Mulching!

Alright! We are switching up the format a little (a lot) this week and will now have bullet point lists! I feel like this might be a bit easier to read, but it really depends on the purpose so…

Anyway, this post is about mulching which I think I’ve mentioned in passing on quite a few of the informational posts. The idea of mulching is to use material(s) to cover the soil. An example would be the black plastic or fabric thingy that’s on the side of the garden where we keep the compost bins. Honestly, it might be time to consider replacing it since weeds have slowly made their way through along with other plants. Aside from the lavender, I’m pretty sure that I also saw some cilantro there at some point.

Uses of Mulching

to reduce weeds
by keeping light from reaching the soil
to keep the soil cool
to prevent disease
by keeping soil off of leaves
to reduce soil erosion and compaction
can help keep the soil from crusting
to retain moisture in soil
by keeping the soil from crusting, water will not run off as much
organic mulches can help with nutrition as they decompose

As you can see, mulching can be very helpful. Less weeding! I kind of wish I knew more about this before we went into quarantine. Once again, mulching seems kind of an obvious thing in hindsight in the I-knew-about-it-but-only-super-vaguely kind of way.It would be cool to implement in the future and could cut down on the time that people need to spend gardening(weeding). Of course, there always have to be downsides...

Negatives of Mulching

too much can bury and suffocate plants
water and oxygen can not reach the plant roots
too much can be assumed to be more than 3 inches
dry mulches can be a fire hazard
ex: sawdust, wood chips, peat moss, dry straw
mulching too close to stems/trunks make it easier for pests

The gist I get from the negatives is to mulch properly and to not overmulch. Then everything should turn out fine.

Organic Mulches

Bark: shredded, chipped
Compost
Manure
Sawdust
Grass clippings
Newspaper
Shredded leaves
Straw

Inorganic Mulches

Black Plastic
Landscape Fabric
Stone/Gravel

Considering that I am referring more towards mulching directly in our beds, we most likely want to use organic mulches. Looking at this list, I thought the idea of grass clippings and newspaper were the most interesting since those are definitely things we can get our hands on. I always thought that grass clippings were shady because grass are weeds and the progression from there. However, it seems that what we really need to worry about are if weed seeds end up mixed in. That was not as reassuring as I thought it would be, whoops. Personally, I would definitely prefer using newspaper over grass clippings, nonetheless, both materials have their positives and negatives.

Mulching with Newspaper

For mulching with newspaper, you can either use shredded newspaper or leave them as is in the big sheets. Nowadays, most newspapers use soy-based inks and therefore, we do not need to worry about if they are bad for our plants. Use common sense when choosing materials and choose newspaper that seems natural and not something like a glossy magazine cover.

There are two times where I imagine we would mulch. One would be in spring after the plants have all been planted and we mulch around them. The other time would be in fall when we are cleaning up the garden. You only want to layer three sheets of newspaper over each other when you mulch, otherwise it might not let enough water or sunlight through. I do suppose in areas with no plants, it would not particularly matter. Considering that, I would be more strict about the three-layer rule in the spring since we want to make sure the unseen plant roots receive the necessary sustenance. We also want to keep all our mulching about 2 inches away from the stems to deter pests. Placing the mulching material, be it newspaper or grass clippings or whatever, too close to the stems is not good for the plant’s health.

An issue with using newspaper to mulch is that it can easily be blown away. While placing them down, water the newspaper so that it doesn’t move. After placing all the newspaper, it is suggested to weigh it down with another mulching material like compost or grass clippings.

Mulching with Grass Clippings

With grass clippings, we need to be careful since they can get slimy if you put too much or they are wet. You will probably want to let them dry first (you could leave them in the sun for a day or so) or have a mix of dry and fresh. For mulching with them, you only need to spread a thin layer and it should be fine. Grass clippings have plenty of nitrogen which can be a nice boost for your soil. I’m not entirely sure if this is something we need to check, however you should probably make sure that whatever grass clippings you use, they were not treated with herbicide or pesticide before.

Sources

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/mulching-with-grass-clippings.htm

https://www.growveg.com/guides/using-grass-clippings-as-vegetable-garden-mulch/

https://www.getgreenbewell.com/newspaper-prevents-weeds-in-the-garden/

https://www.thespruce.com/garden-mulches-tips-2130812

https://frador.com/what-is-the-best-mulch-for-vegetable-gardens/

https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/garden-mulches-zm0z11zhun

https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-mulch-1402413

https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/mulching-guide-benefits-mulch

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/mulch-for-vegetable-gardens/5013.html

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20706549/how-to-mulch-your-garden/

https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/shrubs-and-flowers/basic-care/mulching-tips-from-the-pros/

You’ll probably want to do a bit more research if you are actually going to mulch (especially if you want to use a material that isn’t newspaper or grass), but I think this is a pretty good start. Good luck gardening!

Until Next Time!