How to treat mulch at the end of the season and which mulch to choose?
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THE RIGHT MULCH AND WHERE TO GET IT?
To mulch the beds or not is still a debatable issue. However, most summer residents who were not too lazy and tried this agricultural technique no longer refuse it. Especially if they correctly determined which material is best suited for their site.
ORGANIC MULCH:
- sawdust
- peat
- hay
- straw
- weeds without roots and seeds
- needles
- leaf litter
- kora
NON-ORGANIC MULCH:
- film
- spunbond
- ruberoid
- linoleum
- colored gravel
- stone chips
- expanded clay
WHY YOU NEED MULCH
Mulch is a layer of any organic or inorganic material that covers the surface of the soil in a garden. This allows:
- suppress the growth of weeds;
- protect the soil from compaction and erosion by rain;
- reduce water loss and retain moisture;
- protect plant roots from overheating;
- prevent fruits from contacting the ground, thereby protecting them from rot;
- reduce harm from snails and slugs;
- when using organic mulch - fertilize the soil and improve its composition, attract earthworms to the beds;
- give an attractive appearance to the site.
Reference by topic: Which mulch is suitable for which plants?
CORRECTLY USE ORGANICS
Despite the obvious advantages, organic mulch also has disadvantages, although it would be more correct to say - features. Almost all organic matter, with the exception of tree bark, is not able to significantly dampen the growth of weeds, at most, slow down their growth a little. In addition, the layer of organic mulch should be at least 5 cm. When using hay, peat, sawdust and other materials that are easily blown by the wind and washed away by water, the layer thickness will have to be increased to 7 cm.
To dispose of the mulch after harvesting, it is advisable to evenly scatter ammonium nitrate over it (1 tbsp per 1 sq.m) or spray everything with any stubble destructor (Eco-stern, Ecogum BIO), then dig it up. H
It is better not to leave mulch on the surface of the earth for the winter, otherwise in the spring it will not allow the soil to warm up quickly (read more about the processing of mulch at the end of the season in the table).
FILM AND SPANBOND AS MULCH
If for some reason you cannot apply organic mulch, you can use more durable inorganic materials. The best option is black spunbond with a density of at least 60 g / sq.m. It does not let in the light needed for the development of weeds, but it lets in the water needed by the roots. It should be spread before sowing seeds and planting seedlings.
At the end, the material can be wound up and hung under the roof in the barn. With careful use, black spunbond can last up to 5 years.
HOW TO MULCH HIKING
Aisles can be closed with a film, roofing material. And if the location of the ridges is fixed (for example, you have box-beds), bark or gravel can be poured over the film, thereby decorating the site and solving the problem of weeds.
FACT: YOU SHOULD RENEW ORGANIC MULCH IN THE BED 2-3 TIMES PER SEASON AS THE MULC LAYER THINKS.
Reference by topic: The main thing about mulching - why, how, with what?
Plantain Mulch
In the countryside, plantain grows in large numbers. Can it be mowed and used as mulch for garden plants?
Anna Larionova, Glubokoe
- I do not advise using plantain in its pure form. The fact is that a mulch of grass of one type gives the earth less nutrients than a mixture of grasses. In addition, it is better to mix fresh cut grass in half with chopped hay and straw, especially in hot weather. Mulch from freshly cut grass starts to "burn" and can damage the roots of vegetables. And in a loose mixture with dry organic matter, raw grass dries out faster, and then begins to decompose sooner.
Alexander ABUSHKEVICH, agronomist, Gorki
PANACEA FOR DROUGH
Recently, the summer weather in our area has become more and more changeable. Either a drought of 5-6 weeks, or a month of heavy rains. It is necessary to save the garden with cunning and ingenuity.
In a drought, I mulch all the plants on the site with algae from the nearest pond or moss previously soaked in boiling water. Soaking in boiling water not only kills all pathogenic microorganisms, but also prevents the possibility of moss growth in the area.
Mulching allows me to reduce the amount of watering to once a week. In addition, moss protects the roots of plants from overheating. However, if the drought gives way to rains, the mulch has to be removed. Otherwise, vegetable plants may begin to rot from excess moisture.
Polina KAPUSTINA, Smolensk
HOW TO PROCESS MULCH AT THE END OF THE SEASON
DRUG NAME | PURPOSE: | METHOD OF APPLICATION: |
Ecostern | It is intended for introduction into the soil after harvesting, processing mulch and plant residues. It suppresses phytopathogens, neutralizes phytotoxins and improves the biological activity, as well as the physical and agrochemical parameters of the soil. | Dilute 250 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. Spray the soil at the rate of 0,5-3 liters per hundred square meters of land. |
kind host | It destroys pathogenic fungi, purifies the soil, increases its fertility, enriches the soil with useful microflora, macro- and microelements, accelerates the decomposition of plant residues, the formation of humus, the mineralization of NPK and other plant nutrients. | To prepare a solution in 10 liters of non-chlorinated or settled water, dissolve 150 ml of the drug. Stir. Spray the soil 2 times in the evening with an interval of 5-7 days. |
Biocomplex-
BTU |
A complex microbiological preparation for accelerating the process of decomposition of plant residues and stubble. Prevents the formation of toxins from rotting residues, inhibits the development of pathogens, increases soil fertility. | Dilute 15-30 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. Spray the soil at the rate of a bucket of composition per 10 sq.m. Repeat treatment after 10 days. |
Reference by topic: Mulch for a flower garden - which is better?
TYPES OF MULCH ON VIDEO
© Author: Alexander ABUSHKEVICH, agronomist, Gorki
Below other entries on the topic "Dacha and garden - with their own hands"
- Cabbage and oats: joint planting
- Chalky soil on the site - how to improve it and grow a garden
- Folk remedies recipes
- What elements are missing in garden flowers: a memo table
- Do-it-yourself boric dressing for tomatoes - remember the recipe!
- Mineral or organic fertilizers - what to choose?
- How does soil acidity affect crops?
- How to use mulch?
- We buy soil for seedlings - which is better
- Siderats to be sown in early spring - how much, when and where?
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All the time, stones found in the soil were thrown out of the garden and vegetable garden. And recently we heard that we are doing this in vain: supposedly they can be used for mulching garden plantings. Is it true?
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— Tree trunk strips or circles under trees can be mulched with different materials. In gardening, small stones are also used for this. This will not harm the tree.
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Now the grass and weeds are growing very fast. And we are not very sad about this: the more we mow and pull, the easier it is to take care of the garden. We lay out all this green wealth on the beds in a thick layer, literally hunt for grass: we mow both in front of the house and an abandoned plot. And so several times a season.
To some, the appearance of our beds will not seem very beautiful - dry grass is laid out everywhere. But in nature, bare land is a sign of trouble. Even the places of fires begin to overgrow immediately. In a pine forest you walk on a soft pillow of fallen needles, even a small birch curtain is covered with fallen leaves all year round. And we all scrape to the last leaf. We are afraid of infection, but it is as it was, and is. And we forget that only strong plants can resist diseases.
So help them. Under a layer of mulch, the soil is always soft, breathes "full breasts". Chop the nettle a little and spread it under the tomatoes. If there is no time, arrange nettle pillows directly from the stems. It will still help. Slugs will not come here, scoops will also be prickly, and fungal infections, including late blight, will disappear unnoticed. Plus, you get valuable fertilizer. If the herbal pillow has become runny, add more. By the way, we also mulch the paths between the beds. Clean and functional!