Mulch ?.

Hi
Keep seeing use mulch ?. But no idea what mulch is ?. Can someone give me a clue please .
Ta
micky

 

Hi Mike, mulch is a layer of compost, manure, bark chips or even weed control fabric or plastic sheets. It has several purposes from reducing weed growth, keeping moisture in the soil to just making an area look more attractive.
When mulching with compost or manure you will also be improving the quality of your soil.
Hope this helps, I am sure that someone will come along with a more technical explanation.

 

Mulch is something that is put on borders and around plants for 2 reasons:

1) To feed plants and improve soil as when the mulch is applied the worms and other things in the soil, either come up for the goodness in the mulch aerating soil and pulling down the goodness into the soil, or go down into the soil aerating and taking goodness into it.

2) To suppress weed growth.

Usuall things for mulch are compost or manure. Some people use wood chip pings as a mulch but this is more for weed suppressing. This is my take on mulch.

Rusty

 

I use the lawn grass clippings but NOT with weedkiller or moss control used prior, works great under shrubs etc but not my annuals .

 

Hi lykewakewalker
Thanks for the help . Sure my cats will like the garden spread with manure .
Cheers
micky

 

I also found the description for mulch confusing . As above it is an organic layer to improve the soil . Also the layer of wood chip , peebles or slate around a container plant is called a mulch where it suppresses weeds and retains moisture , but its main reason is to look nice . Another word would be better.

 

Thanks Spruce
I'm trying not to use weedkillers and chemicals so thanks and can get plenty of grass clippings off my neighbours .
Thanks
micky

 

Thanks HarryS
Can be confusing .
Cheers
micky

 

Cheers rustyroots
Will have to get some and give it a go .
micky

 

Stone mulch keeps the soil underneath cool, but plastic mulch keeps it warm, different plants like different soil temps. Mulches also keep strawberries (and French beans) clean from mud/splashes.

This year I'm growing tomatoes, runner beans, French beans, sunflowers, cucumbers, courgettes, squashes, sweetcorn, garlic, leeks and lettuces through Mypex mulch sheets and will also be trying a few other things.

 

Make sure they are not using selective weedkiller on their lawns. Typical lawn weed killers (like Verdone) contain a chemical which persists in the clippings, EVEN after they have been composted, that can still kill your plants :(

 

Good post.

Anything that provides a protective top layer could be described as a mulch.

Nobody has mentioned cardboard as a mulch - this can be a good, quick means of stopping or slowing weed growth and can be topped up with more cardboard when it starts to biodegrade.

The allotment favourite, old carpet, works incredibly well as a weed suppressant. Best find a carpet made of natural materials and in manageable chunks can be moved around the garden wherever the need is at the time.

Gardening books go on about the benefits of mulching but nothing too terrible happens if you don't do it, in most cases!