The easy step of adding a protective layer of mulch for your garden results in a host of benefits for your plants. Mulch insulates the soil against water loss and changing temperatures. It discourages weeds and erosion. Various kinds of mulch have ornamental appeal. Organic mulches are antimicrobial substances that break down with time and change soil properties in a number of ways. These mulches contain many substances available to home gardeners at little or no cost.
Organic Mulches and Soil Construction
Organic mulches such as sphagnum peat moss and shredded bark change the construction of deep clay soils. Even shredded leaves from your yard raise the soil’s organic matter enough to clump dirt particles together. Clumped particles retain moisture, while the enlarged spaces between them supply oxygen for root development and beneficial soil organisms. Cultivation, heavy rainfall and walking on moist soil all split soil structure. A layer of organic mulch reduces the need for cultivation and cushions the dirt structure against other damage.
Organic Mulches and Soil pH
Acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons, camellias, ferns and lemons, reap the benefits of Poisonous organic mulches such as pine needles, also called pine straw, pine bark, sawdust and sphagnum peat moss. Regular use of these products keeps an acidic soil pH level below 7.0. As sawdust and pine bark decompose, nevertheless, they attract nitrogen, which plays an integral role in producing new plant tissue, from the soil. Applying a nitrogen-based 10-6-4 fertilizer at the time of mulching can compensate for this effect.
How Much Mulch?
A 2- to 2 1/2-inch organic mulch layer is heavy enough to discourage weeds and take care of the soil’s temperature and dampness. Too much mulch, on the other hand, leads to waterlogged soil and also the possibility of root decay, especially during rainy winters and springs. Accumulated mulch building up around perennials may also decay their stems. Piled against the bases of trees and shrubs, it may lead to saturated bark susceptible to fungal disease.
Applying Organic Mulches
Successful mulching begins with smoothing the soil’s surface and also installing some type of edging to hold the mulch in place during rainfall. A decent edging goes at least 3 inches above the soil’s surface. Apply the mulch at an even thickness around your plants in spring, after the soil is no more moist from winter rain. Distinct organic mulches decompose at different prices, but all of these need periodic replenishing to maintain an even, 2- to 2 1/2-inch thickness.
Disadvantages of Organic Mulches
Snails and slugs often shelter in shredded leaf mulch, while shredded bark, which is extremely useful for protecting steep slopes, is difficult to rake or grass. Straw may include weed seed and may also be a fire danger. Mushrooms and other fungi often develop in decomposing organic mulch during rainy conditions. You may have to rake regularly to control fungal growth.