Soil mulching, types of mulch, shelter features of different crops. Soil mulching: benefits, methods, materials What is land mulching and how to do it

Being engaged in the cultivation of horticultural and vegetable crops, it is very important to properly organize the protection of plants from all kinds of natural troubles. Gardeners often use this protective agent like mulch. Soil mulching is a rather important procedure in the process of caring for plants, as it provides invaluable assistance to summer residents.

Soil mulching is beauty, health cultivated plants, high-quality and subsequently rich harvest. Mulch covers the surface of the soil around growing plants with a material layer. fruit trees, shrubs with berries, flower, vegetable and melon crops. Mulching creates an effective protective layer that promotes good growth plants.

But not all gardeners know what is meant by the concept of mulching and are not always sure how to start practical actions. Without experience and the necessary information, this procedure can bring plants not only benefits, but also cause irreparable harm. In this situation, you should understand why mulching is needed and what benefits it brings to garden plantings.

What are the benefits of mulching

Very often on summer cottages mulch is used as decorative ornament, but its main purpose protective functions which means:

Protection of the root system of plant crops. Mulch maintains the required level of moisture, acidity, growth medium, temperature regime.
Protection of grown crops from hypothermia during the season low temperatures. Prevents the growth of weeds.

Types of mulching

Mulch is classified by composition and is divided into two types: organic and inorganic. For artificial mulching, stone decorative materials are used, such as crushed stone, gravel, pebbles, marble and colored chips. Roofing material, roofing felt and film shelters of all kinds are also used. The advantages of artificial and synthetic materials are enough.

Mulch made from natural ingredients is more in demand and popular, which not only have protective and protective effects, but also increase soil fertility. According to the degree of decomposition of the substrate, a fertile saturated layer is formed in the ground, feeding the planted vegetable crops.

Organic materials for soil mulching consist of useful substances. Many plants need a protective layer, and to achieve the maximum possible effect, you need to know exactly which crops need a certain shelter and how to properly mulch the soil.

Sawdust is used in areas where they very rarely dig and cultivate the soil. It can be furrows and paths in the garden or vegetable garden. Wood materials take more than a year to rot. Also, mulching with sawdust can be done in raspberries or, before winter, scatter them on the beds with garlic and bulbous flower crops.

Mulch of woody origin protects crops well from the invasion of slugs, preventing them from moving around. The material is universal on any soils. Despite the density of the coating, it allows the soil to breathe, makes it possible for microorganisms to develop in the upper layer, eventually turning into a fertile earthen mass.

Sawdust is able to retain moisture, weed seeds do not germinate in them, such mulch is not only useful, but also beautiful. But in this mulching there are some nuances. Fresh sawdust without special treatment should not be laid out under plants. Fresh chopped wood contains a large number of resins, which, getting into the soil, poison plants.

How to properly prepare sawdust for mulching is of interest to every summer resident and this is a completely labor-intensive process. Crushed wood shavings are soaked in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate. The substance will not only remove harmful impurities, but also give the material a beautiful color. Well-ground branches can be added to sawdust, they are mixed with shavings and laid out under fruit trees.

Another point of interest to gardeners without practical knowledge is it possible to add sawdust to the beds? There is only one advisory advice, it is not only possible, but also necessary, and there is logic in this. Summer time open ground heats up quickly in direct sunlight and many vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers wither in dried soil.

Sawdust mulch retains moisture for a long time and prevents the soil from overheating and drying out. With such good protection, watering can be done much less frequently. It is also an excellent protection for fruits growing close to the ground, such as strawberries, strawberries, currants. The berries, as they ripen, increase in size, become heavier and touch the ground. From such proximity, they do not have a very attractive appearance and, very often saturated with dampness from the soil, succumb to decay.

Needles for mulching

Pine litter is often used as mulch. It has proven itself very well as a protective layer for strawberries, eggplants and many other vegetable crops. It is believed that the needles oxidize the soil and for safety, many gardeners add lime or ash to the needle mulch.

Mulching needles

The method is the cheapest, but, nevertheless, effective.

Of course, not everyone has information on how to properly mulch the soil with cut grass. To do this, there are the following rules that you need to know:

The beds are carefully weeded, watered, leaving the root zone and plant stems in a free form. Only after the soil has been cleaned, grass mulch is laid.
Grass mulching is traditionally carried out in the spring, since it is at this time that crops need nitrogen, a large amount of which has accumulated in grasses.
The main task of grass mulch is to retain moisture and therefore the grass layer should reach up to 7 cm.
Over time, under the influence of earthworms and microorganisms, the layer of grass decreases. It needs to be updated periodically and spread fresh herbal mass over the old shelter.
At the end of the season, mulch with annual plants buried in soil or placed in a compost heap to rot. Under perennial crops, the layer is left to winter in the beds.

Freshly cut grass is not used for mulch, as it lays down in a dense layer, does not allow air to pass through and quickly rots. Mulching with mowed grass is carried out only after preliminary light drying.

Straw for mulching

Straw mulching is great for growing berry bushes, raspberries, strawberries, zucchini and cucumbers, but for potatoes it is exceptional protection. After the appearance of the first shoots, young bushes are sprinkled with earth once, and subsequently only mulching is carried out.

Straw mulching

According to the degree of growth of the bushes, they are tightly covered with straw. During the summer, this procedure is carried out up to three times. The result exceeds all expectations. Tubers are formed large, with a large number of fruits. Straw perfectly retains moisture and the soil does not need to be loosened. A thick layer of mulch prevents weeds from growing, which greatly facilitates the care of vegetables.

Such material can be prepared independently. The bark of any tree is suitable for making mulch. But there are some subtleties in the choice. The bark is not removed from the living trunk, as this will destroy the culture. Old destroyed trees are also not suitable. Dead material lacks nutrients and pests can live. Such trees are often affected by fungal diseases.

In order for bark mulching to proceed correctly, a small part should be removed from the trunk of the selected tree. When the bark detaches freely without breaking into small pieces, it can be used to collect mulch. The best option for harvesting trees cut down within six months. Any cutting tools are used to grind the material.

First, the bark is cut into small chips, and then sterilized to eliminate the risk of infection of horticultural crops with diseases and pests. Water is poured into a volumetric container and heated. The material is dipped in boiling water and steamed for 10 minutes. Only after processing can mulching be carried out with wood chips.

Often this mulch is used as decorative coating in flowerbeds. Also chopped bark will perfectly decorate garden paths with sides. Curious gardeners always want to know how to mulch acidic soil? Chip mulch is great for plants that prefer an acidic environment. For other crops, wood ash or lime is additionally added.

Whatever mistakes you make in choosing and using mulch, you need to familiarize yourself with the information about mulching. Find out from what materials a protective shelter is prepared and which plants need this care.

The same medicine is rarely used to treat two different diseases, but mulching is something of a small miracle. It allows you to solve a good dozen problems on your land at the same time.

Increases the ability of the poor sandy soil retain moisture and nutrients.
Promotes natural loosening of heavy clay soils.
It retains moisture in the soil during dry periods, prevents erosion and soil crusting during rainy periods.
Increases soil fertility, freeing you from significant expenses for purchased fertilizers.
Normalizes the temperature of the soil - under the mulch the earth is warmer in winter and cooler in hot summer.

Watch how nature "applies" mulching to improve the soil. In forests and parks, tree leaves add a new layer to the natural litter each year. Bottom part it gradually rots and is absorbed by the soil already in the form of humus. That is why the fertility of the forest soil is constantly growing without any human intervention.

In the same way, grasses in the steppes add a new layer of dying plant mass to the soil every year, and thus powerful black soils are formed.

When you cover bushes in your garden with layers of leaves or manure and leave them to rot, you are simply copying Nature.

Mulch as a natural improver

If the soils on your farm are sandy, then without mulching you will not improve them. You can grow vegetables under permanent mulch, removing it only in the spring for cultivation.

soil and returning to the place after the shoots are clearly marked. After choosing a small "window" in growing vegetables, sow legumes for green manure and bury them in the soil along with mulch - this will transform your sandy lands unrecognizably.

If your soil is heavy clay, you will need to improve its aeration, natural drainage, first of all.

And the "treatment" here is the same - mulch. True, it will not be possible to make it permanent, because every spring you will need to cultivate a plot for sowing, prepare a seed bed, and for this the soil must warm up and dry well. This means that from early spring to June there should be no mulch on the soil.

But after June and until next spring, let her cover the earth. After a few years, your heavy clay will gradually become loose loam. Here it is better to use coarser organic material: crushed corn stalks, high-moor peat, crushed bark tree species, hay, straw, small chips.

Lay the mulch in a layer of 7-8 cm. One medium bale of peat is enough for 4-5 m. Straw will also be a good mulch. A standard bale of straw or hay is enough for 20 m2 - that is, five bales will go to one hundred square meters.

Some gardeners in their plans to improve heavy clay soils rely mainly on sanding, and many scientists recommend this. This sounds good in theory, but in practice you will need a lot more sand than you initially thought, and it is very difficult to get it to mix satisfactorily with the clay. At the same time, you expect a solid investment of labor and funds. It's easier to deliver fertile soil to the site. And even easier - mulch. When plowing, do not bury the mulch deep into the soil - it will decompose very slowly and will not give the expected effect. It is better to use a tiller or a disc implement. If you have already begun to plow, adjust the plow to an incomplete revolution so that the mulch “peeps” out of the furrow. The same is true when manually digging a site - try to position the mulch vertically or at an angle. This will greatly improve aeration and moisture evaporation, and the mulch itself will decompose faster.

How to form a fertile layer on solid clay. This problem often confronts novice farmers and gardeners who have just received a plot of land. In addition to the fact that the soil is of little use for agriculture, it can be heavily littered with fragments of bricks, rebar and other construction debris.

Just applying a layer of good soil will not be enough. In any case, foreign debris from the surface will have to be removed. If the clay is alkaline, I would suggest following this with a 5cm layer of acid peat moss or oak sawdust, wait for the rain to dry this layer, and disc or mill it into clay.

Then apply a 7 cm layer of rotted manure and also close it shallowly into the soil. If the soil is acidic, scatter lime on the surface before this operation.

Further, the site can be tinned with a mixture of white clover and bluegrass, but it is better to sow the horned bird. Immediately after sowing the grasses, scatter chopped straw, hay or cut grass around the area in a layer of 2-3 cm. If the area is uneven and there is a danger of washing the mulch in heavy rain, you can lay wire mesh for hedges and in several places fix them to the soil with V-shaped "pins" of thick wire.

If you want to create in this place a fertile garden plot- it is best to consistently grow several crops for green manure, mulching their seedlings with everything that is possible from organic materials. For example, sow rye in the fall and plow it into the soil in the spring, then soybeans, and then comes the turn of buckwheat. It is better to chop its herbage, and then disc or mill it into the soil.

You can work with your clay a little differently. Do rough blocky plowing from autumn and leave these blocks open for winter freezing. In the spring, you need to catch the moment when they easily crumble (if a little late, they will dry to the state of stones), quickly prepare the soil for sowing and scatter evenly per hectare 20 kg of alfalfa seeds and 34 kg of oats (per hundred square meters - respectively 200 g and 340 g). Then harrow the soil to cover the seeds and scatter any organic mulch.

Soon the oats will sprout and fix it on the soil. When he throws out panicles - cut him down and leave the cutting on the ground, and in August you can cut down alfalfa in the same way.

If the soil on your site is more like concrete, do not try to cultivate it all at once. Make rows of grooves (trenching) in the fall and fill them in layers with compost, mulch (straw, hay, leaves, etc.), manure and earth. Next spring, vegetables can be sown in them, and the untreated aisles can be covered with mulch. Crops will develop well, and your site will simultaneously cultivate and produce crops at no great cost.

Mulch as a natural soil protection

Mulch is beneficial not only when it rots into humus, but even more so when it is on the ground. Why do I advise immediately after sowing the grasses to harrow the soil and cover it with a layer of straw mulch? Because it will keep the seeds in the soil from being washed away in heavy rain, prevent the formation of a soil crust and save moisture in the soil from evaporation. Under the mulch, seedlings will appear faster and more amicably.

The effectiveness of mulch in retaining moisture is amazing. Recalling one of the driest seasons of my farming life. In early spring, I plowed a plot for tomatoes, then milled it, brought the old cow dung to the surface and covered it with about 10cm of rotten bale straw. In mid-May, he planted seedlings of tomatoes.

In the following two months, there was only one rain, but the soil under the mulch remained moist and the tomatoes developed well, the fruits were of excellent quality. Comparing these results with those of neighbors who diligently watered their plantings, I concluded that my mulch worked for about 1250 m3 of irrigation water per hectare. In addition, the neighbors' tomatoes were more watery and not as odorous as mine.

Prevent erosion with mulch.

As I have seen, crushed corn cobs are excellent at healing holes in the ground after heavy rains. It is only necessary to slightly loosen the soil and fill the gullies with this material.

In late autumn and winter, the farms are often very muddy, making it impossible to walk along dirt paths. Sprinkle them with mulch - and it will become cleaner in no time! To do this, you can use less valuable materials - crushed bark, for example, which is abundant in sawmills, needles coniferous trees etc. Everything will work.

Stabilization thermal regime soil. Initially, mulching in gardening, obviously, began to be used to protect strawberries from freezing in winter and from ripening. in early spring when the soil can freeze and thaw several times in a row.

Mulching plastic films will not give such an effect, will not add organic matter to the soil, fertility. True, the film can retain moisture in the soil, as well as contribute to its faster heating in the spring (black film is especially good). Some gardeners cover the beds with it in the fall, and with the onset of warm days in the spring they roll it up and clean it. However, this technique only works well on lightly drained soils. Do not try to use it on heavy clays!

Mulch as fertilizer

Most valuable species mulch - growing plants for green manure (green manure). By mowing them, leaving a green mass on the soil, you can quickly increase the fertility of the site. And you can use this mass in other areas. On one farm, I watched a farmer cut alfalfa and mulch the crops with it. Compared to non-mulch crops, crops here developed much better crushed cobs), seaweed.

In a word, material for mulching will always and everywhere be found if you want to find it.

Mulching and earthworms

Ultimately, the biggest benefit of mulching is that it increases the number of worms in the soil. I would even say this: the symbol of Russia should not be a double-headed eagle, but an earthworm, the builder of the fertility of our lands.

Darwin wrote that on one acre, worms can pass up to 15 tons of fine earth through their body. He underestimated them. According to the results of one of the experiments conducted in the UK, on good soils, worms process 25 tons of earth! The earthworm is synonymous with soil fertility.

And in order to increase their numbers on your site, you need little - mulch the soil at every opportunity with everything that is at hand.

Lately you will see a lot of advertisements for the sale of red hybrid worms and you may get the idea to quickly improve the fertility of your site with their help. I would advise you not to be deceived by these advertisements. Red worms are really great at composting manure in boxes and compost heaps, but they may not be as effective when colonizing the soil. It is safe to say that for your site the best view worms (out of 2 thousand existing in nature) will be those that are already there.

Just mulch your soil and you'll have as many worms as you need.

More about soil improvement

The soil, according to the principles of the famous Russian agronomist of the late XIX-early XX centuries, the founder of organic farming I.E. Ovsinsky, is a single system built like a layer cake, in which each layer and its inhabitants play an important role in the process of plant nutrition and protection. The natural drainage of the soil, with its microtubules formed by earthworms and decaying roots, allows it to maintain an optimal microclimate depending on changing conditions. environment. It follows logically from this notion simple rules tillage (they are relevant for rich soils where there are no introduced plants, i.e. resettled plants from other areas).

Main principles

Minimum destruction

Deep digging of the earth with turning over the layer destroys the mechanisms of reproduction of its fertile layer, so you only need to loosen-pour-cut the topsoil 5 cm deep.

Preservation physical and chemical properties soil

That is - optimal humidity and breathability, due to which plants draw the elements necessary for nutrition. To do this, you need to maintain the top layer of humus in a loose state: protect it from drying out, overheating, crusting - timely mulching, including weeds.

Gentle way to get rid of weeds

It is suggested not to remove weeds by the roots, but only to cut them at ground level, preferably at the sprout stage. A few cuts will destroy the weed, and the root remaining in the ground will serve as food for bacteria and preserve the porosity of the fertile layer.

Modern adherents of smart farming add the advice to “feed” soil microorganisms and worms with organic matter to the above methods. Applying for these purposes the same mulching, composting, creating warm beds, sowing green manure, the use of preparations saturated with effective microorganisms.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

Skeptics believe that the manure used to fertilize the fields depends on the quality of pet food, and polluted atmosphere and "acid" rains can nullify any efforts of adherents of organic farming. Pests cannot be dealt with without pesticides. As another disadvantage, they call a long period of restoration of natural fertility, which means a generally low yield.

In my opinion, just the last argument can be argued. I'm sure that organic farming- the best option for Russia with its huge undeveloped areas.

SECRET OF SUCCESS

It seems to me that if the plants wither, then there is nothing wrong with mineral fertilizer soil or repelling pests with chemicals. I am convinced that the earth should help a person survive, and not suck all the strength out of him. And when the daily running around with buckets, a hoe, a sprayer does not save the tomato crop from the same phytophthora as a result, then the hands simply fall down. Therefore, the secret of success lies in the skillful combination of advanced processing methods with careful attitude to natural processes occurring in the soil.

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Material prepared by: Nadezhda Zimina, gardener with 24 years of experience, process engineer

By applying various methods of agricultural technology, you can achieve better results when cultivating your own personal plot with less effort. For example, once using the mulching technique for tilling the soil surface, you can forget about watering, loosening and weeding for a long time. Plants will feel comfortable without additional care. And decorative mulch, which is available in a huge assortment, will decorate the garden, set accents and fill the empty spaces of the beds.

Mulching technology

Before covering the ground with a protective layer of covering material, it must be prepared.

You need to do the following:

Remove weeds from the entire area of the treated surface;
Water the bed so that moisture remains in it, which we will save;
Loosen the earth to a depth of at least 5 cm;
Ventilate, slightly drying the top layer of soil so that when mulching it does not sink and compact.

When to mulch?

Covering measures that contribute to the long-term retention of moisture around flowers constantly growing in one place must be carried out in the spring, after the soil thaws and warms up well. If done earlier, when the soil is cold, the layer of mulch will prevent thawing by keeping the cold close to the roots. This can lead to the death of plants.

In the fall, soil cover is also produced. Indeed, under the protective layer, the vital processes of soil organisms will continue much longer than in the environment, which will lead to additional production of organic matter from the covering substrate. In autumn, it is possible to plant various cultivated plants under mulch, for example,. He winters well under the shelter of pine sawdust, which, among other things, also protect him from diseases and pests.

Many garden creepers also need autumn shelter, otherwise they do not survive the winter, freezing to the root. For successful protection from the cold over, climbing roses, actinidia, clematis build a dry shelter with their own hands. You can’t just fill them with sawdust - during thaws, water will wet the covering substrate, and with a significant drop in temperature, it will turn into an ice shell, under which plants can die.

For the construction of a reliable shelter, wooden frames or boxes are used, under which lashes and creepers are placed, they will be in a dry air environment. Then the protective structures are covered with a "blanket" of sawdust. But this is not enough, since wood shavings do not protect plants from excess moisture. On top, you need to make another layer that prevents it from getting in. To do this, use a film for mulching.

winter shelters for grapes

The quality of covering measures largely depends on the material used. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, which can help or harm specific plants. For right choice it is necessary to have information about the properties of protective materials.

Mulching with green plant residues

siderates

For spring soil mulching, there is an original, and very economical way that allows you to grow healthy seedlings right in the ground. Of course, we are not talking about tomatoes and peppers (although you can try it in the southern regions). First of all, in this way you can plant zucchini, eggplant, and pumpkins.

In the spring, as soon as the earth thaws, they dig it up and sow green manure, rye is best suited. When the soil warms up well and constant positive temperatures are established, you can start planting seeds of cultivated plants. Rye will serve as a natural protection, shading young shoots at the initial stage, creating comfortable conditions for them to develop. When the cucumbers and zucchini grow up, the cereals around are removed, and the earth is covered with the resulting straw. She serves good material for mulching, at the same time feeding the soil with nitrogenous compounds.

It must be remembered that immediately after removal from the soil, green manure cannot be used. They must be dried within a day, otherwise the straw will smell bad and rot, as a result of which pathogenic microflora and fungi may appear on it.

cut grass

After weeding the garden or mowing the lawn, a lot of grass remains. Throwing it away is irrational, therefore, in this species vegetable waste two ways of implementation. The first is to compost them. The second is to organize grass mulching of beds, flower beds and near-stem circles of fruit trees.

You can also throw weeded potatoes with mowed grass, instead of hilling. The tubers will develop perfectly in a loose layer of half-rotted substrate, and in the fall, potatoes can be easily removed by pulling the bushes by the tops.

But gourds, cucumbers and cabbage cannot be mulched with grass, as they can become infected with rot or fungus. For the winter, fresh grass mulch should not be left, as pests can start in it. Best to use plant remains a second time by sending them to compost. As a covering material for winter, well-dried hay is used, which is used to cover near-stem circles of trees just before frost.

Video: an example of mulching tomatoes with plant residues

Mulching with sawdust

The main function of mulching is the ability to create comfortable conditions for plants. Using organic materials, you can significantly increase soil fertility, reduce the amount of watering and loosening, and get rid of weeds.

Mulching is one of the most common methods of such shelter. Especially often they are used for. Under warm blanket from large chips, strawberries and garden strawberries winter well and do not get sick with various types of rot. Pathogenic flora is the very negative factor that significantly affects the yield. But when using sawdust, which act as a sorbent, a significant part of the berries sing quietly on the bushes, and do not rot, since they do not come into contact with moist soil.

Strawberry mulching technology is simple and effective:

Before making sawdust, the bed is weeded, loosened and watered. After the formation of a light crust on the top layer of the earth, proceed to the main work. To do this, take cardboard (it is better not to use a newspaper, since the ink for printing contains lead), and cover the space between the rows with them. Sawdust is poured on top of the cardboard. Everything, the work is finished. By the way, this method protects not only from the appearance of weeds, but also from the excessive growth of the strawberries themselves.

Mulching with hay and straw

These natural materials, which are easy to find in any village, summer residents began to use for planting new technology, for the use of which you need to stock up on cardboard (you can ask for boxes at the nearest store), planting material and dry grass.

The process itself can be divided into several stages:

Covering the ground with cardboard. It can be laid directly on overwintered grass as soon as the snow melts. The point of this action is to prevent light from reaching the weeds, which will die along with the roots within a few weeks.
Germination and disinfection of potatoes. You can disinfect using a solution of any ready-made biostimulant, and germinate in the sun, planting a tuber. These preparatory procedures have a healing effect, so that subsequently the potatoes under the mulch do not get sick with late blight.
The next stage is the planting of planting material. To do this, holes are made in cardboard sheets, whose radius should be twice as large as the radius of the tubers. After that, the seed potatoes are placed directly on the ground, sprouts up, so that they rush to the sunlight.
The final stage of planting is the straw mulching of the entire row. To do this, the dry remains of cereal crops are poured directly on top of the cardboard, with a layer of at least 15-20 cm. Some use hay for shelter, but it has a significant drawback - it is a carrier and accumulator of weed seeds.

This method, revolutionary for the minds of many gardeners, has many advantages. First, it is minimal in terms of labor costs. Imagine, you do not have to plow, weed and hill up plantings. Potatoes under mulch grow well without too much intervention. The exception is drought, when you have to water your plantings a couple of times. And still, the amount of physical labor used is incommensurable with traditional way landing.

Harvesting potatoes that have grown under thatch cover is also a cakewalk compared to traditional digging. This is a fairly clean job, as getting to the tubers is very easy - you just need to push the straw, and harvest.

After harvesting, the beds are left without digging. They are already natural compost, which will quietly rot in the time remaining before the onset of winter cold, and next year these beds can be used for planting without additional processing. Using the straw mulching method, it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in soil fertility on the site in 2-3 years.

Video: comparison of potato yield when mulching different types

Mulching with textiles and film

This type of protective procedures is applied in two cases:

The first - during the construction of "dry blankets" for the winter for various ornamental plants and vines, as already mentioned above.
The second type of use is to protect the beds from weeds and moisture evaporation.

A prerequisite for the use of rolled covering materials is compliance with all preparatory procedures (weeding, moistening, loosening), before covering the beds with polyethylene. Applying this method in the summer, use only a transparent film and agrotextile. But the black film is used before the start of planting. It has too strong a depressing effect on any plant flora, therefore, even with the use of partial perforation, it is not suitable for summer use.

mulching with agrotextile (left) and film (right)

The film is spread on the beds at the end of March, when it is already warm enough and weeds begin to grow. Within 3-4 weeks, they all die under a black film, and their roots, which die off naturally, are easy to remove with a rake.

Agrotextiles are very often used for mulching strawberries. Usually they take non-woven tightly, which allows moisture to pass through. It is spread over all surfaces of the beds, cutting out circles for berry bushes at an equal distance. When using this method, strawberries produce excellent fruit throughout the season, and require little or no additional care.

Mulching with peat

This fertilizer from the swamp is very often used as a mulch layer for the soil, when planting various plants. serves as an excellent protection against weathering and washing out of fertile components from the soil, and does not allow the growth and development of pathogenic flora. After the end of the season, this substrate is left on the beds, and it gradually passes into the soil, improving its composition.

decorative use of peat

The homogeneous structure of peat allows it to be used as decorative backfill. Peat is also used in the garden, for mulching various crops that require increased care, such as tomatoes. Under nightshade, this substrate is applied when they are well rooted, a couple of weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground.

Peat is ideal for mulching. He creates optimal conditions for the growth and development of this moisture-loving shrub. The soil will constantly retain moisture, and becomes loose, which allows the raspberry root system to develop well.

Mulching with bark and wood chips

This way of caring for the garden gains more and more fans every year. Bark mulch is commonly used for walkways and large outdoor areas. In our climatic zone, pine bark is the most widespread. This material for landscape design has a number of useful properties.

decorative mulch made from bark and wood chips

Decorative bark mulch stays in one place for a long time unchanged, perfectly protects the soil from weeds, and saves from the sun on hot days. Also, it does not compact for a long time due to its porous structure and relief surface.

Pine bark

This type of covering material is very popular throughout the country. The advantages of pine bark are its lightness, thickness and high content of fungicides, which suppress unfriendly microflora and prevent the appearance of pests.

Features of mulching with bark / chips of near-stem circles of trees

The bark has been used for mulching for centuries. This type of protection has become especially popular for those who constantly need comfortable conditions. The bark retains moisture for the root system, and perfectly decorates the near-stem circle, which saves time when caring for these capricious flowers. It also serves as a winter shelter from freezing.

Wood chips

When buying this material, you should pay attention to the number that is indicated on the package. It corresponds to the size of the chips, and indicates the dimensional indicators of the product. Chips are small (5-8 cm), medium (8-15 cm), and large (more than 15 cm). It is advisable to purchase this covering material from manufacturers that guarantee a minimum inclusion of chip dust in the composition. This property helps protect the beds from oxidation.

Chips for mulching perform the same functions as other materials. It keeps the soil moist and loose, stimulates the development of beneficial microflora, naturally forms humus. In addition to all the above advantages, this material is perfect for decorating the site.

decorative mulch options - based on wood chips and bark

Decorative mulch can be any color and size. It is used in young flower beds, or in discounts made in a minimalist style. It is resistant to external influences, so it can fall asleep flower beds and garden paths.

Precautionary measures

The choice of wood chips must be approached more carefully than the purchase of other materials. When buying it, it is desirable ... to smell it! If the substrate emits a sour vinegar smell, then it is better to postpone the purchase. Most likely, wet chips were stored without access to oxygen, and decay products that were very harmful to plants began to be produced in it.

But, if the acquisition has already been made, the situation can be corrected. The wood chips must be well dried. Once the sour smell is gone, you can use it to mulch the soil.

Unusual types of mulch

Leaves

They are used everywhere, this is the most affordable covering material that serves to protect plantings with perennial flowers and wintering bulbs.

pine needles

Pine needles are used to mulch plants that are prone to massive pest attacks, such as garlic.

Eggshell

This species is used as an obstacle to slugs, scattering the shell in a thin layer around rose bushes.

Using various improvised materials for mulching beds, you can greatly simplify your life. The protected roots of plants fully use all the moisture introduced into the ground, which provides them with excellent nutrition. The need for constant watering disappears, as well as constant loosening. Mulching the soil will help bring the garden and garden in order, and free up time to finally straighten up and admire the beauty and order created by your own hands.

Video comparison of different mulching materials

Plants grown by gardeners and gardeners need protection from the troubles associated with changes in nature. Soil mulching is procedure to help protect horticultural crops. Mulch is a material layer that covers the surface of the soil next to growing vegetables, berries, gourds or trees. The article provides more information about what is mulching and how it can be done. For those who wish to explore this topic in more detail, you need to get acquainted with video below.

Soil mulching - what is it and why is it necessary

Soil mulching is a method consisting in laying a layer that will play a protective role and prevent the intensive growth of weeds, as well as protect the bed from drying out and imbalance of the water and air environment in the upper layers of the soil.

What is the benefit of soil mulching?

The main advantages of soil mulching include:

Reducing the amount of watering, as the soil retains moisture much longer.
A layer of mulch helps protect the roots from overheating, wind, and cold. Plants are much easier to tolerate the effects of frost and heat, since temperature changes occur less abruptly for them.
Mulch is a nutrient substrate for earthworms and also helps retain nutrients in the soil.
A layer of mulch prevents the spread of weeds and relieves the owner of the site from weeding the site.
This method helps to significantly increase the yield, since the layer well protects the leaves and stems from the occurrence of rot.
Mulch renders positive influence on soil pH by adjusting this indicator making it either acidic or alkaline.

Soil mulching methods

The main methods of soil mulching include the following:

covering the beds with a special covering material (agrofibre) or black film;
sprinkling of soil with organic materials;
sprinkling beds with compost.

Watch the video! Mulching the ground with freshly cut grass

What type of mulching to choose?

The choice of the type of mulching directly depends on the climate and the purpose pursued by this procedure. It could be:

weed control;
soil fertilizer;
reduction in irrigation.

Application of black film or agrofibre

Black film should be used for mulching the soil, in no case should you choose white, transparent or blue material, since only black material helps to stop the growth of weeds.

Important! The black film perfectly retains moisture, the moisture content of the soil under it is constantly maintained at the same level.

Agrofibre

Agrofibre - new material, which is used for soil mulching. It contains perforated nonwoven fabric from polypropylene fibers. porous structure material helps to easily pass air, water, protect against weeds and scatter light.

Where can I use black mulching film:

The film can be laid between rows, corn and.
This material can be covered with trees and shrubs.
Black film is also often used in order to prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture and reduce indoor air humidity.
The material is great for protection against.

organic materials

This method of mulching is perfect for vegetable and ornamental crops. Most useful for:

asparagus;
radish.

Types of mulch for the garden

A huge number of types of mulch are used by summer residents on their plots, the most common include:

Healthy! Compost or manure can be used as mulch.

How to properly mulch the soil

Regardless of which type of mulch has been chosen, the following requirements must be met:

Can't be held mulching on damp soil after rain or watering.
It is also not worth tamping the mulch, the material should remain loose and lie in an even, uniform layer of about 5-10 cm in thickness, depending on what type of soil the soil belongs to, on clay soils - about 2 cm.
Before carrying out the procedure, you should dig and loosen the soil, remove all weeds.
The beds where the berries grow should be covered with a layer of mulch at all times.
During the summer months, dry and green mulch should be used.
Trunk circles of trees should be mulched with mowed grass, closing tightly bark trees, the thickness of the layer should be about 5 cm.
Manure for mulching is used constantly, it should be used in small quantities, pig manure and bird droppings should not be used as mulch.
Mulch beds with rotten straw do not stand before sowing, as this can significantly inhibit plant growth.

Interesting! The more fertile the soil, the faster the process of decomposition of the mulch and its transformation into humus.

Mulching the soil in the fall is a mandatory event for the care of the land. It allows you to protect the soil from the effects of low temperatures and preserve its fertile properties. As a result of the influence of the external environment, such natural factors as wind, sunlight, rain, etc., the topsoil undergoes gradual destruction, as a result of which it becomes less fertile.

A hard crust forms on its surface, on which nothing grows. Mulching - effective method avoid it.

How to mulch the soil in order to protect plants from environmental influences and prevent it from “getting poor” is the main question for summer residents, gardeners and agronomists. In our article, we have collected some actionable recommendations that will help you in your farming.

1 Types of soil mulching materials

If you are interested in how to mulch the soil, then for these purposes there is a huge amount of materials. They are also the best prevention from the emergence of weeds.

To care for the land use the following materials for soil mulching:

wood chips and sawdust;
tree bark;
dry and green grass;

In general, soil mulching material is either inorganic or organic. The first gradually forms humus, enriching the soil with useful substances and controlling its acidity. Thanks to this, plants feel more comfortable due to the increase in the structure of the earth.

However, despite the many good points, which implies mulching, it is necessary to use this method of soil enrichment carefully, because it changes its composition. Organic materials for mulching: wood chips, bark, cones, etc.

Inorganic mulching materials are decorative and covering. The first are stones, marble, slate and crushed stone. They represent an opportunity not only to increase the comfort of plant growth, but also to decorate a backyard or land plot. are woven agrotextile and special film (color and black). These materials can be used in conjunction with organic mulch.

2 Why is mulching necessary?

Mulching should be used for all plants, regardless of their varieties and the type of soil on which they grow. It allows:

Protect plants from excessive water evaporation;
Protect plants from pests even without special chemicals;
Protect roots from exposure to low or high temperatures;
Provide soil desired level acidity for better plant development;
Saturate it with oxygen;
Save the amount of useful substances contained in the earth.

That is why it is necessary to mulch the soil with sawdust, as well as other means that will help maintain its fertile qualities all year round.

2.1 How to mulch the soil?

You can mulch the soil in different ways, depending on which plant grows on it. Before this, you will need to pull out all the weeds and add gradually decomposing fertilizers, such as bone meal or ash.

Adding a crop-specific mulch layer will be required in the spring and fall, depending on the type of plant. For example, roses and grapes are mulched in late autumn, before preparing them for the winter cold.

In this case, the mulch should be at least 7 cm above the soil cover. The lawn is treated with humus of foliage and garden soil. Raspberries will "like" which are the best way to keep moisture in the ground. When mulching the soil, experts also recommend using inorganic mulching methods - covering the ground and plants with a film before frost.

The presented event is necessary for every fruit-bearing plant, without exception. The mulching process itself, as a rule, is as follows:

sawdust- a common method for protecting garden and garden plants, involves removing weeds, moistening the soil, covering the soil with a layer of 7-10 cm mulch (moreover, sawdust must not be used).
foliage and- the humus will release enough heat to protect the plant roots from freezing.
Straw- will retain moisture and is great for mulching in the spring to protect plants from the heat.
moss– first-class protection against pests and weeds;
cones- perfectly protects the soil from freezing.

Mulching with cardboard, which is compared with drainage, has gained great popularity. It saturates the earth with oxygen and provides an opportunity to retain enough moisture for the normal growth of plant crops.

Now you know how to properly mulch the soil and with what materials it is carried out. Use our recommendations, and reliably preserve the fertility of your land.