Aside from water and sunlight, garden plants need nutrients from the soil to thrive and survive. However, on many occasions, they lead to weed and algae growth, lack of soil moisture and other problems. This is where mulch comes into play.
What is mulch?
This is any material, either organic or inorganic applied to the surface of the soil to protect not just your plants but also the quality of the soil. In most cases, mulch is a product of organic materials such as wood chips, tree back, straws, pebbles, compost and so much more.
The question now is, how do you know you are using the right mulch for your plants?
Choose the Best Mulch for Your Garden
1. Type of Crops You are Growing
The first thing that you should do is know the type of plants that you have in your garden. Whether edible or decorative plants, they each have particular needs.
Vegetables
Edible crops such as vegetables and herbs can be further classified into warm and cold weather crops. In most cases, vegetables that thrive in warm to hot climates may need a type of mulch that retains more water, including newspaper, straw or grass clippings. Some heat-loving crops include tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.
If you have cold-thriving vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and other green leafies, you can use shredded leaves and bark, straw and pine needles as mulch. You may also choose paper mulch as these absorb excess water and can help prevent drowning for your veggies.
Ornamental Plants
Decorative plants are more flexible in terms of their mulching needs. From compost mulch to wood chips, any type of these mulches can help a wide array of ornamental plants. They can also be applied to trees.
2. The Typical Weather in Your Locality
The next factor that you should consider is the type of weather in your locality. If it rains a lot, it helps to find mulches that do not tend to float and get washed away.
Cool Weather
Generally, the use of mulches aims to shield the plants from drastic temperature changes. Let’s say you want to mulch up your plants in time for winter.
In this case, it helps to use wood chips, shredded bark and leaves, straw, and other loose, coarse-textured organic types of mulches. This can help protect your plants from the instantaneous thawing as winter comes to an end.
Warm Weather
If you live in warm places, it helps to use soil-cooling mulches like shredded leaves and straws. Avoid using inorganic mulches that may cause unwanted stress to your plants. Not only will this lead to wilting but can also burn up the organic matters in the soil that are essential for your plants.
3. Type of Soil
The next thing that you need to factor in is the type of soil you are working with. Whether you have clay or sandy soil in your garden, it helps to know what type of mulch can work hand-in-hand with your substrate in helping your plants flourish.
Wet Soil
If you are using heavy wet soil for your vegetable garden, it may help to use less moisture-retentive mulches. This includes chunky wood chips and decorative stones and pebbles. You should also make sure to use a thin layer of mulch to prevent waterlogging.
Sandy Soil
Dry and sandy types of soil work best with moisture retentive mulches. Never use plastic and other inorganic mulches that will prevent water irrigation and rain from seeping through the rooting system of your plants.
4. Categories of mulch You May Consider
Lastly, know the different classifications of mulches. Mulch up your garden according to the needs of your crops.
Organic Mulch
Essentially, organic mulches are the product of living things like tree bark, wood chips, kitchen compost, grass clippings, dried leaves, straw and so much more. Organic mulches are known to retain soil moisture and prevent weeds from sprouting.
Inorganic Mulch
Comparatively, inorganic mulches are non-living materials such as plastic, stones and geotextiles. Although they do not retain moisture and may not prevent weeds from growing, they provide hot-weather vegetables warmth at night and in cold climates.
Quick Tips for Mulching Your Garden
- Don’t much too close: Mulch should be kept at least an inch away from plant stems to prevent rotting and fungi growth.
- Feed your plants before mulching: Use a nitrogen-rich fertiliser before applying a layer of your mulch. The best options for this are shredded leaves and wheat straw as they tend to mix well with the fertiliser as they decompose.
- Dry your clippings: If you choose to use grass clippings after mowing your lawn, it may be best to gather and sun-dry them for at least 24 hours before using them as mulch. This way you can be sure that no pests will thrive in them.
There is no doubt that mulch can hugely help propel a vigorous garden but remember to choose the right one.
Contact Mazzega’s Landscaping Supplies for quality mulches that suit your garden needs!
