How to Use Mulches in Vegetable Production

Wood bark chips make good mulch for vegetables.

Mulches are used to protect growing vegetables from drying out, prevent weed growth and maintain a suitable soil temperature. Mulches come in a variety of forms. Some mulch is organic, such as straw, rotted manure, bark chips and comfrey. Synthetic mulches are also available, such as plastic sheeting and rubber chips. In large-scale vegetable production plastic mulches are common. Gardeners should choose a mulch based on the type of vegetable they intend to grow, and on their local weather conditions.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable seeds or plants
• Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
• Mulch (plastic, organic, rotted)
• Rake

Instructions

1. Prepare the seed bed and soil for your vegetables as normal. Dig up any weeds and mix manure or other organic material into the soil. Exact requirements will vary according to the vegetable type.

2. Plant your vegetable seeds or transfer young plants to the vegetable patch. Water the soil regularly to keep it moist and damp.

3. Add nitrogen-rich fertilizer to the soil. Natural mulches can leach nitrogen from the ground, according to the Gardener's Supply Company, so make sure you add fertilizer before mulching.

4. Select the appropriate mulch. Industrial vegetable production often uses plastic sheeting as a mulch, particularly for potatoes and eggplant. Give soil a fresh, deep watering just before adding any type of mulch.

5. Use heavy, black plastic sheet mulch for eggplants, tomatoes and peppers, all of which thrive on the heat absorbed by the dark plastic.

6. Fix plastic mulch sheets to the ground using garden staples. Instead of folding around growing plants, cover a whole area then cut holes to insert young vegetables.

7. Consider applying a 2-inch layer of organic chipped or shredded mulch instead of plastic mulch to a vegetable patch, according to the BBC Gardening website. Use straw, wood chips, farmyard manure or aged leaves around vegetables such as broccoli and zucchini, which prefer cooler temperatures.

Tips & Warnings

• Mulch whole growing areas in early spring or late winter, according to the BBC. This ensures beds don't dry out.

• Avoid dark plastic or rubber mulches if you live in very hot climates. They can increase the ground temperature to very high levels, killing off vegetables.

References

• BBC Gardening Guides: Mulching Plants
• Gardener's Supply Company: Mulch For Vegetable Gardens
• University of California: Mulches in California Vegetable Production