What Can You Use to Mulch a Vegetable Garden?
Mulch is an addition to soil that is applied around plants and above the soil. It keeps the soil warm in cool weather, cool in hot weather, prevents weeds and helps keep moisture in the soil. Many types of mulches are available and the right one depends on the climate, vegetable varieties and what is readily available. Organic mulches are desirable to inorganic because they leach nutrients into the soil and break down, becoming part of the garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Straw and Hay
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Straw makes a good organic mulch. It doesn't disintegrate too quickly and it's cheap and easy to carry. Hay is also very effective but isn't as cheap and is heavier to carry. Both straw and hay provide a barrier that keeps the soil warm and moist while protecting plants and deterring weeds. Plants with vegetables that sit on the soil, such as zucchini, do well with a straw or hay mulch because it helps prevent insects like slugs from reaching them and prevents rot. Strulch is a mineral-fortified straw that is created specifically as a mulch. It sticks to the ground better than straight straw or hay but is more expensive and not as readily available.
Pine Needles
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Pine needles work as a mulch in nature and work just as well in a garden. They provide a moist, springy mulch that take a long time to decompose. They make soil more acidic so should be used only on gardens that need more acidity in the soil or vegetables that love an acidic soil. Some gardeners apply this mulch during the growing season but remove it in the fall so it doesn't affect the soil too greatly.
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Lawn Clippings
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Use lawn clippings that have not been treated with any chemical weed killers or fertilizers since they will be used on top of vegetables. They work well after plants have become established because they are quite dense and not all seedlings can push through them. Use in a thin layer that is no larger than 1-inch deep. At the end of the season remove the clippings or plow them into the soil.
Manure
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Manure from farm animals is rich in nutrients and is sometimes given away for free by farmers who want to get rid of the waste. Composted manure is also available commercially. Well-rotted manure is added to the top of the soil and is used to protect the soil underneath and to add nutrients to the soil. Manure needs to rot for a minimum of three months before it is used.
Compost
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Household compost makes an excellent mulch. It is a good way to reuse the organic waste from the home and it adds nutrients to the soil as it works as a mulch. Thick compost that is not entirely broken down is laid across the garden. As the season progresses the compost continues to decompose while adding some protection to the plants and soil. It does not keep the ground as warm as some blanket mulches. At the end of season it is tilled into the soil.
Newspaper
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Newspaper is a very effective mulch that is not always utilized. Eight layers of black and white newspaper are laid down over the garden either after the plants are established or before seedlings are planted. Holes are poked in the paper and seedlings are planted through the holes. The paper holds in moisture and warmth and keeps weeds at bay. Rocks are needed to keep the newspapers in place until they are wet enough to stay put.
Inorganic Mulch
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Inorganic mulches are materials that don't break down over time. They are either natural or synthetic. Some inorganic mulches include rocks, plastic and rubber from recycled tires. Rocks, like gravel, work well but are difficult to remove. Other synthetic mulches are effective but can leach chemicals into the soil.
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