MULCHING: WHY AND HOW TO DO IT

Mulching is one of  the simplest and most beneficial practices you can use in your garden. Mulch is simply a protective layer of material that is spread on top of the soil to enrich the soil, prevent weed growth, and help provide a better growing environment for your garden plants and flowers. 
Mulches can either be organic - such as grass clippings, bark chips, compost, ground corncobs, chopped corn stalks, leaves, manure, newspaper, peanut shells, peat moss, pine needles, sawdust, straw, hay, and wood shavings - or organic - such as stones, brick chips and plastic. Both organic and inorganic mulches have numerous benefits, including: 

1. Protecting the soil from erosion
2. Reducing compaction from the impact of heavy rains
3. Conserving moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering
4. Maintaining a more even soil temperature
5. Preventing weed growth
6. Keeping fruits and vegetables clean
7. Keeping feet clean and allowing access to the garden even when it’s damp
8. Providing a “finished” look to the garden​

​Organic mulches also have the benefit of improving the condition of the soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they provide organic matter to help keep the soil loose, This improves root growth, increases the infiltration of water, improves the water-holding capacity of the soil, provides a source of plant nutrients, and establishes an ideal environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms. While inorganic mulches have their place in certain landscapes, they lack the soil-improving properties of organic mulches. Inorganic mulches, because of their permanence, may be difficult to remove if you decide to change your garden plans at a later date.

Mulching Materials

You can find mulch materials right in your own backyard. They include:

1. Lawn clippings. They make an excellent mulch in the vegetable garden if spread immediately to avoid heating and rooting. The fine texture allows them to be spread easily, even around small plants. 
   
2. Newspaper. As a mulch, newspapers work especially well to control weed. Save your own newspapers and only use the text pages, or those with black ink, as color dyes may be harmful to soil microflora and fauna if composted and used. Use three or four sheets together, anchored with grass clippings or other mulch material to prevent them from blowing away. 
   
3. Leaves. Leaf mold, or the decomposed remains of leaves, gives the forest floor its absorbent, spongy structure. Collect leaves in the fall and chop with a lawnmower or shredder. Compost leaves over winter, as some studies have indicated that freshly chopped leaves may inhibit the growth of certain crops. 
   
4. Compost. The mixture makes wonderful mulch - if you have a large supply - as it not only improves the soil structure but also provides an excellent source of plant nutrients. 
   
5. Bark chips and composted bark mulch. These materials are available at garden centers, and are sometimes used with landscape fabric or plastic that is spread atop the soil and beneath the mulch to provide additional protection against weeds. However, the barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting additional plants more difficult. Without the barrier, bark mulch makes a neat finish to the garden bed and will eventually improve the condition of the soil. It may last for one to three years or more, depending on the size of the chips or how well composted the bark mulch is. Smaller chips are easier to spread, especially around small plants. 
   
6. Hay and straw. These work well in the vegetable garden, although they may harbor weed seeds.
   
7. Seaweed mulch, ground corn cobs, and pine needles. Depending on where you live, these materials may be readily available and also can be used as mulch. However, pine needles tend to increase the acidity of the soil, so they work best around acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons and blueberries.
   

When choosing a mulch material, think of your primary objective. Newspaper and grass clippings are great for weed control, while bark mulch gives a perfect, finishing touch to a front-yard perennial garden. If you’re looking for a cheap solution, consider using materials found in our own yard or see if your community offers chipped wood or compost to its residents. 
If you want the mulch to stay in place for several years around shrubs, for example, you might want to consider using inorganic mulches. While they will not provide organic matter to the soil, they will be more or less permanent.

When to Apply Mulch

Time of application depends on what you hope to achieve by mulching. Mulches, by providing an insulating barrier between the soil and the air, moderate the soil temperature. This means that a mulched soil in the summer will be cooler than an adjacent, un-mulched soil; while in the winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply. However, since mulch acts as an insulating layer, mulched soils tend to warm up more slowly in the spring and cool down more slowly in the fall than un-mulched soils. 
If you are using mulches in your vegetable or flower garden, it is best to apply or add additional mulch after the soil has warmed up in the spring. Organic mulches reduce the soil temperature by 8 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer, so if they are applied to cold garden soils, the soil will warm up more slowly and plant maturity will be delayed. 
Mulches used to help moderate winter temperatures can be applied late in the fall after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest temperatures arrive. Appling mulches before the ground has frozen may attract rodents looking for a warm over-wintering site. Delayed applications of mulch should prevent this problem. 
Mulches used to protect plants over the winter should be composed of loose material, such as straw, hay, or pine boughs that will help insulate the plants without compacting under the weight of snow and ice. One of the benefits from winter applications of mulch is the reduction in the freezing and thawing of the soil in the late winter and early spring. These repeated cycles of freezing at night and then thawing in the warmth of the sun cause many small or shallow-rooted plants to be heaved out of the soil. This leaves their root systems exposed and results in injury, or death, of the plant. Mulching helps prevent these rapid fluctuations in soil temperature and reduces the chances of heaving.  

General Guidelines

Mulch is measured in cubic feet, so, for example, if you have an area measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, and you wish to apply 3 inches (¼ foot) of mulch, you would need 25 cubic feet to do the job correctly. 
While some mulch can come from recycled material in your own yard, it can also be purchased bagged or in bulk from a garden center. Buying in bulk may be cheaper if you need a large volume and have a way to haul it. Bagged mulch is often easier to handle, especially for smaller projects, as most bagged mulch come in 3-cubic-foot bags. 
To start, remove any weeds. Begin mulching by spreading the materials in your garden, being careful not to apply mulch to the plants themselves. Leave an inch or so of space next to the plants to help prevent diseases from flourishing in times of excess humidity. 

How Much Do I Apply?

The amount of mulch to apply to your garden depends on the mulching material used. Spread bark mulch and wood chips 2 to 4 inches deep, keeping it an inch or two away from tree trunks. 
Scatter chopped and composted leaves 3 to 4 inches deep. If using dry leaves, apply about 6 inches. 

Grass clippings are spread too thick, tend to compact and rot, becoming quite slimy and smelly. They should be applied 2 to 3 inches deep, and additional layers should be added as clippings decompose. Make sure not to use clippings from lawns treated with herbicides. 
Sheets of newspaper should only be ¼ inch thick, and covered lightly with grass clippings or other mulch material to anchor them. If other mulch materials are not available, cover the edges of the newspaper with soil.
If using compost, apply 3 to 4 inches deep, as it’s an excellent material for enriching the soil. 

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Blessings,
Margarita & Stace