Mulching with birch leaves. Autumn soil mulching. Preparation of EM mulch. How to properly mulch trees and bushes

The use of organic mulch suppresses the growth of weeds, retains moisture in the soil, protects the soil from hypothermia in winter and overheating in summer, promotes better development of plants, in a word - mulching greatly facilitates the maintenance of the garden and vegetable garden in proper condition. As the mulch decomposes, the soil receives nutrients needed by both the soil itself and the plants growing on it. To get the maximum positive effect from using mulch, you need to know what should be used as mulch, when and how to mulch your plantings.
Mown grass. If the grass has been treated with herbicides or weeds have inseminated, it should not be used as mulch. Freshly cut grass is rich in nitrogen and other substances necessary for plant growth.
Grass mulch helps add organic matter to sandy soil. In temperate and cold climates, grass mulch is applied to heat-loving crops (peppers, tomatoes, eggplants) only after the soil has warmed up, then grass cutting, like no other mulch of organic origin, has a beneficial effect on the quantity and quality of the crop.
Compost. Compost perfectly structures the soil and provides plants with the substances necessary for their growth. Living microbes destroy pathogenic soil microbes, so mulching with compost prevents the development of plant diseases. Two to three centimeters on the soil surface protects plants more reliably from disease than any proprietary chemical fungicide.
Tomatoes and roses are most susceptible to disease, so they should be mulched with compost.
Compost suppresses weeds as well as leaf mulch and straw, but weeds that grow through compost reach gigantic sizes. Compost is completely safe and ideal for controlling weeds of any vegetable crop.
To suppress weed growth with compost, add a layer of grass clippings on top or place newsprint under the compost to block light from reaching the weed seeds.
If there is a lot of compost, then it must be used everywhere!
Newsprint. Mulch made from black and white and color newspapers is completely safe because it does not contain chemicals that pose a threat to the garden. Newspaper mulch is very effective for weed control - in an area covered with a 15-centimeter layer of shredded newsprint mulch, only eight weeds will grow per square meter. The same layer of newsprint suppresses weed growth two years in a row.
Although some of the nitrogen in mulched soil is used to dissolve the cellulose contained in the newsprint, there is no evidence of nitrogen deficiency for plants. The tomato yield from a plot mulched with newspaper cuttings in a layer of 15-20 cm exceeds the yield from a plot mulched with straw in a layer of 10-15 cm.
Raspberry bushes treated with shredded newsprint bear fruit better than bushes from an area covered with black film. Newspaper mulch is good for seedlings immediately after they are planted in the ground and for new shoots. To prevent newspaper scraps from being blown away by the wind, cover them with leaves, grass clippings, straw or compost with a 2-3 cm layer.
Kraft paper. Dense brown wrapping, from which the bags are made, is a more effective means of controlling weeds than newspaper mulch. Not a single weed will grow through one sheet of cardboard or one or two sheets of kraft paper, because the soil will be reliably protected from light. A few days before planting the seedlings in the ground, cover the soil with kraft paper lightly sprinkled with used cooking oil, and the soil underneath will warm up by three degrees, while the soil under the black film will warm up by less than two degrees.
Bark. Bark mulch is the most durable of all types of organic mulch; only 30% of bark mulch rots in two years. pine bark. Bark mulch is very attractive in appearance, so it is used in flower beds, garden beds, and garden beds to give them a unique look. color range. Bark mulch does not retain water well compared to other types of mulch because bark contains a lot of waxes and suberin. Bark mulch protects the soil well from overheating - the temperature of the soil under a layer of pine bark at the very peak of the summer heat is much lower than under any other mulch of organic origin. Bark mulch cannot be used to mulch tomatoes - the bark of softwood trees (in particular spruce) releases toxic volatile substances that can harm tomato bushes.
Wood chips. To mulch beds of perennial flowers, you can successfully use wood chips, which are slightly inferior in durability to bark mulch. Chip mulch suppresses weeds well, protects the soil from overheating and retains water. The chips are quite durable. Not required less than a year so that it rots completely. Woodchip mulch is ideal for paths and is great for all areas where the soil is rarely tilled and there is little digging. You cannot sprinkle the soil around the plants with wood chips, which have a sour, vinegary smell: if the plants are mulched with such wood chips, they can die within two hours.
The sour, vinegary smell is due to acetic acid and other substances that are released when wood chips rot without oxygen.
To be able to use “sour” wood chips, they are scattered in a thin layer and dried well for at least two to three days: as soon as the dried wood chips stop smelling, they are used as mulch.
Needles coniferous plants. Using conifer needles to mulch plantings even in a layer of 7.5 cm does not lead to a change in soil acidity. Raspberries are very responsive to mulching with “litter” from a coniferous forest - its yield increases by 2 times. branches coniferous trees pansies take cover when the soil freezes and the plants stop growing and blooming; When the air temperature rises above freezing in the spring, remove the branches and the pansies will soon bloom again.
Straw. By regulating the level of moisture in the soil, straw mulch prevents the development of petal rot of tomatoes and protects them from anthracnose, leaf spot and early rot, because it acts as a barrier between the fruit and pathogens in the soil. Mulching potatoes with a layer of straw 8-10 cm thick allows you to get rid of Colorado potato beetle- straw helps to reduce soil temperature and makes it difficult for adults to move. Potatoes are mulched with straw when leaves appear on the tops. The potato yield in areas mulched with straw is 40% higher.
Basil leaves mulched with straw taste better than plants mulched with other materials. Blackberry bushes mulched with straw increase the yield fourfold. Straw allows you to preserve carrots, potatoes and parsnips left in the ground for the winter - it prevents the soil from freezing and prevents soil compaction, which makes harvesting easier. Winter garlic bulbs thrive under a layer of straw mulch - they are mulched in the fall, when the bulbs have taken root, and the straw is left until harvest. The number of weeds in an area mulched with straw is reduced by 30%.
Leaf litter. The easiest way to mulch plantings in the fall is to use leaf litter from wild trees and shrubs. With the collected leaves you can immediately mulch the beds with plantings of perennial plants and bulbous flowers; this should be done after the ground freezes. Leaf mulch prevents plant germination during thaws - if there is no such protection, then during thaws perennials and the bulbous ones can begin to grow and die when subsequent frosts occur. Leaf opal is good for mulching winter garlic. Autumn mulching of shrubs and trees reduces the risk of frost damage to the root system. In spring, leaf mulch prevents the germination of weeds, retains moisture in the soil, and serves as a source of nutrition. When a leaf rots, the temperature under the mulch layer is 2-3 degrees higher than the soil temperature, which has a beneficial effect on plant growth. After two years, the leaf completely rots, so mulching should be repeated periodically. It is best to apply the leaves in crushed and slightly rotted form - such mulch attracts earthworms. Before planting any plants in the soil in the spring, you should add foliage that has rotted over the winter. In spring the leaf is used for mulching cabbage crops- cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower. The cover of leaves added in the spring cools the soil and reduces the yield of warm-season crops, so mulch tomatoes and peppers only after the soil has warmed up. The sheet for spring mulching is prepared in the fall; They collect the leaf in the forest and near the site, put it in barrels or a shallow but wide hole, the bottom of which is lined with plastic film. Sheet for mulching strawberries and vegetable crops pour infusion of manure with the addition of 100-150 g of urea onto a barrel, which is covered with film; urea kills fungal diseases, and the leaf is saturated with nutrients found in the manure. For shrubs and fruit trees instead of manure, you can use feces, which are disinfected during the winter; The thickness of the mulch layer for these crops should be 10-12 cm. To prevent the mulch from being blown away by the wind, it is sprinkled with sand. Leaf mulch has disadvantages: slugs love to hide in it; as the leaves decompose, they form a lot of free acids that acidify the soil; To neutralize these acids, it is necessary to add lime or ash in an amount of 2-3% of the weight of the mulch.
Mulch made from leaves, grass, compost, pine needles, and straw protects the soil from overheating. It is used in the spring after the emergence of legumes and green shoots.
Mulch for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants is applied when the soil warms up to + 18 °C.
Pine needle mulch increases yield
eggplants by 20%.
It is recommended to apply wood chips and bark onto bare soil,
before the weeds sprout - it is better to prevent the weeds from sprouting than to prevent their growth.
It is recommended to sprinkle flower beds with wood chips and bark.
perennial plants, as well as paths.
Conifer needles and compost are laid in a layer of 35 cm.
Newspapers and kraft paper are placed in two layers or in crushed form in a layer of 15 cm.
N. Shelestov

Mulching the soil was invented by nature itself. A person only spied how a fertile layer is formed under fallen leaves, moisture is retained, and plants survive even the most severe cold without problems. Today there are many mulching technologies, using a variety of different materials. But the principle remains original, natural - covering the soil with the outside protective layer which gives the desired effect. To carry out this procedure correctly, you need to learn everything about mulching the soil.

The benefits of this procedure for cultivated plants are undeniable.

So why do you need mulching? To free up time for the gardener to do other work or rest, without damaging the plants, and even with benefit for them.

Materials

All mulching materials, of which there are more than two dozen today, are divided into two large categories: organic and inorganic origin.

The discussion about which type of materials is better is ongoing both among specialists and amateur gardeners. The choice of category depends on the goals that mulching is supposed to achieve and on the place where the material will be used on a particular crop.

When mulching with any materials, you must comply important rule– it is carried out only after the soil has warmed up well. If you lay mulch on unheated soil, the effect will be the opposite of what was expected - the plants will develop poorly and their growth will slow down.

Organic materials

This group includes the following:

All organic materials differ from inorganic materials in that they can rot in the soil and turn into nutritional elements, which nourish plants, form a humus layer and increase soil fertility.

Organic mulch is considered by many to be the healthiest and the only one suitable for use. But there is one nuance - when some of its varieties rot, nitrogen is drawn out of the ground. It is needed to activate the rotting process of sawdust, bark and shavings. Of course, the plants then experience a lack of nitrogen.

Organic mulch has its drawbacks (as does inorganic mulch). For example, if it takes nitrogen from plants, you have to pre-dild the soil under a layer of mulch with an infusion of manure, droppings or urea to replenish it.

Wood mulch (sawdust)

Sawdust can cake over time and cause damping off of plants.

There are restrictions on the use of bark, wood chips and foliage of non-fruit trees. For example, it is better not to use birch and oak trees at all, or to use them only for conifers. High content tannins in them can damage garden and garden plants, slowing down their development.

For decorative conifers, birch and oak mulch can be used. They like it when the soil is acidified, and they are not afraid of tannic components, since the growth of conifers is already slow.

But let's get back to beneficial properties organic mulch. Large sawdust and wood chips repel slugs. They are not comfortable crawling on them, and if you mulch the beds with these materials, the slugs will leave your garden, despite the presence of tasty plants.

Herbal mulch

Slugs also do not like straw. If you put a layer of fine straw (hay) about 12 cm, after shrinking it will give an ideal covering, about seven centimeters high, that can completely and environmentally protect your plants from all misfortunes.

Plant waste - weeds, grass removed from the lawn, green manure residues are very suitable for mulching not only between rows, but also tree trunk circles fruit trees. It is not recommended to lay this type of covering on garden beds. The mulch should decompose over time, but grass clippings and weeds will quickly dry out in the sun and will not have time to decompose. If you wish, you can cover the soil with herbal vegetable mulch in the fall, before the rainy season. Then by spring you will have a good fertile layer.

Pine and spruce needles – best material for covering flower beds. It looks very decorative and promotes healthy flower growth.

Humus and compost

This species rightfully takes first place in the ranking of organic mulching materials.

Rotten manure has the only drawback, or rather, a feature of use that must be taken into account. He has dark color, so it attracts heat. If the site is located in a sunny place, and the plants planted on it are not particularly heat-loving, it is better to choose light-colored mulch.

Moss and turf

They are used mainly for the garden, arranging turf in the tree trunks of fruit trees and shrubs. You can cover the ground with ready-made moss taken from the forest, or with pieces of turf, or by planting any ground cover. This mulch will grow into the soil and be durable. In addition to preserving moisture and insulation for the winter, it will protect the garden from erosion and increase the amount of soil in the soil. nutrients.

Leaf mulch

Fallen leaves must be treated with caution. It has already been mentioned above that the foliage of oak and birch will not bring great benefit gardening and flower plants. In addition, foliage can become a carrier of fungal diseases, which are transmitted through the soil to cultivated plants, or, caught by the wind, spread fungal spores throughout the area.

Foliage in pure form If there is a suspicion of fungal diseases, it is better not to use it for mulching. But it can be processed by special means, put in compost. And when it turns into a nutritious fertilizer, mulch the garden with compost.

Inorganic mulch

film;
nonwoven materials;
pebbles, crushed stone and gravel;
coarse sand;
paper and cardboard waste;
expanded clay

These materials have no nutrients and do not decompose to form humus. Therefore, their properties are limited to protective and decorative. But since they do not rot, they are durable and do not lose their properties and appearance for a long time.

Inorganic mulch is mainly used in floriculture and horticulture. Garden beds that require constant cultivation are not covered with crushed stone or gravel, as they interfere with soil cultivation.

Gravel and crushed stone

Bulk inorganic materials usually used as decorative mulch in flower beds, rose gardens, alpine roller coaster. They can also be used to fill paths and trunk circles of shrubs and trees. But keep in mind that between the pebbles, no matter how tightly you lay them, weeds will still grow. You need to think in advance about how to remove them in the future.

Film and non-woven cover

The black film perfectly retains moisture and also protects cultivated plants from weeds, as it inhibits their growth.

But watering is difficult. It has to be done manually, falling exactly into the film holes left for plant growth. It is possible to carry out automatic drip irrigation under the film, but it is not easy to control the level of soil moisture.

Under film or non-woven material If the humidity is high, slugs may accumulate and damage young shoots.

Black film has another one significant drawback– it increases the heating of the soil. In extreme heat, tree roots in the ground can “burn” or dry out if overheating is combined with high humidity.

The film is used for mulching potato, tomato, garden strawberries. It is advisable to use it in combination with straw, with which the film is covered on top.

Paper waste

They can only be used as auxiliary material, mixed with other types of mulch. One, it draws moisture from the soil, dehydrating and drying it. Paper or cardboard works well under organic mulch. This way you can almost completely prevent the germination of weeds (

One of the main techniques that any farmer must master is soil mulching. In the garden, mulch serves many functions to help preserve soil. But any agricultural technique becomes useful only with a competent approach. In this article we will talk about mulching trees and bushes in the garden, and consider the main methods.

The biological meaning of soil mulching

Mulching is covering the surface of the treated soil with a layer of organic or inorganic material. In nature, there is no bare ground under trees. It is always covered with fallen leaves or covered with growing grass. This natural mechanism performs the following functions:

protects the soil from erosion;
prevents the evaporation of moisture from the upper layers;
improves air exchange, preventing the appearance of soil crust;
protects plant roots from overheating in hot weather and from freezing in winter;
becomes a barrier to the penetration of insect pests and pathogenic microorganisms;
becomes a source carbon dioxide and plant nutrients;
increases the activity of beneficial soil flora and fauna.

Observing nature, people began to intuitively use this soil protection mechanism, using different means. Depending on the materials used, mulching is divided into two types - organic and inorganic.

Mulching as an agricultural technique arose thanks to observations of nature.

3 mistakes when using mulch in the garden

Wanting to benefit their trees, gardeners sometimes make a number of mistakes:

Leaves fallen from fruit trees are used as mulch. Leaf litter can be infected with spores of pathogenic fungi. Instead of being useful, such mulch harms the garden, becoming a source of infection.
Place mulch on unheated soil. Mulching materials absorb the sun's rays and prevent the soil from warming up in the spring.
Stacked thick layer mulch in wet weather. In rainy spring or summer, putrefactive bacteria develop in waterlogged mulch, which can damage the bark of trees and shrubs.

Tip #1. Sometimes a thick layer of compacted mulch becomes dense and loses its breathability. Such mulching will also not benefit the garden. The mulch must be turned up from time to time, and the soil under it must be combed with a rake.

Mulching trees with organic materials

For mulching tree trunk circles in orchard You can use various natural materials:

Mulch material	Advantages	Flaws
Mowed lawn grass	The most affordable type of mulch. It contains a lot of nitrogen and, when decomposed, becomes a good fertilizer for trees. Activates the activity of soil microorganisms.	If the grass has become seeded, it cannot be used. Undried green matter often harbors slugs and snails.
Cut nettle	Decomposes very quickly. Contains a lot of nitrogen and potassium. Repels slugs and snails, suppresses pathogenic microorganisms.	Not detected.
Chopped straw or hay	Suppresses the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and does not cause waterlogging. Repels slugs and snails.	Attracts mice and other rodents that can damage tree bark. In windy weather it scatters. Often contains weed seeds.
Needles and cones	Prevents the development of pathogenic microorganisms. Retains looseness and does not cake. Repels slugs and snails. Adds decorativeness to the garden.	Acidifies the soil. Contains few nutrients.
Bark and wood chips	Suppresses the development of pathogenic microorganisms. Doesn't cake. It insulates the root system well in winter. Repels slugs and snails. Adds decorativeness to the garden.	It decomposes for a long time and acidifies the soil. When decomposed, it takes nitrogen from the soil.
Peat	It retains moisture well and insulates the root system. When decomposed, it forms a lot of humus. Activates beneficial soil flora.	In hot weather it contributes to overheating of the soil. In hot weather it forms a crust, impairing air exchange.
Compost	It perfectly nourishes trees, activates soil flora and the activity of earthworms. Doesn't cake. Retains moisture well.	Not detected.
Rotted manure	Contains a large number of nitrogen. Decomposes quickly and releases a lot of carbon dioxide. Activates soil flora and the work of earthworms.	May contain weed seeds. Without incorporation into the soil, it loses a lot of nitrogen.

Mulching trees with inorganic mulch

Inorganic materials used for mulching have significantly fewer features than organics. Inorganic mulch only protects the soil from erosion and moisture loss. For mulching tree trunks garden trees and shrubs, the following materials can be used:

Mulch material	Advantages	Flaws
Polyethylene film	Retains moisture well. Suppresses the growth of weeds. The black film promotes rapid heating of the soil. The latest color and photo-selective films have a positive effect on the yield of low-growing shrubs.	Creates Greenhouse effect, overheating the soil in the summer. Ants and slugs live under the films. Difficulties arise with root feeding of trees.
Agrotextiles (spunbond, agrospan, lutrasil, etc.)	It allows water and air to pass through well. Does not cause overheating of the soil. Black mulching textiles help to quickly warm up the soil in spring.	Limits the possibility of root feeding.
Cardboard	It suppresses the growth of weeds well. Permeates rainwater. Decomposes.	In hot weather it draws water from the soil. Low decorativeness. Slugs gather under the cardboard and mold forms.
Expanded clay, gravel and crushed stone	Permeable to water and air. Accumulates solar heat and reduces temperature changes. Gives a decorative look.	Overgrown with weeds that are inconvenient to weed out. Limits the possibility of root feeding.
Sackcloth	It allows water and air to pass through and does not overheat the soil. Suppresses the growth of weeds.	Does not hold moisture well. Low decorativeness.

To give the garden a special decorative look, you can use colored crushed stone for mulching.

Mulching the garden using the tinning method

One of the options for mulching fruit plants is growing under trees and between them. lawn grass. This method is called tinning. Tinned soil naturally retains moisture and all the qualities of fertility.

It is important to keep in mind that full grassing is only suitable for a mature garden. It is still necessary to leave the tree trunk circle around the seedlings without grass, mulching it with something else.

When using this method, you should pay attention to mulching the lawn itself. The soil on it also needs care. Good help A lawn mower with a mulching function will help with this. It turns the mown grass into fine chops and evenly scatters it over the grass between the trees.

A good and inexpensive mulching mower is produced by Greenworks. For example, model 2505107 has a grass catcher. With its help, you can collect ready-made mulch and scatter it around the trees yourself. Another worthy option in terms of price-quality ratio is the Champion LM4215 mower.

How to properly mulch trees and bushes?

When mulching tree trunk circles, you must adhere to the following rules:

Do not push the mulch close to the root collar. A margin of 5-10 cm is necessary to prevent damping and rotting of the neck.
Spring mulching should be carried out after the soil has warmed up at a depth of 20 cm to +12-14⁰С.
In the fall, replace undecomposed organic mulch with peat or sawdust.
When using cut grass as mulch, it must be dried first.
Spread mulch only wet soil– after rain or watering. Read also the article: → "".

How to water mulched soil

If you use material that allows water to pass through, you should water directly through the mulch cover. It is curious that mulched soil has to be watered much less often than open soil. This is due to the mechanism of the so-called “auto-irrigation”: warm air under the mulch is cooled, and water vapor falls out of it in the form of dew.

To prevent thick layers of organic mulch from becoming moldy from moisture, they must be turned over from time to time. EM preparations will help quickly decompose the biomass into components and prevent it from rotting.

Tip #2. You can accelerate the mineralization of organic matter by mixing mulch with mineral fertilizers.

How to fertilize mulched soil

Using organic mulch reduces the need to regularly feed trees. Mulch itself is an excellent nitrogen supplement. You can add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in spring and summer:

Name	Feeding period
"AVA"	Beginning of sap flow
"Kafom K"	Before or after flowering
"Fertika Autumn"

Mulching the soil: materials for mulching

One of the most useful agrotechnical techniques, used by gardeners of different climatic zones, is mulching. This procedure involves covering the soil surface with organic or artificial material, while the ridges are covered completely or only in the row-spacings.
Man learned to mulch from nature itself. In meadows, forests, under trees and shrubs, the soil is never bare - a layer of dry grass, fallen leaves and pine needles protects the soil from drying out and protects plants from cold weather and pests.
Under a layer of mulch, the soil retains its structure and a soil crust does not form. In addition, mulch protects the soil around the plant from being washed away by water when watering, retains moisture, and does not allow weeds to develop.

By mulching the beds, you can significantly reduce the number of waterings and virtually eliminate loosening.
How to mulch the soil on your site? What mulching materials should I use? As usual, there are plenty of options.

Mulching with inorganic covering materials

In order to mulch the soil on summer cottages Roofing felt, roofing felt, lutrasil, black and colored films are widely used.
They are spread on the beds, cutting holes into which the plants are then planted. It is better to make the holes slotted (by cutting the film along or across), rather than round or square. This way the soil will be better protected from moisture evaporation, and rainwater will penetrate well into the soil.
Black synthetic film is used to mulch beds with zucchini and cucumbers to get rid of weeds and reduce the frequency of watering. In strawberry beds mulched with film, the berries will always remain clean.
Tomatoes grow better in red film mulch, while cabbage prefers white film. Transparencies It is not suitable for mulching; it does not prevent the growth of weeds, but, on the contrary, causes their rapid growth.
The film used as mulch must meet the following qualities:
do not allow light to pass through;
be thin and elastic, fit tightly to the soil surface;
be strong so that weeds cannot break through it.
Film mulch increases the temperature of the earth by 1.5-2°C, which is very important in an unstable climate middle zone with a short summer; on the other hand, the film reduces the evaporation of moisture, thereby reducing the temperature on the soil surface on hot days. That is, the film saves the plantings from cold, heat, and drought.
Mulching with opaque black film is widely used to kill weeds without chemicals. Perennial rhizomatous weeds, such as wheatgrass, sow thistle, and loach, die under the black film.
Under the black film mulch, a soil crust does not form, which does not allow oxygen to reach the seedlings in the right amount, and as a result they suffocate, and gardeners receive rare unfriendly shoots. Mulching with film prevents soil compaction by precipitation. Even after 5 years of growing strawberries under film, the soil will remain loose.
In addition, film mulch helps to increase soil fertility: by decomposing weeds into top layer Nitrogen accumulates in the soil, soil microorganisms, reliably protected by the film cover, are activated, begin to feed intensively, and the humus content in the soil increases.
Soil mulched with film retains heat better in winter; beds covered with film do not freeze as much as open ones. This advantage of film mulch is especially important when growing dwarf apple trees, the frost resistance of which is not as great as that of ordinary ones, and strawberries, the roots of which are located at a shallow depth.
Mulch films suppress the development of gray rot of strawberries and also help reduce the number of nematodes.
However, film mulch has a significant disadvantage - unlike organic mulch, it does not decompose and does not nourish the soil. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to first mulch the beds with humus, and then lay film, non-woven fabric, etc.

Using Organic Mulch

No matter how many advantages films and other synthetic materials have, modern summer residents prefer mulch made from natural materials.
A cover of organic matter in the beds not only prevents the growth of weeds, protects the soil from overheating and freezing, and retains moisture in the ground; as the mulch decomposes in the ground, a fertile layer is created faster, which feeds soil microorganisms and plants.
To achieve the maximum possible effect from mulching natural materials, you need to know when and what kind of mulch should be used.

Mulching with freshly cut grass

The grass is rich in nitrogen and other useful substances necessary for the full development of plants.

You can use grass remnants after mowing the lawn, weeded and slightly dried weeds, and torn tomato shoots as mulch. By the way, mulch from tomato leaves - perfect option for cabbage beds, it repels cabbage whites.
Don't rush to use freshly cut grass as mulch; let it dry in the sun for a day or two. Damp grass will rot too quickly.
In the northern regions, grass mulch is applied when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently and the plants have sprouted and become stronger. In the southern regions, it is better to mulch with grass before planting, then it can enrich the soil with nutrients.

Mulching the soil with compost

Compost is almost perfect universal material for mulching. It is suitable for all vegetable crops and is completely safe. Compost mulch reduces the likelihood of plants being affected by diseases and provides them with excellent nutrition.
So do not remove organic garbage, kitchen waste, weeds, tops, etc. from your dacha, put it all in compost heap along with sawdust, wood shavings and paper. In just a year you will have excellent organic material for mulching your garden.

Mulching with straw

Straw is ideal for mulching mail under nightshades - tomatoes and potatoes.

It serves as a barrier between tomato fruits and pathogenic microbes contained in the soil, protecting the bushes from early rot, anthracnose and leaf spot. And on potato beds mulched with straw, it is much less common to observe main pest potatoes - Colorado potato beetle.
In addition, straw mulch has a beneficial effect on crops such as basil, garlic, strawberries and blackberries.

Mulching with newsprint

You can safely cover the beds with black-and-white and colored newspapers (shredded or whole) - newsprint makes excellent mulch and good remedy for weed control.

Newspapers are laid in four layers on the ridge that is supposed to be mulched, and sprinkled with hay, grass, straw or earth on top.
Many summer residents are afraid to use newspapers because of the printing ink that gets into the soil with them, however, according to American scientists, not a single one Chemical substance from modern paint for newspapers does not pose a threat to the garden or vegetable garden.

Mulch made from Kraft wrapping paper and cardboard has proven to be no less effective in controlling weeds. These materials can also replace film mulch when it is necessary to warm the soil. If you cover the bed with kraft paper a few days before planting seedlings in the ground, the soil in it will warm up by 3°C.
Mulching with paper is especially effective on plantings of raspberries and legumes - it helps to increase their yield.

Mulching with fallen leaves

Fallen leaves make an ideal mulch for cabbage and bean beds. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can also be mulched with leaf litter, but only after the soil has warmed up well.
Leaf mulch is very good flower beds, it protects flowers from freezing and, in addition, does not allow bulbous plants to germinate during early spring thaws.

Mulching with tree bark

Tree bark is one of the most durable materials for mulching.

It repels water, so it takes a long time to rot. Most often, such long-term mulch is used around fruit trees and shrubs.
The bark of coniferous trees should not be used to mulch tomatoes - the volatile substances it releases can harm the bushes.
But bark mulch has proven itself excellent in berry gardens and flower beds. Due to its durability, it is often used as decorative material in landscape design.

Mulching with sawdust or wood chips

Sawdust or is best used where the soil is rarely cultivated and practically not dug up (furrows, paths in the garden), because wood chips take more than a year to completely rot.
Sawdust can be used to cover the ground in a raspberry patch, or before winter, scatter it on beds with winter crops (for example, garlic and tulips).
Never use caked sawdust as mulching material. If sawdust lay piled in a heap for a long time, most likely oxygen stopped flowing into the deep layer, and it “soured.” Such sawdust must first be scattered in a thin layer and dried.

Mulching with pine needles

The needles have proven themselves well as mulch for eggplants and strawberries.

Many gardeners do not use pine needles because the needles allegedly acidify the soil.
However, experience shows that the soil pH was covered with a 7-centimeter layer for two years in a row pine needles, remains at the same level as before mulching.
In addition to the above materials, humus, reeds, peat chips, peat, sunflower or pumpkin seed cake can serve as mulch. Often a combined mulch of two or three materials is used, for example cake with freshly cut grass or cardboard with straw. Excellent result produces mulch of sawdust mixed with fresh grass.
How and when to carry out mulching, read in the next article of “Summer Tips”.
We wish you success and great harvests!

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As they say, everything new is well forgotten old. This is also true for mulching. Since ancient times, in countries with harsh climatic conditions people scattered straw and wood shavings in their gardens, protecting plants from frost, and tried to protect tree trunks from rodents by covering them with stones, sticks, etc. All this over time acquired a slightly different look and received the names that we currently use.

Over the centuries, farmers around the world have come to the optimal types and methods of mulching, although gaps remain here.

Covering the soil surface with a layer of organic or inorganic materials - mulching, naimed at reducing moisture evaporation, preserving soil structure and reducing sharp fluctuations in soil temperature in the upper layer. All mulching substances suppress the growth of weeds, and some suppress the development of pests and diseases. Mulch of tomato leaves and stems repels cabbage whites, and sawdust and shavings repel slugs. In addition, the aesthetic function of mulch is also high. Plants against a background of mulch made from bark, pine cones, small pebbles, etc. look more attractive and neat.

Compared to inorganic mulch, organic mulch has t a number of additional advantages - the soil structure improves, due to which it develops better root system, and therefore plants are more intensively provided with nutrients.

A soil crust does not form under the mulch layer. Mulch protects plants from erosion by surface water runoff and reduces splashing during watering, which has a positive effect on the development of fruits and berries, for example, strawberries.

Mulching allows you to reduce the number of waterings and virtually eliminate loosening. Annual weeds do not penetrate more than five centimeters of mulch, and it is much easier to fight single-sprouted perennials.

Use plastic film to reduce the number of weeds it is possible, but only in row spaces, to create paths, etc. during landscaping. The soil under the polyethylene becomes very hot, and also certain cases, serves as a nursery numerous insects, which can harm plants!

There are many examples of using mulch from different materials, but we note the following as the most common:

Name mulching material	Advantages	Flaws
Garden compost	Suitable for mulching any plants.	Contains a small amount of nutrients, and is also able to give impetus to the germination of weed seeds preserved in it.
Beveled grass	Thin layer grass can cover the soil between annuals, preventing the layer from compacting.	The grass layer must be stirred periodically. Do not use grass treated with herbicide for mulch; it can burn the plant stems.
Straw	Decomposes slowly, suitable for vegetable beds and strawberries.	May contain weed seeds. Seedlings should not be mulched, as it contains inhibitors that inhibit plant growth. In autumn it is a bait for mice.
fallen leaves	The leaves quickly decompose, enriching the soil with nutrients.	The crushed litter is used under trees and shrubs, but not under vegetable crops. In mild, wet winter conditions, foliage can cause the development of fungal diseases.
Manure	Efficient material for improvement physical properties soil. Can be used constantly, but in small quantities.	Use only rotted or re-composted with other materials. It is not recommended to mulch in winter.
Peat	Widely used for mulching and improving soil structure (lowland peat).	High-moor peat increases the acidity of the soil and, when dried, forms a dense crust that is poorly soaked with water.
Bark coniferous breeds	Looks attractive around bushes and trees. Remains on the ground for 2-3 years. Acidic environment mulch contains useful for plants myco-rizu.	For vegetable beds the bark is not suitable because it contains tannins and makes soil nitrogen inaccessible to plants. You cannot dig with soil.
Woody wood chips	Coniferous wood chips are suitable for plants that prefer an acidic soil reaction. It retains moisture in the soil well and regulates temperature.	wood chips hardwood quickly rots and serves as a source of fungal diseases. You cannot dig with soil.
Needles	Pine needles increase soil acidity. You can sprinkle paths and the ground around trees.	For vegetable crops and strawberries, mixing with ash is necessary.
Sawdust	Most often used for sprinkling paths. It is better to mix sawdust with manure, compost or fertilizer.	As they decompose, they absorb nitrogen from the soil and reduce soil fertility.
Shell cedar nuts	Stimulates the formation of beneficial microflora at plant roots. Decorative and durable.	Residues of nuts can attract rodents, and, therefore, damage to plants is possible.
PAT film	Maintains constant moisture in the soil. Good together with straw when growing vegetables and strawberries. Black film can raise the temperature by several degrees - suitable in spring for warming up the soil. Weeds practically do not grow under the film.	Some types of film deteriorate when exposed to sun rays and microorganisms. Under any film, a greenhouse effect occurs, and overheating of the soil is harmful. Film is not used under bushes.
Newspapers, paper, cardboard	Paper is good as a layer under other types of mulch. Newspaper used with mulch prevents weeds from growing from underground, as well as from the mulch into the soil.	Never use paper alone because it acts like a wick, drawing moisture out of the soil. Use only newspapers with black printing; colored printing contains toxins.
Agril, Lutrasil (Ukryvny material)	It allows water to pass through and can last more than five years. Best used for growing vegetables and green crops.	White lutrasil can create a greenhouse effect and overheat the soil, but it is breathable and the plants under it breathe.
Gravel, crushed stone and so on.	Very decorative in different parts of the garden. Has a long service life and does not require maintenance.	It does not accumulate moisture and over time becomes overgrown with weeds, which are inconvenient to remove. However, they can be avoided if the ground under the mulch is covered with film.
Expanded clay (burnt clay)	Can be used on the surface and dug into heavy soil to lighten it. It is well permeable to air and does not rot.	Most expensive mulch from the above materials
* Mulching materials *

To preserve winter precipitation in the soil for a long time, it is necessary, as soon as the top layer dries, to loosen the soil surface to a depth of 10 cm and mulch with a layer of 5-8 cm. Insufficiently heated soil during mulching can lead to its compaction and, as a result, a decrease in fertile characteristics. This is especially dangerous for heat-loving plants, which may suffer from night frosts, because mulch does not allow heat to pass from the ground to the plants. Favorable time to start mulching - the end of spring, when the soil has warmed up well. You need to remove weeds, remove debris, dry leaves, water if the surface is dry (do not apply mulch to dry soil, as this slows down the flow of rainwater to the roots of the plants!), apply and lightly cover the fertilizer and then mulch.

If dense material (bark or sawdust) is used as mulch, add a layer of 5 cm. When using more lightweight material, for example, leaves or pine needles, a layer of about 7-8 cm is made. Shrubs are mulched within a radius of 40-50 cm, medium-sized trees - 70-90 cm. The mulch layer should not reach the trunks or stems of plants so that they do not rot.
Best time for mulching - immediately after rain.

Depending on the type of mulch, its disposal is also possible. Compost, straw, leaf litter and pine needles, etc. in the summer they do not touch it, but in the fall you can bury it or leave it until digging in the spring. Wood chips, bark and inorganic materials that cannot be mixed with the soil can not be removed for the winter and can only be renewed before the new season. However, mulch left over the winter can contribute to plant damage from late frosts, so in the spring, it is better to remove the mulch layer to give the soil a chance to warm up. If in winter the soil under a layer of mulch does not freeze, then in early spring it is loose and easy to process. You need to re-mulch on average once every 2-3 years.

Uncovered soil gradually loses its fertility under the influence of various climatic factors. Mulch is a universal remedy that protects the soil from wind, rain and hot sun. Mulch stimulates the reproduction of earthworms and beneficial soil microflora. In cases where mulch suitable for digging is used, it is incorporated into the soil at the end of the season. Worms and microorganisms process organic matter, increasing the content of humus and other useful substances, thereby accumulating a fertile layer in the soil.

Mulching reduces the time spent maintaining the garden and improves its appearance. Every garden needs some form of mulching, which can increase plant productivity several times.

So, what are the benefits of mulching!

- Reduced moisture evaporation - reduction
number of waterings;
- Improving soil structure and fertility;
- WITH reduction of sharp temperature fluctuations V
top layer of soil;
- Increased productivity of plant tissues;
- Suppression of weed growth, pest development
and diseases;
- Long lifespan- up to 3 years;
- Increased aesthetic function landscape
and interior.

Moreover, modern mulching material can also be used to implement the designer’s artistic ideas. The use of colored mulch, one of the latest developments in construction, will allow you to create individual landscapes and interiors that are rare in their beauty.

Colored chips and small stones are made according to special technology using environmentally friendly coloring pigments. If necessary, wood mulch can be treated with a fire retardant - a liquid that retards combustion.

E.N. Fedorov

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