Mulching the beds correctly: useful tips

Let’s first clearly define what exactly is meant by such a popular definition today as “mulching”. This is the covering of soil around plants, including trees, between beds, a layer of organic material or film.

Note that in nature, in the natural environment, the mulching process occurs by itself. Leaves and needles fall from trees and shrubs, remain, slowly rot, covering the soil.

How does mulch help? Retains moisture, helps to obtain natural humus, protects against pests, interferes with weed growth.

It is not surprising that people have adopted the processes that occur naturally in nature and transferred them to their gardens. Organic farming involves creating favorable conditions for plant growth using natural aids, including natural mulch.

Traditionally, mulching the beds begins in the spring, when the seeds and seedlings that need protection have already been planted. If you decide to start mulching the garden, first of all you need to choose the right material..

Of artificial materials for mulching, a film is most often used, ordinary, matte, opaque or black. The second option is preferable in spring, as it helps the soil to warm up. There is also the option of using newspapers and cardboard, which we have already written in detail about..

Mulching with a film is carried out as follows: it is spread on prepared beds, holes are cut and plants are planted in them. The best way to make holes is to make slit-like holes, that is, to cut the film along or across, with one cut. So the soil will be best protected from moisture evaporation, it is not recommended to cut large enough round or square holes.

It is noteworthy that experts noticed: cabbage “loves” a white film, tomatoes – red, strawberries – matte opaque, greens – black.

We admit that serious research in this area has not been carried out, so you can take a film of any color, the main thing is that it does not let in sunlight and is strong enough..

The most important advantage of mulching film is that it can be used for several years in a row..

However, those gardeners who decide to conduct truly organic farming or just use what is at hand, without spending money on film, use natural materials for mulching:

• cut grass, preferably siderata;
• hay;
• straw;
• compost;
• fallen leaves;
• tree bark;
• sawdust, wood chips;
• needles;
• cones;
• peat.

Important! Do not use different types of organic mulch on the same bed, plants should be protected equally.

The grass should not be completely freshly cut, let’s clarify – it needs to be dried for at least a day, otherwise there is a risk that it will quickly rot on wet soil.

Each of the natural mulching materials we have listed has its own benefits. For example:

• straw perfectly protects the beds with potatoes and tomatoes from the Colorado potato beetle;
• freshly cut green manure or ordinary grass are rich in nutrients that enter the soil;
• bark is a tough, durable mulch, therefore it is often used under trees to protect the near-stem circles. In addition, it is tree bark and wood chips that most often act as decorative mulch;
• compost and peat provide plant nutrition;
• needles and cones protect the beds from pathogenic bacteria and pests.

Whatever organic mulch you choose for your garden, you must adhere to the following sequence of work:

1. Prepare the soil, get rid of weeds, loosen;
2. Mulching is carried out when the soil has already warmed up, the seedlings have taken their place in the beds, and the seeds have actively sprouted. The seedlings should rise above the mulch layer;
3. Before mulching, it is advisable to water the soil so that the moisture remains longer;
4. You can also fertilize if you didn’t do it in the fall;
5. The thickness of the mulch layer depends on how dense the material itself is. For example, a layer of compacted, settled straw or hay should be at least 4, and preferably 6 cm. Otherwise, mulch will be poorly performing its protective functions. But a layer that is too thick is also bad, 7 cm is a maximum, otherwise the soil will overheat.

Do not forget that the mulch layer will have to be updated as needed. For example, a heavy downpour can wash away your protection between the beds, and a gusty wind threatens it. In this case, mulch is simply poured to the desired level on the affected areas..