vegetable
patch management
mulch
advantages and disadvantages
of mulch
Mulching is the placing of organic matter such
as straw on top of your garden soil. Every gardener should mulch both
their vegetable patch and their garden on a regular basis as it is great
for almost all plants. However mulching your garden can cause some problems. Below is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using mulch.
advantages of mulching
A. Reduces water use by up to 75% as it protects the soil from evaporation.
B. Provides valuable nutrients as the mulch breaks down.
C. Encourages worms, which aerate the soil and provide fertiliser in the form of worm castings.
C. Helps build the soil into a soft friable mixture, which encourages good plant growth and makes it easier to weed.
D. Reduces the amount of weeds.
B. Provides valuable nutrients as the mulch breaks down.
C. Encourages worms, which aerate the soil and provide fertiliser in the form of worm castings.
C. Helps build the soil into a soft friable mixture, which encourages good plant growth and makes it easier to weed.
D. Reduces the amount of weeds.
disadvantages of
mulching
But, contrary to popular opinion, continually
mulching your garden beds can cause problems for some types of crops,
especially in cooler climate and higher rainfall areas. Knowing it's shortfalls can help you maximize the benefits
that mulching gives to your garden. The main problems with mulching are
:-A. Mulch retards the heating of the soil by the sun, which can inhibit
the germination of seeds and the growth of seedlings in early Spring.
B. Offers great cover for small slugs, which can be devastating on crops such as peas and carrots.
C. Can be unsuitable for crops that need fine sandy soil to flourish (such as carrots) or are subject to collar rot in moist conditions (such as garlic). It doesn't mean you can't grow them in a mulched vegetable garden but you do have to be more careful.
B. Offers great cover for small slugs, which can be devastating on crops such as peas and carrots.
C. Can be unsuitable for crops that need fine sandy soil to flourish (such as carrots) or are subject to collar rot in moist conditions (such as garlic). It doesn't mean you can't grow them in a mulched vegetable garden but you do have to be more careful.