Mulch for your Garden

Mulch is a protective covering placed on top of the soil . It is better to use various organic materials for garden mulching, but you can also use plastic film, they are a important tool for the organic gardener.

Mulching is well worth the time and effort it takes as it both helps keep the moisture in your soil by slowing evaporation and also helps prevent weed seed from germinating. It will additionally protect the soil surface from the damaging effects of heavy rain and compressing . Another benefit of using organic mulch is that it will encourage worms to populate and will generally help improve and maintain a good soil structure.

A variety of materials can be used for mulching , however the texture is very important , they need to be fairly compact but also allow air and moisture to filter through to the soil surface . Organic Compost , wood chippings, bark, leaf mould, dried lawn mowing , well rotted manure and straw will all make suitable garden mulch. They will give you a choice of finishing’s bark mulch and wood mulch giving a more decorative effect and they will also last longer .

Mulch can be lay-ed up to four inches thick as long as it does not completely cover your plants. It should not be piled up around the base of any plants because as it rots down it will also rot the plant to. Depending on the type and depth of mulch used it will last from two months to three years and as it breaks up and rots it will benefit your soil too.

The best time to apply garden mulch is when the soil is moist and warm . You should never mulch when the soil is dry, very wet or very cold as it will simply remain in that condition, affecting the growing conditions of your plants. The best time to mulch is either after planting or for plants sown in situ when they are a few inches high . Make sure the soil is well watered beforehand but avoid completely saturating it and dig up any existing weeds that may be already growing.

You can also purchase plastic mulches which can be useful in the short term and are ideal for summer crops, like tomatoes and cucumbers. You can either lay the firm over the area you intend to plant and cut cross slits and plant in between, or plant first and then gardually roll the film over, making slits and pulling the plants through. Anchor the edges of the film with a covering of soil to secure . Plants can be watered, when required, through the gap between the stem ot the plant and the foil .

Black films are better at preventing weeds from geminating , clear or transparent and white films will help the soil to warm up , great for early planting and the latter will also reflect light up onto the plants .