Mulch your way to a Happy Garden
Lawn Mower Clippings
Mulching is one of the most important elements to a happy healthy organic garden. Mulch is a layer of organic material placed on the top of the soil surface. It helps to conserve moisture, control weeds and improve the structure and fertility of the soil.
Soil can be mulched from natural products like lawn mower clippings, compost or chipped pruning’s from your garden as well as straw and hay. Soil can also be mulched by manufactured products including newspapers and cardboard that aren’t glossy.
Combing the 2 can also work depending on what your garden needs are. I always like to use newspaper under straw or hay depending on what I’ve got.
Seasonal Benefits to Mulching
Water your garden frequently then mulch with well-rotted manure or garden compost. Not only does this enrich the soil it provides warmth in winter and keeps the soil cool and moist in summer. Make sure you put on bulky layers of mulch because it will work better and last longer than thin layers.
Pine Bark Mulch
Pretty to Practical Mulches
If you have an ornamental garden then maybe crushed pine bark or finely chopped cane mulch would be good to use. Because it will retain the moisture in the garden bed as well as suppressing annual weeds. It will eventually rot down to feed the soil and the plants.
In a garden where appearance doesn’t matter your gardens can just be mulched with old wet newspapers to prevent weed growth. With straw or hay thrown on top but just make sure you water first.
Choose your Mulch
There is a variety of materials to use as mulch in your garden, some will be suitable to your garden and some won’t be. When buying pre-packaged commercial mulches read all the labels carefully and give thought to how it came to be packaged and at what cost.
- Well-rotted animal manure
- Bark
- Coffee grounds and tea leaves
- Conifer needles
- Garden compost
- Lucerne hay
- Mushroom compost
- Stones, pebbles and gravel
- Straw
- Sugarcane
- Weed mat
Garden secret Tip- How to Quick Mulch
If you don’t have a compost heap or you just want mulch quickly follow this idea. Fill a black polythene bag full of kitchen and garden waste. Let it sit in the sun for 6 weeks or so. After this time, it should have rotted down enough to put on the top of your garden soil. The worms will eventually pull it all down through the soil to finish the compost process. As always love what you grow, enjoy.
Category: garden beds
