Gardening with mulch can encourage the growth of your garden, but your plants will be happier and healthier if you know the do's and don'ts of using ground cover. You can find out how to properly mulch in the garden from our article. Check out our tips and strategies to help you avoid mistakes and enjoy a successful garden.
Do not use material mixed with soil
Mulch, compost and soil are different things. It's okay,Mix compost into the topsoilto improve it, but leave the mulch on the surface. Mulch mixed with soil disrupts the nutrient balance and makes digging and weeding difficult.
Keep woody material away from the vegetable patch
Be careful never to woodyMulch as a soil improveruse in containers or in the ground because during the decomposition process it fixes the available nitrogen that could go to the plants you want to grow. For a vegetable garden, cheap compost is much better for covering the ground than expensive decorative wooden mulch. A layer of woody material also makes it more difficult to quickly hoe weeds between rows because you have to first remove the mulch, weed, and then reinstall the ground cover.
Mulch properly in the garden: avoid fresh material
Ground cover such as shredded brush, manure or hay from pastures and hay fields can contain weed seeds and also herbicide residues that can kill your plants. Allow fresh material to sit for a few months to leach out residue and allow weed seeds to germinate and die. It's even better to compost it before using it.
Watch out for creeping plants
Plants that spread by creeping stems, particularly turf grasses such as Bermuda grass, are sometimes so vigorous that they can grow directly beneath the ground cover. Do not spread ground cover on or near these plants if you can avoid it. Instead, you can keep them in check with edging that runs above and below the ground, or dig a small trench along the bed so you can see the runners trying to invade and remove them before they get into the mulch .
Mulch properly in the garden: remove weeds
While good ground cover can suppress small, young weeds, don't expect it to magically eliminate established weeds. It's better bigto remove weeds, otherwise they'll get through again.
Don't use too much material
Plant roots need oxygen to survive, and very deep ground cover can limit the supply. Besides, canFungi become a problemif the layer is too thick. Fungal mats can form, pushing back the water you're trying to conserve by adding ground cover. One centimeter of material is sufficient and more economical. Depending on the species, loose ground cover should be applied in layers 3 to 8 cm thick. Applying almost any type of mulch in layers that are too thick can lead to the same problems that occur when “vulcanizing” plants. (We'll talk about this later in our article.)
Mulch properly in the garden: not too little material
If you don't apply enough material, it won't stop weeds from pushing through. It doesn't keep the soil nice and moist and doesn't help you save water. Basically, he doesn't do his job. Because mulch is organic, it will settle and look thin over time. This means that it decomposes, enriches the soil and makes it more fertile. He's still hard at work improving your landscape, but when he's thin he doesn't look as great. So don't try to extend your hard-working ground cover another season. Plan to replace it every spring. You can also add an extra layer in the fall to keep the material looking fresh all year long.
Do not create mulch volcanoes around trees
While it's a good idea to put mulch around trees, it's not a good idea to pile it up on the trunk of the tree. This can cause the tree's root neck to remain too moist and rot. This also allows insects to bore into the trunk and weaken it. A little space should be left between the ground cover and the tree trunk. You should also not pile the ground cover directly onto other plants such as shrubs and perennials. Make sure there is at least a few inches of space between their trunks and the material.
Avoid colored material
If you use bagged mulch, read the label because some products contain natural dyes, while others may be spray-on dyes that are full of toxins that are harmful to pets and children. They can seep into the soil and destroy beneficial microbes. Instead, use composted leaves, which look more natural and improve the soil. Leaf litter also provides butterflies and othersbeneficial insectsa wintering place. It's a natural, renewable resource that people bag and throw away, then cover the same beds with wood mulch! So that you mulch properly in the garden, be calmer: Nature knows what she is doing.
Apply ground cover when sowing
When sowing new seeds, it is generally recommended to sprinkle a thin layer of ground cover over them with one purpose: to retain moisture so that the seeds do not dry out.
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