The Magic of Mulch
I have noticed only a few people at Plain Pond who regularly mulch their crops. This is a big contrast to my last allotment site, where we would be almost fighting over the privilege of mowing the grass in order to claim the clippings.
Mulch is any material you spread onto the soil or around your plants but don't dig in. It can be for protection or to add nutrients - or both. The aim is to improve the soil texture and the growth of your crops.
There are many types of mulch you can use. Organic materials such as compost, grass clippings, manure, straw, and leaf-mould are best. Cardboard can be useful to keep the soil cool around fruit bushes in summer. A deep covering of any of these, either on their own or combined, will help to retain soil moisture, reduce soil compaction and control the growth of weeds. A good mulch will also provide nutrients to the plants and reduce soil erosion from heavy rainfall. Adding at least two inches (50mm) of good-quality compost to your beds over the course of the year will provide plants with enough nutrients to thrive.
When is a good time to mulch? You can apply different mulches at various times throughout the year depending on what you want to achieve. Apply mulch regularly for the best results. The only time a mulch is best avoided is in spring before the soil has had chance to warm up. A layer of mulch on cold soil will delay your planting and attract slugs.
In late winter/early spring a mulch in the form of fertiliser, such as compost, is used to improve the soil two to three months before sowing crops. A further layer of compost or well-rotted manure in mid-summer will keep the nutrients topped up and help prevent weeds.
When adding mulch around immature plants it is advisable to keep a small area clear around the stems to avoid damage and allow water to penetrate to the roots. To stop the spread of the mulch you could circle the plants with coarse sand or pebbles.
From mid-summer onwards we want to conserve moisture in the soil and almost anything will be of benefit at this time - grass cuttings are quick, easy and free! The mulch should be put over damp soil to retain the moisture, so water well first if the ground is dry. Straw is traditionally used as a mulch around fruit bushes and strawberry plants and also helps to keep the fruit clean.
The use of sawdust, wood chip or shredded bark as mulch are not recommended for your growing beds. It takes several years for these to decompose in the soil so they will interfere with future seedbed preparation and can rob nitrogen from the soil as part of the decomposing process. Another point to be aware of if using these materials is that they can compact down and form a surface that water will not easily penetrate.
By late autumn we will want to cover the soil to protect it from the cold, wind and rain - all of which deplete it of nutrients. Cardboard or plastic sheeting can be used, but a good layer of rough compost or horse manure is even better. Sawdust or straw bedding when mixed with well or partially-rotted manure is fine to use as a winter mulch as it rots down well away from the surface of the soil.
Mulch is any material you spread onto the soil or around your plants but don't dig in. It can be for protection or to add nutrients - or both. The aim is to improve the soil texture and the growth of your crops.
There are many types of mulch you can use. Organic materials such as compost, grass clippings, manure, straw, and leaf-mould are best. Cardboard can be useful to keep the soil cool around fruit bushes in summer. A deep covering of any of these, either on their own or combined, will help to retain soil moisture, reduce soil compaction and control the growth of weeds. A good mulch will also provide nutrients to the plants and reduce soil erosion from heavy rainfall. Adding at least two inches (50mm) of good-quality compost to your beds over the course of the year will provide plants with enough nutrients to thrive.
When is a good time to mulch? You can apply different mulches at various times throughout the year depending on what you want to achieve. Apply mulch regularly for the best results. The only time a mulch is best avoided is in spring before the soil has had chance to warm up. A layer of mulch on cold soil will delay your planting and attract slugs.
In late winter/early spring a mulch in the form of fertiliser, such as compost, is used to improve the soil two to three months before sowing crops. A further layer of compost or well-rotted manure in mid-summer will keep the nutrients topped up and help prevent weeds.
When adding mulch around immature plants it is advisable to keep a small area clear around the stems to avoid damage and allow water to penetrate to the roots. To stop the spread of the mulch you could circle the plants with coarse sand or pebbles.
From mid-summer onwards we want to conserve moisture in the soil and almost anything will be of benefit at this time - grass cuttings are quick, easy and free! The mulch should be put over damp soil to retain the moisture, so water well first if the ground is dry. Straw is traditionally used as a mulch around fruit bushes and strawberry plants and also helps to keep the fruit clean.
The use of sawdust, wood chip or shredded bark as mulch are not recommended for your growing beds. It takes several years for these to decompose in the soil so they will interfere with future seedbed preparation and can rob nitrogen from the soil as part of the decomposing process. Another point to be aware of if using these materials is that they can compact down and form a surface that water will not easily penetrate.
By late autumn we will want to cover the soil to protect it from the cold, wind and rain - all of which deplete it of nutrients. Cardboard or plastic sheeting can be used, but a good layer of rough compost or horse manure is even better. Sawdust or straw bedding when mixed with well or partially-rotted manure is fine to use as a winter mulch as it rots down well away from the surface of the soil.
Submitted by Brian, plot 12B
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