The Benefits Of Mulching
Alan Moore
When you see a well tended garden, you feel refreshed and at
peace. The reason for this contented feeling is the green grass
and bright colored flowers. However to achieve that green garden
look, some work is required. One of the best ways to help your
garden to look healthy and green is giving it a good mulching
compound.
Mulches are a layer of protective material that is placed
around your plants and shrubs. They can be organic mulches or
inorganic mulches. As the gardener you must choose which type
of mulching will suit your garden.
Organic mulches are very similar in effect to pine needles and
leaves that fall to the ground in forests. As organic mulches
are of plant matter, they decompose over a period of time. This
decomposed mulch helps to keep the soil moist and the plant
roots cool, while keeping nutrients locked in.
There are different types of organic mulching that you can use.
Bark, Wood Chips, Sawdust, Straw, Pine Straw, Shredded Leaves
and Newspaper are some of the material that is used for
mulching. As each of these mulches has different
characteristics you should take care where you will lay them in
the garden.
Bark, Wood Chips, Sawdust, Straw and Shredded Leaves can cause
problems in the garden. These organic mulches can be washed
away in the rain, rob the soil of nitrogen and let weeds grow
in between their organic matter. However Bark and Wood Chips
can give an attractive look to the garden.
Pine Straw and Newspaper mulching are best organic types to put
in the garden. Newspaper mulching works best for your vegetable
garden as they tend to suppress weeds. Pine Straw mulching
works like the natural fallen pine needles. They decompose
slowly, resist being washed away, and keep the nutrients in the
soil.
Inorganic mulches like crushed stone, gravel and volcanic rock
have a tendency to work their way into the soil. When this
happens, you will have a bit of trouble getting them out when
you need to do some digging. This type of mulching is somewhat
permanent.
Plastic mulches should mainly be used for vegetable plots.
Irrigation paths can be laid out on the ground beneath the
plastic mulching. This will keep the soil moist and the plants
well watered. You can also cut holes in the plastic mulching
where you want water to go into your vegetable plot.
The other type of inorganic mulch is that of geotextiles. This
is fabric mulch made out of polypropylene or polyester. While a
closely woven geotextile mulching allows water and fertilizer to
enter the soil, it inhibits the growth of weeds. This is
probably the best type of inorganic mulching that you can put
in your garden.
For a healthy garden then, you should place some mulching
compound amongst your plants. You will still need to keep an
eye on those pesky weeds though and pull them out, but in the
long run, this too should be easier for you.
About The Author: Alan Moore is a publisher of high quality
audio and e-books covering a variety of subjects and
specialized niches. For more gardening tips and advice, visit
http://www.nichepublishers.com/The_Gardeners_Handbook.htm
See Also:
All About Organic Gardening
Index of Gardens & Gardening
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