Perhaps many of you have heard about such an agrochemical technique as mulching. It is widely used in various climatic zones, and various covering materials can be used. What is soil mulching is described in this article. You will also learn what types of mulch are used and what technologies are used during this process.
So what is soil mulching? This is the sheltering of the surface of a garden bed or flowerbed with organic or inorganic material, and only row spacing can be covered, or maybe the entire surface of the area allocated for the garden. Man "spied" the technology of mulching in nature. The soil under shrubs and trees is always covered with fallen leaves, needles and dry grass. This natural mulch protects it from drying out, and plants from pests and low temperatures. Rains can not erode the soil under the natural mulch, at the same time, a hard crust does not form on the surface, and moisture lasts longer in the ground.
With mulching in nature a little understood. And what is mulching the soil in the garden and what benefits can it bring? By closing the aisles or planting plants in the area protected by mulch, you can significantly reduce the amount of watering, since the moisture will remain much longer. In addition, you will almost completely get rid of the tedious loosening of the soil, because a hard crust on its surface will not form, and you will not spend so much time weeding, since the covering material will not allow weeds to develop.
What materials can be used for
mulching? There are two types of
mulch : organic and artificial. If we talk about inorganic materials, the most commonly used is mulching the soil with a black film, although only ruberoid or lutrasil can be used. The whole bed is covered with a film, then holes are cut into it in which the plants will be planted. Thanks to mulching, the soil temperature will increase by 1.5-2 ° , weeds will stop growing, moisture evaporation will decrease. Transparent film does not eliminate weeds, therefore it is not used.
Organic mulch, unlike artificial materials, also nourishes the soil, so before sheltering the beds with a film, the earth is often mulched with humus. Over time, it decomposes, forming a new fertile layer that nourishes the plants. In addition to humus, mulching the soil with sawdust, mowed grass (slightly dried out), compost (ideal), straw (especially under tomatoes), newsprint, bark, needles and fallen leaves can be used.
Sawdust and
wood chips rot for more than a year, so they are used in poorly cultivated places that do not dig, on garden paths, for example. You can also fill them with raspberries or add sawdust to the beds with garlic or tulips (for the winter). The only condition is that the sawdust must be well dried, not caked. Other materials can mulch the soil before planting or in winter.
Now you have learned what mulching the soil is and what it is used for. Each culture loves its own version of mulch, so it’s hard to say which one is better.