Garden Mulch
Like vegetable gardens covered with a blanket of snow Garden Mulch protects the garden soil.
This protective covering of organic or non organic matter provides temperature control and more.
These layers encourage life in the underworld ...
... by helping zillions of organisms do their chores in vegetable gardens, decomposition happens.
This compost garden soil means plant food production.
We like our roots being protected !
We vegetable plants enjoy the blanket of organic matter our gardener provides.
... Just not too close to our stems, please!
Vegetable gardens will all benefit from this spread of organic protection.
.... protection from the summer sun controls garden soil temperature during the day
.... insulation at night keeping the warmth in
.... protection from the wind kees the garden soil in place
.... water control....not too much moisture in or out
.... promotes decomposition of the lower layer of mulch
so the organic matter under the blanket forms a layer of composted garden topsoil.
Types Garden mulch
Organic
.... Grass clippings .... multiple thin layers .... clipping need to be dried
.... Leaves are best partly decomposed ... leaf mould
.... Shredded straw is better than hay ... seed free mulch
.... Wood shavings ... best on foot paths until decay starts breaking them down
....Pine mulch and pine needles must be dry and yellow
.... Bark or cedar mulch ... better for flowering shrubs or on between raised bed pathways
.... News paper / corrugated cardboard...a great weed barrier and attracter of worms
.... Organic compost ...
.... Has value in the garden soil and on the soil surface as an organic mulch ...
.... Great when forming the first layer under other organic covering layers
Inorganic
.... Black plastic
needs to be applied so plant feeding and watering can be accomplished
.... Coloured plastic sheeting
has the same needs as black
although different colours apparently provide various benefits to growing vegetable plants .
.... Pea gavel and decorative stone
weed penetration happens so they are best used for pathways between beds
some folks use landscape fabric under these mulches
.... Shredded rubber
if available and free ... maybe !
It is ugly and probably smelly ? !
 Garden Cloth ... in our new backyard garden was removed by our gardener. What did he find? No garden Worms ! |
 He also found unwanted plants growing horizontally Looking for light so they could grow upward. Our gardener does not recommend garden cloth for long term use when mulching. |
Organic Mulch VS Inorganic mulch
part of the decomposition process does not improve garden soil fertility
improves garden soil composition
Which mulch should be used?
....The long and short of it is.... use what is close at hand and economical
.... How pretty does the gardener want it to look ?
Mulching Home Garden Vegetables
.... do not over think or over do mulches..... be practical
.... 3 to 6 inches depending on vegetable garden needs
.... better to apply repeated thin layers
.... keep mulch 2 inches away from vegetable plant stem ....too close may cause stem to rot
.... do not mulch soggy ground
Our gardener uses organic mulches when growing vegetables.
Grass clippings, leaves and pine mulch are readily available.
He uses them when mulching.
Garden mulch can be important in all vegetable gardens.
How about growing vegetable garden plants to be a living mulch !
Growing squash .. the vining varieties .. may provide the vegetable garden soil ...
... with shade ... blocking out the sunlight ...
... preventing weed seeds germination ...
... retaining moisture too.
This companion gardening method helps make gardening vegetables easier.
We vegetables are like people !!
Our needs are the same.
FOOD ... WATER ... AIR
Garden mulch helps provide us with all.
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