!44: Some of the Most Popular and Effective Mulches

!±8± Some of the Most Popular and Effective Mulches

Grass clippings:

Ideal for vegetable, annual, and herb gardens, because you can get them by the bagful (though never use grass that you suspect has been treated with herbicide). Grass clippings decompose quickly, especially in hot weather. However, be aware that if applied too thick, they tend to mat down and become extremely difficult to facilitate watering. Try not to exceed a 2-inch layer, and then reapply as often as necessary. In addition, allow grass clippings to dry before spreading them.

Leaves:

Leaves are great for weed control, especially leaves that fall from any deciduous tree. While many people believe that some leaves, especially those of the mighty oak, will acidify soil, that is not true when used as mulch and are not fresh. Oak leaves are acidic when they are fresh, but they lose this acidity as they decompose.

To keep the whole leaves from blowing away or forming a thick, water-resistant mat, coarsely shred or chop them (running them over with a lawn mower, or if you have small children, let them play in the pile of leaves for a while - they will have fun and you will get your course leaf mulch). Like grass, leaves should be spread 2 inches deep and replenished as needed. When you dig into soil that has been mulched with leaves, you will find lots of plump earthworms, who will help ensure the best fertilizer for your garden.

Be aware however, that wet leaves can easily freeze into a block of ice, damaging plants instead of insulating them.

Pine needles:

The wonderful scent of pine needles will add hours of enjoyment for anyone working in your garden. However, in addition to their aromatic benefits, pine needles decompose slowly, and allow water to easily seep through. Though pine needles from plants prefer acidic soil, a 2- to 3-inch layer of pine-needle mulch will not substantially change the pH of your soil.

Straw:

If you purchase straw to use as mulch, make sure you buy straw and not hay. Straw has just the stems of plants, while hay retains seed heads, which will sprout into weeds in your garden. Straw breaks down quickly, adding nutrients to the soil, and because straw does not mat like grass or leaves, you can pile it 6 to 8 inches deep in your vegetable beds and strawberry patch.

However, if you live in a rainy climate, don't use straw mulch, because wet, partially rotting straw is especially attractive to slugs.

Plastic:

Most organic gardeners prefer to use mulch that will serve to enhance soil conditions. However, some people prefer to use plastic sheeting as mulch, especially if you intend to grow warm-soil loving plants and vegetables. Be aware that you will need to heat up the soil for growing melons and other warm-weather crops in cooler climates.

As a method of weed control, plastic can be very useful and works quite well. Clear plastic warms the soil best but allows weed growth, while black plastic inhibits weed-seed germination as it warms the soil slightly. In addition, new types of plastic are available, such as infrared transmitting (IRT) plastics, but these can be more expensive.

Grass clippings are ideal for vegetable, annual, and herb gardens. deciduous tree leaves are great for weed control tree. Pine needles decompose slowly, and allow water to easily seep through. Straw breaks down quickly, adding nutrients to the soil, However, some people prefer to use plastic sheeting as mulch, especially if you intend to grow warm-soil loving plants and vegetables.