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The Hollyberry Lady · 11-05-2010, 09:37 AM

MULCHING...

Find cedar mulch in various forms, from shredded to chipped bark.

Attractive pine staw mulch works well in annual & pernnial flower beds.

Gravol and crushed-stone mulches prove useful and appealing in the landscape.

Proper Mulching...

Mulch in Spring, after perrenial plants have emerged and new plantings are complete. First, fertilize the garden, if needed. Water well or wait for a rain. Remove any weeds. Then spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch between plants, keeping the material several inches away from plant stems. Mulch again in late Fall (after the ground has frozen in cold climates or anytime in warm climates) to help insulate the plant root systems from extreme cold in Winter. Mulch potted plants too. Their root systems are exposed to extreme cold.

Use compost as free, super-soil-building mulch. Pile it up to 4 inches on the garden every few months. You also can acquire free or low-cost mulch from local sources, such as pine straw in the Southeast, wood chips in the Northeast, and hazelnut shells in the Northwest.

Mulch Myths...

Myth 1 ~ Remove mulch in the Spring to allow the soil to warm:

This is a misconception based on English practice. In cool, mild climates and areas far enough north that the Spring sun is at a low angle, removing the mulch may hasten warming...but in most of the US and Canada, soil temperatures rise rapidly in Spring, even under mulch.

Myth 2 ~ Don't mulch in Fall until the soil freezes:

No need to wait. Apply mulch anytime existing material is too thin to suppress weed germination. If you mulch heavily to protect crowns during Winter, do so after freezing temperatures have stopped growth.

Myth 3 ~ Oak leaf and pine leaf needles are so acidic they kill plants:

Stop worrying. Almost all organic mulches affect soil pH as they break down. Oak and pine foliage are two that produce a slightly acidic reaction. They are not useful where soil is already very acidic and you want to raise the pH, but in slightly acidic to very alkaline soils they are excellent mulches.

The notion that pine needles kill plants may be related to the barren earth often found under pines. This absence of vegetation usually has more to do with the lack of water and excess shade under a pine than the soil pH, which may be alkaline despite decades of needle fall. Oak leaves contain tanic acid, which is said to leach into standing water. Plant failure probably occurs because of poor drainage, rather than low pH.

Myth 4 ~ Mulch must be worked into the soil as it breaks down:

This is unecessary. Once mulch is decomposed enough that it is no longer recognizable, allow it to mix into the soil during weeding or other garden work, but don't make a special effort to incorporate it. Soil organisms, such as earthworms, will do that for you with far greater effect and less trauma to plant roots.

Myth 5 ~ If mulch is added every year, the soil level in a bed increases rapidly:

Two to three inches of mulch decompose to roughly 1/4" of compost, which degrades further into humus (described earlier) and water-soluble nutrients. Plants take up the nutrients to incorporate into their tissues. You remove some of the remains of last year's mulch every time you remove plant matter in weeding, dividing, or general cleaning up. New mulch usually adds only enough material to replace what's lost in this cycle.

Myth 6 ~ Mulch attract termites:

Not true. Mulch does not contribute to cool, moist, rich soil, which will sustain more life of all kinds than dry, worn-out soil. Such a variety and quantity of creatures is a sign of fertile soil and is usually self-regulating, in that predator organisms in the soil act to keep any pest populations in check. Wood chip mulches may provide food for termites...avoid direct contact with wooden foundations.

Myth 7 ~ Weed barrier cloth hidden under bark is an excellent mulch for perennials:

Plastic and woven weed barriers do not completely curb weeds. Weeds can grow in decaying mulch on top of the barriers. Barrier cloths do not allow clumps of perrenials to increase in size, cost more than mulch alone, and may reduce the oxygen in the soil. Plastic mulches stop air movement into the soil, and weed barrier cloth, while air-permeable, reduces the activity of worms tunneling between the soil's surface and subsoil, which directly decreases soil oxygen.

Next, I'll get into winter protection and a bit about protecting plants from wildlife...

: )

11-05-2010, 09:37 AM	#6 (permalink)
The Hollyberry Lady The Hollyberry Lady 's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 15,161 BananaBucks : 1,445,196 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 12,042 Times Was Thanked 11,326 Times in 5,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Facing Your Mistakes! MULCHING... Find cedar mulch in various forms, from shredded to chipped bark. Attractive pine staw mulch works well in annual & pernnial flower beds. Gravol and crushed-stone mulches prove useful and appealing in the landscape. *Proper Mulching...* Mulch in Spring, after perrenial plants have emerged and new plantings are complete. First, fertilize the garden, if needed. Water well or wait for a rain. Remove any weeds. Then spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch between plants, keeping the material several inches away from plant stems. Mulch again in late Fall (after the ground has frozen in cold climates or anytime in warm climates) to help insulate the plant root systems from extreme cold in Winter. Mulch potted plants too. Their root systems are exposed to extreme cold. Use compost as free, super-soil-building mulch. Pile it up to 4 inches on the garden every few months. You also can acquire free or low-cost mulch from local sources, such as pine straw in the Southeast, wood chips in the Northeast, and hazelnut shells in the Northwest. Mulch Myths... Myth 1 ~ Remove mulch in the Spring to allow the soil to warm: This is a misconception based on English practice. In cool, mild climates and areas far enough north that the Spring sun is at a low angle, removing the mulch may hasten warming...but in most of the US and Canada, soil temperatures rise rapidly in Spring, even under mulch. Myth 2 ~ Don't mulch in Fall until the soil freezes: No need to wait. Apply mulch anytime existing material is too thin to suppress weed germination. If you mulch heavily to protect crowns during Winter, do so after freezing temperatures have stopped growth. Myth 3 ~ Oak leaf and pine leaf needles are so acidic they kill plants: Stop worrying. Almost all organic mulches affect soil pH as they break down. Oak and pine foliage are two that produce a slightly acidic reaction. They are not useful where soil is already very acidic and you want to raise the pH, but in slightly acidic to very alkaline soils they are excellent mulches. The notion that pine needles kill plants may be related to the barren earth often found under pines. This absence of vegetation usually has more to do with the lack of water and excess shade under a pine than the soil pH, which may be alkaline despite decades of needle fall. Oak leaves contain tanic acid, which is said to leach into standing water. Plant failure probably occurs because of poor drainage, rather than low pH. Myth 4 ~ Mulch must be worked into the soil as it breaks down: This is unecessary. Once mulch is decomposed enough that it is no longer recognizable, allow it to mix into the soil during weeding or other garden work, but don't make a special effort to incorporate it. Soil organisms, such as earthworms, will do that for you with far greater effect and less trauma to plant roots. Myth 5 ~ If mulch is added every year, the soil level in a bed increases rapidly: Two to three inches of mulch decompose to roughly 1/4" of compost, which degrades further into humus (described earlier) and water-soluble nutrients. Plants take up the nutrients to incorporate into their tissues. You remove some of the remains of last year's mulch every time you remove plant matter in weeding, dividing, or general cleaning up. New mulch usually adds only enough material to replace what's lost in this cycle. Myth 6 ~ Mulch attract termites: Not true. Mulch does not contribute to cool, moist, rich soil, which will sustain more life of all kinds than dry, worn-out soil. Such a variety and quantity of creatures is a sign of fertile soil and is usually self-regulating, in that predator organisms in the soil act to keep any pest populations in check. Wood chip mulches may provide food for termites...avoid direct contact with wooden foundations. Myth 7 ~ Weed barrier cloth hidden under bark is an excellent mulch for perennials: Plastic and woven weed barriers do not completely curb weeds. Weeds can grow in decaying mulch on top of the barriers. Barrier cloths do not allow clumps of perrenials to increase in size, cost more than mulch alone, and may reduce the oxygen in the soil. Plastic mulches stop air movement into the soil, and weed barrier cloth, while air-permeable, reduces the activity of worms tunneling between the soil's surface and subsoil, which directly decreases soil oxygen. Next, I'll get into winter protection and a bit about protecting plants from wildlife... : )