Let's face it, we all are busy and although we like to garden, maintenance can be an issue. One thing that you can do to save time and effort throughout the summer is to mulch.

Mulching your garden, around trees, shrubs and flower beds can be a blessing. It keeps the weeds down and keeps moisture in the soil. If you use organic materials, it also improves your soil structure.

Here are some tips about mulching:

Don't mulch too deep or too near your trees.

Mulch can be made up of many things.

Free mulch is available locally.

Mulch in the garden keeps weeds down and benefits plants.

Protect your perennials while mulching.

Facts on nitrogen and mulch.

Weird things you can mulch with.

Mulch in the Garden

Mulching in your garden saves a lot of time. You can use any organic substance, such as straw, grass clippings, wood chips, wood shavings, spoiled hay, leaves, etc. You can also use newspapers, although some question the release of inks into your garden soils. Spread straw, hay, leaves, etc. about 2 to 3 inches deep around plants and between rows. Spread sawdust and wood chips no more than 2 inches deep.

You can use inorganic materials such as plastic or landscape fabrics, but these are expensive and do not add organic material back into your soils.

Weird mulches such as old wool or cotton carpeting or rugs (synthetic ones contain harmful chemicals), cut plant stems or weeds (as long as they have not gone to seed),  or old cotton and wool clothing are just some of the ways you can recycle items to use as mulch. To make such items more presentable in your garden, cover with a thin layer of more conventional mulch.

Cool-weather plants, such as lettuce, potatoes, spinach, can be mulched in early spring. Mulch heat-loving plants such as peppers, corn, tomatoes, after the soil has thoroughly warmed up in the early summer.  Not only will it conserve moisture, but help keep the soil cooler for those plants that like cool conditions, and keep the weeds down around all your garden plants.  

Mulching your strawberry patch each winter will help control weeds and also keep your strawberries cleaner when they ripen the following summer. 

Potatoes do very well under a thick layer of mulch. Not only does it keep the soil cooler and the weeds down it will be easier to dig them when the time comes.

Mulch in the Flower Beds

Mulching in your flower beds does the same. It keeps the weeds down and holds moisture. Another benefit is simple disease prevention as water droplets from sprinklers splash soil and can carry fungal disease. Mulch will keep this from happening. Mulches also keep the soil from expanding and contracting in the freezes and thaws of wintertime, preventing plant heaving.

When adding mulch to an existing perennial bed, put a bottomless bucket or box around the plants to protect them as you mulch around them.

If you have a new perennial garden, you can have a living mulch with annual flowers to keep the ground covered and prevent weeds from growing.

Ground covers are another way to cover your soil with a living mulch especially in those hard to maintain grass areas where its too shady, etc. Once established they will keep those places neat and tidy and well as pretty.

Mulching Around Trees/Shrubs - Don't harm your plants!

Here is one area where you need to be careful. Mulching up close to trees or shrubs  or putting on too much mulch is harmful to the tree. Mulch close to the tree can harbor insects so keep it about 4 inches away from the tree bark and plant stems.

Don't put mulch on too deep around your trees and shrubs. Air and water will find it difficult to get down to your tree or plant roots. Four inches is enough for weed control, but Ohio State University Extension recommends no more than 2 1/2 inches deep.

Mulch to the drip line of your trees and shrubs. The drip line is the extreme outer edges of the tree's leaves to the soil below. This will prevent mower damage.

Free Mulch Available

Our own Van Wert Solid Waste Management District has mulch available for a small loading fee. This mulch has been through a composting process that should kill any disease or insects. It is free to the public if they load it by hand themselves. If SWMD loads the mulch there is a fee of $5 per back hoe scoop. It would take about $10 to fill the back of a pickup.

That nitrogen problem

Although decomposition does require nitrogen if you have fertilized your plants and garden, or applied a nitrogen-rich compost, this is usually not a problem.

If you think your plants may be suffering from lack of nitrogen, add some bone meal, blood meal, fish meal or other nitrogen producing additive. In fertile soils, there may be enough nitrogen to adequately support both the nitrogen use by decomposition and the plant growth.

The bottom line is Mulch means less work for you!

Happy mulching!

The Clean & Green Committee