Gently use a rake or long-handled cultivator to gently thin out the mulch, which may help plants grow better. Another problem you might experience is when using manure to mulch plants. Some types of inorganic mulch can disintegrate into the soil, heat up the planting area and potentially leach harmful chemicals into the soil.
Browse the fantastic range of fully mature hardy perennials, shrubs, ferns, grasses and bulbs to create a spectacular garden to enjoy all year round. Use code: GW Kick start the festive season and get in touch with your creative side with our minute online class on creating Christmas wreaths with natural materials.
The perfect seasonal addition to your garden, these low-maintenance expertly trained evergreen trees can be enjoyed for years to come. Home How to Maintain the garden Mulches and mulching. This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for purchases made. Please read our affiliates FAQ page to find out more. Mulches and mulching — gravel mulch being used around plants. Mulches and mulching — applying compost mulch around dahlias. Mulches and mulching — applying mulch bark around hellebores.
Subscribe now. Buy now for spring flowers. Hurry - limited time only. Ends in: 1 day. Christmas Wreath-Making. Buy early bird ticket now. Offer Ends: Sunday, 28 November, This weekend only - buy now.
After laying, slits can be made in the fabric, allowing direct planting through it. The downside is these mulches do not look very attractive, but they can be camouflaged with gravel, bark or others materials. To allow rain and irrigation water to reach the roots always choose a permeable sheet as a waterproof layer may cause surface runoff and drainage problems elsewhere.
Mulches are best applied from mid- to late spring, when annual weeds have not yet germinated and herbaceous plants are dormant, and autumn, as plants are dying back. They can be applied around new plantings or to established beds and specimen plants. New plants that need to establish can be mulched at any time of the year when they will benefit from weed suppression and moisture retention in the soil.
Beds and borders can be mulched entirely, taking care not to smother low growing plants or to pile mulches up against the stems of woody plants. If laid correctly there is generally no problem with mulches. However, if they are in direct contact with the stems of trees or specimen shrubs they can cause the stem to soften, making it vulnerable to diseases.
To save water and suppress weeds, the type of organic material you choose is less important than putting on a thick enough layer. Thicker layers will block sunlight from weeds, insulate the soil better and reduce the amount of water evaporating. Depending on the quality of the material there is a possibility of introducing weeds, pests and diseases to the garden and, with woodchips there is a slight risk of introducing honey fungus. Once you have added a mulch to the soil you may need to apply extra water to reach the roots of the plants beneath, but mulch will also help rain to soak into the soil, and less water will evaporate, so you should find you need to water less frequently.
Using freshly chipped material such as woody prunings or grass clippings can encourage the microorganisms in the soil to grow but they may use up reserves of nitrogen, leaving less available for plant growth. If you have freshly chipped material, keep it stored for a few weeks before using.
There is no need to remove mulches to apply fertilisers. Fertilisers are spread over mulches in late winter and are washed down to plant roots by rain. Avoid damaging roots of plants by hoeing weeds growing in mulches around permanent plants. Remove weeds by hand and add a further layer of fresh mulch. Organic mulches can be easier to maintain as they can be replaced by adding another layer when it has completely rotted away.
Gravel can sometimes mix with the underlying soil if not applied thickly, encouraging surface weeds. It is not uncommon for the white fungal mycelium of harmless saprophytic fungi to be found in soil that has been covered or enriched with an organic mulch. This is nothing to worry about and there is no need to dig out the mulch or white fungal growth.
Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work Join now.
Hot links Browse inspiration articles Buy plants online. Case in point: Black plastic, a popular kind of inorganic mulch, warms the soil and radiates heat during the night, keeping heat-loving vegetables like eggplant and cherry tomatoes cozy and vigorous.
Here are the six most common types of mulch to choose between:. You can purchase bags of decorative wood chips or shredded bark from a local garden center to mulch your flower garden and shrub borders.
For a less expensive option, call your local tree-care or utility company to see if they have any extra wood chips on hand. Or if you're really planning ahead, chip your Christmas tree instead of tossing it to the curb. If you have trees on your property, shredding the fallen leaves creates a nutrient-rich mulch at no added cost. You don't need a special machine either: a lawn mower with a bagger will collect leaves and cut them into the perfect size for mulching.
Spread a wood chip or shredded leaf mulch anywhere on your property, but it looks best in flower beds, shrub borders, and garden pathways. Of course, it's right at home in a woodland or shade garden. Keep in mind that wood chips aren't a smart choice for vegetable and annual flower beds, since they'll get in the way as you dig the beds each year. Grass clippings are another readily available mulch, although it's a good idea to save a portion of the clippings to use as a natural lawn fertilizer.
When you have remaining grass clippings, use them as nitrogen-rich mulch in vegetable gardens. Give your compost another purpose: If you have extra to spare, use it as mulch. It will enrich the soil and make plants happy, but keep in mind that when any kind of mulch is dry, it's not a hospitable place for plant roots. That means, you may want to reserve your compost to spread as a thin layer around plants and top it with another mulch, such as chopped leaves.
This allows the compost to stay moist and biologically active, providing maximum benefit for your vegetables, fruits, or flowers. If you're planting a vegetable garden, consider covering it with straw, salt hay, or weed-free hay. Not only does it look clean and crisp, but this type of mulch retains soil moisture, prevents weeds, and adds organic matter to the soil when it breaks down.
Just make sure you opt for a weed and seed-free hay, and avoid piling it around stems of vegetable or fruit tree trunks to prevent slug and rodent damage. Mulching a vegetable garden with sheets of black plastic film can do wonders. When it's spread tightly over a smooth soil surface, black plastic transmits the sun's heat to the soil beneath, creating a microclimate about three degrees warmer than an unmulched garden.
Because the plastic film remains warm and dry, it protects the fruits of vining crops such as strawberries, melons, and cucumbers from rotting. And, of course, the mulch prevents weed growth and retains soil moisture.
Infrared transmitting IRT plastics cost more than standard black plastic, but they can result in even higher yields. These plastics warm the soil as well as clear plastic, but also control weeds as effectively as black plastic.
In raised bed gardens, lay down a sheet of plastic over the entire bed. Bury it at the edges or weigh the plastic down with rocks.
0コメント