Mulching

Vegetables and
Annual Flowers

Class 1: Gardening Basics
Class 2: Garden Planning & Design
Class 3: Indoor Seed Starting
Class 4: Planting & Transplanting
Class 5: Maintaining a Healthy Garden
Class 6: Troubleshooting

Straw mulch keeps the weeds down in the paths of this annual flower garden.

Mulching is probably the number one time-saver and work-reducer in all of gardening. Most of the time, mulching is a good idea; there are some exceptions, and we’ll tackle these in a few minutes.

What is mulch?
The term "mulch" is a catch-all word for any material you spread on the soil surface. There are two basic types of mulches: organic and inorganic.

Organic. We mentioned this word during our discussion of soils. Remember that the word organic describes things that are, or were, alive. When it comes to mulches, it’s helpful to think of organic mulches as substances that will eventually break down or decompose. Examples include bark chips, straw, hay, grass clippings, wood chips, sawdust, cocoa shells, and even newspapers and cardboard.

Inorganic. Inorganic mulches are just the opposite. These are substances that don’t break down, but instead are relatively permanent. Examples include plastic, landscape fabric, and stones.

Why mulch?
Mulching is almost a "given" in flower beds. Bark chips and cocoa hulls are some popular mulches for perennial beds. Mulch also provides important benefits in the vegetable garden, and can make many maintenance chores a breeze! By covering the footpaths between rows, you’ll eliminate the need for weeding there. And a layer of mulch between transplants will help control weeds until the crops are large enough to shade the soil.

Mulch also helps conserve soil moisture. Not only will you need to water less often, but plants will also enjoy more consistant soil moisture levels. And by tilling in organic mulches at the end of the growing season, you'll add valuable organic matter to your soil.

A Few Cautions
Wait until the soil has warmed up before applying an insulating mulch such as straw. While light-colored, insulating mulches help keep soil cool in the heat of midsummer, applied too early they will prevent the soil from warming in the spring.

Also, apply mulch almost up to, but not touching, plant stems -- leave a small ring of bare soil. By keeping moist mulch out of contact with stems, you'll help prevent stem diseases.

Mulching conserves soil moisture and helps control weeds.

Mulching Tomatoes -- A Closer Look
Let’s look closely at how mulching can help one crop familiar to many gardeners: tomatoes. Tomatoes are heat-lovers, and in many parts of the country, even though the weather has warmed up, the soil is still on the cool side.

Some gardeners prepare their tomato bed in the fall, then in mid-spring cover it with black plastic to absorb heat and warm the soil. Once the last frost date is past, they cut holes in the plastic and plant their transplants. The black plastic will continue to warm the soil, encouraging early growth. By mid-summer, though, the plastic can heat the soil TOO much. Applying a 2 to 3" layer of an organic mulch like hay or straw insulates the soil, keeping it cool and moist.

Note that whenever you use plastic as a mulch, you need to be extra diligent in ensuring your plants receive adequate moisture, since plastic is impervious to water. Landscape fabrics, on the other hand, provide many of the same benefits as plastic, but do allow water to pass through.

Straw mulch keeps these plum tomatoes from touching the soil.

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Garden Maintenance FAQ #2

Is it OK to use wood chips or sawdust as mulch?

Answer

Scientists are experimenting with colored mulches to improve crop performance. This red mulch had been shown to boost tomato production. Plastic mulches like this one will likely become more popular in the future. However, note that, unlike organic mulches, plastic mulches don't decompose and don't add nutrients to the soil.

Garden Maintenance FAQ #3

What is the difference between hay and straw, and do they both make good mulches?

Answer