small particles (forcing you to wear a respirator);
• cheapness;
• long-term preservation of basic qualities.

Recently, the so-called active mulch, also known as "hot grass", has been increasingly used. It promotes the accelerated development of soil organisms and worms. It soon becomes clear that the plants are stronger and grow better. The decomposition of the grass mass leads to the appearance of carbon dioxide, thanks to which it is easy to get an excellent harvest. Finally, "active mulch" is a powerful stimulant of plant immunity. Last but not least, fermentation poses no risk.

On an industrial scale, cellulose mulch is now produced. Its production takes place on the basis of recycled paper raw materials. To improve the quality of the product, wood pulp is sometimes added to it. It is best if these are heat-treated fibers with increased absorbency. All manufacturers carefully sort and clean the incoming raw materials, so there is no point in fearing soil contamination.

In artisanal conditions, an alternative solution is often used, such as mulching with cardboard. Many gardeners report that it gives stable results over a number of years. Water retention in the soil, in any case, is achieved with confidence. Before laying out the cardboard sheet, the space allotted for it must be watered abundantly with water. The sheets themselves are overlapped so that they cover the entire area.

Mulching with corn mass will be quite logical. The easiest and most correct way to make special rugs for laying out on the beds. Stems of approximately the same size will have to be processed (cut off thin sections and fold one to the other, turning it up and down). The roots will have to be cut off. You can tie the stems as it is convenient: the resulting rugs will not be blown away by the wind in any case.

Horse bedding is also widely used - in other words, manure... It is considered to be much more biologically productive than other types of droppings. But it is important to understand that in its pure form, such mulch is very active and can even cause harm to plants. It is necessary to consult with specialists before purchasing.

Another solution that is often used lately is coconut mulch. Individual fibers in its composition are compressed under high pressure. The result is a dense yet breathable material. It is produced in the format of mats or circles of various sizes. Under the coconut protection, hypothermia, drying out of the soil, and its drift by the wind are excluded. It promotes more active fruiting, has a neutral acid-base balance, and blocks the spread of pathological microbes.

Finally, perhaps mulching based on branches and felling residues. Although they are much larger than wood chips or leaves, with a competent approach they rot in a short time. For the procedure, special types of equipment are used. These devices are also capable of scattering the prepared mass over the site. They are provided to the customer by specialized companies.

There are several other options worth noting:

• gravel;
• sphagnum moss;
• ground cover crops;
• rubber (but it is used only as a last resort, when there is no alternative).

Mulching is a great option to improve the properties of the soil and subsequently get a good harvest. However, this procedure must be carried out correctly. First of all, it is necessary to strictly observe the terms of the procedure. Most often, mulching is carried out in the spring and autumn months. But at the same time it is necessary to look so that the earth is already warmed up or has not yet had time to cool down. For narrow beds, the use of hay and sawdust is recommended. When covering near-trunk circles of trees between the trunk and the border of the layout, there should be at least 1.5 and no more than 3 m. The mulch must be periodically renewed.

Too early spreading the mulch layer will slow down the development of the garden, lawn or shrubs (raspberries, grapes). With high soil moisture, rotting may even begin. In turn, the delay with winter mulching turns into the fact that the earth has time to freeze, and the effectiveness of protection from the cold drops sharply. What is important, at the same time, it is still not possible to extend the time of the autumn wakefulness of plants. To protect the strawberry bushes, you need to mulch the area twice a year. Dry foliage and cut grass are optimal candidates. Before winter, you can also use straw or needles.

Sawdust is considered the most durable. The laid out layer of mulch is approx. 100 mm. The procedure is carried out at least twice: after disembarking at the proper place and as needed. In subsequent treatments, the layer is reduced to 50 mm. Peat, sawdust and shavings are best for roses. Coniferous litter can also be used. And even eggshells. Larch bark is also a good solution. The procedure is carried out in the second half of spring. The bark must be dried for 15 days and treated with antiseptics.

When spring comes, the mulch laid in the fall should be disposed of. During this time, she herself will have time to become a habitat for various harmful microorganisms and dangerous insects. It is necessary not only to remove the old bookmark, but also to burn it. You can not mulch only recently hatched shoots and fragile shoots. This procedure is also harmful to fresh seedlings, because it greatly interferes with natural light and the development of shoots.

In the vast majority of cases, this is optional. Conversely, the mulching layer:

• will increase the protection of the root system from frost;
• will attract worms;
• during the winter it will have time to overtake, saturate the earth and prepare it for the next season;
• will preserve the looseness of the soil and make it easier to dig it in the spring (and sometimes even allow you to stop digging).

When mulching with straw, you can remove its top layer, dry it and store it separately until spring.This is usually done by those who cannot provide themselves with straw. The opinion that microorganisms can multiply in mulch is correct, but there are also useful species among them. This problem can be solved through special treatment with disinfectants.

Everything that remains from garden crops needs to be crushed. From time to time you need to add new bookmarks (layers). It is impossible to use plants for mulching that have been treated with pesticides less than 30 days ago.

Straw can be used on its own or in combination with other organic matter. Fears that it will rot are groundless: this happens only in closed rooms that do not have decent ventilation. Straw is good for berry and vegetable crops, but it is poorly compatible with shrubs. Excessively dense laying of straw will inhibit the development of young shoots. But at the same time, straw mulch is able to fight even the Colorado potato beetle.

When choosing meadow hay, preference should be given to plants cut before flowering. Hay should be discarded during particularly humid periods, because it is prone to rotting.

It is best to mulch the beds after processing (when they are loosened, watered or fed, even just sprayed). More than 20 mm of any cover must not be laid on heavy clay soil, otherwise rot is likely. It is best to add fresh material about every 14 days. Light soil can be mulched more actively, but even then a layer of more than 80 mm is contraindicated. It is necessary to ensure that the roots have enough oxygen.

On rainy days, the layer used is further reduced. Moreover, it should be reduced in any shaded area. It is worth remembering that needles take nitrogen, and when using it, drugs are needed to restore its concentration in the ground. The same should be done when using sawdust.