Mulch And Compost: Necessary Ingredients For An Organic Garden
Where would an organically inclined gardener be without compost and mulch? What better way to build up the soil and smother the weeds? Adding mulch of any kind to your garden or landscape helps keep moisture content in the soil, dresses up the landscape and helps control weeds.
By definition, mulch can consist of anything that is placed on the ground to prevent evaporation of moisture, the freezing of roots, and the growth of weeds. Common materials used for mulch include rock, wood chips, plastic, pine needles, and shredded leaves. However, there are many materials that work well including recycled rubber, sawdust, and oyster shells.
When an organic landscaper is considering what materials to use for mulching landscape and gardens, it is helpful to consider the purpose of the mulch and what the area will be used for long term. Landscape rock is attractive and doesn’t break down like organic mulch, but it is more difficult to work with because of the volume and weight. It also needs to be cleaned periodically to keep seedlings from overtaking the area.
Organic materials such as bark chips, shredded leaves, and pine needles are an excellent choice for mulching gardens and around walkways. The material breaks down over a period of time and creates a rich, organic addition to the garden. Turning the mulch periodically helps it break down and reduces the growth of molds and fungus, which can be an issue in areas that are very moist. The decomposed bottom layer of mulch can be removed and added to gardens for an organic boost, and a top layer of fresh mulch can be added each season to freshen up the look.
Leaves can be shredded and turned into mulch using a leaf shredder. They can also be turned into existing compost piles where they will break down and become an excellent organic mulch that be used next year.
Many communities offer residents access to organic mulch that can be picked up from a designated site, usually for little or no cost. Lawn and garden centers offer packaged bags of mulch which is an affordable way to obtain it. Bagged mulch is often easier to handle since the bags can be transported in the trunk of a vehicle and moved to the location to be covered one or two bags at a time.
If you have a large area to cover and don’t have a truck or trailer to haul mulch, you’ll probably want to check with a local landscape supply center and have it delivered by the truck. Mulch in bulk is sold by the “yard.” To determine how much mulch you will need to cover an area, refer to this helpful chart.
By using mulch to maintain moisture and reduce weed growth, a gardener can spend more time tending gardens and less time fighting the growth of unwanted vegetation.
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