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Compost & Mulches
Mulch - a protective covering (as of sawdust,
compost) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil
temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as
strawberries) clean.
If you are not using mulches you may be
spending a lot more time and money than necessary to keep your plants and gardens hardy
and healthy.
The most efficient mulches are organic
material which will hold moisture, keep roots cool in the summer, warm in the winter and
which will decompose slowly while releasing essential nutrients in the soil. If you
are mulching for the main purpose of increasing the quality of your soil, we recommend
Black Mulch - a decomposing fir bark which is used as an
additive to break up soil. It is one of the most useful amendments as it increases air
content and water retention while restoring nutrients lost to plant consumption.
When transplanting or preparing a garden bed, mix or rototill a percentage of black mulch
into the soil. Note that mulch should be mixed with either your existing soil, or
substituted with a Mulch/TopSoil combination, as the mulch alone does not contain all of
the necessary nutrients for plant growth, and its pH level is not generally healthy for
most plants. |
