Soil mulching with various materials | TOP 20 types of mulch: advantages and disadvantages (Photo & Video) + Reviews

The most commonly used material. It can be done using compost pits or heaps, where all kinds of organic residues are accumulated for some time - cut grass or tops, leaves, thin branches, etc., mixed with the soil.

The main advantage of this material is its neutral reaction and the presence of useful organic substances, increasing soil fertility.

The production technology is similar to compost, but only soft residues are used - grass or leaves. It practically does not have the functions of a fertilizer, it has an acid reaction.

The main advantage of mulch from such material is it acts as a good soil conditioner.

The easiest way to mulch. Almost any plant can be used as grass - from cereals to weeds, such as weeds. Ideal option - grass after processing the site lawn mower. The beveled material can be simply placed on the floor without predrying. beds. Under a fairly thick layer of such mulch weeds will not grow, and the soil will remain loose and sufficiently moist.

Another disadvantage of this type of mulching is that the grass needs to be refreshed from time to time. There can be up to 5-6 such updates per season.

Sometimes the grass is pre-dried before mulching, or ready-made hay is used.

One of the most popular mulching materials. Excellent retains heat and moisture in the soil. Often used for nightshade cucurbits, and also when growing berries (strawberries, wild strawberries, blueberries, etc.) It rots relatively slowly, one bookmark can “work out” without problems throughout the season. Unlike cut grass, it does not need to be constantly updated.

The main disadvantage of straw is its ability to “take away” nitrogen from the soil during decay, which will require plant nutrition with nitrates or urea. Another downside is that straw is the perfect home for mice. Rodents usually damage cereal crops, but there is also food for them in the garden - they can eat pumpkins and damage the bark of fruit trees and shrubs.

A good covering material with weak fertilizer properties. It has a slightly alkaline reaction (reduces acidity), so it is sometimes recommended to use it for soil deoxidation.

Often young seedlings or transplanted plants are mulched with it.

A popular covering material (albeit with limited use), especially if there are forest plantations nearby. It has high acidity and requires mandatory pre-preparation. In addition, since the acidity of the needles is high, it is used only for acidophiles: cranberries, blueberries, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, as well as conifers themselves.

In some cases (for example, on excessively alkaline soils), gardeners deliberately go for the use of mulch from their softwood needles, to make the soil more or less neutral.But this should not be done either, because from the presence of covering material in the form of needles on the beds, root crops and berries can change their taste properties.

For other crops in the garden or vegetable garden, this type of mulch is not used.

Coniferous cones can also be used as mulching material, however, given their large size, they perform a decorative function. It is allowed to grind pine or spruce cones into chips with its further use as mulch.

One of the best conditioners and heat insulators, widely used for mulching shrubs and vegetables. In addition, it is widely used to warm plants for the winter.

The reaction is acidic or slightly acidic (it depends on the type of wood and its age), but the main disadvantage of sawdust is thatthat, unlike grass, they do not give away, but accumulate nitrogen, sometimes significantly impoverishing the soil. To avoid this, it is not recommended to use fresh sawdust. Before use, they must be pre-treated.

The preparation algorithm looks like this:

1. Sawdust is poured onto the film and urea is added with water. A bucket of sawdust will need 60 g of urea and 3-4 liters of water
   

   ---

2. The next layer of sawdust is poured on top, again adding water and urea. In total, 4-5 such layers are made.
   

   ---

3. Next, the resulting mass is hermetically sealed with a film and oppression is placed on top in the form of boards or bricks.
   

   ---

4. After 12-15 days sawdust will be ready for use

The thickness of the sawdust mulch layer is 5-10 cm.

Coarse grain mulch, sometimes used in place of sawdust. It has a slightly acidic reaction and the ability to absorb nitrogen from the soil. Therefore, she, like sawdust, will require pre-treatment.

Bark, chips or shavings of coniferous trees will need to be composted before use within a year, deciduous trees - from 3 to 6 months. Sometimes wood shavings are used for decorative mulching of coniferous plants that are not calciphiles.

An interesting exception to this group is larch bark mulch. This is not just a coniferous plant, it is a member of the Pine class, but despite this, its bark is highly recommended for mulching even without pre-treatment.

This material, placed in the near-stem circle, will perfectly suppress any weeds and retain moisture in the soil. Decaying, it enriches the soil with nutrients, practically without changing its acidity.

In its pure form, it is used only for mulching acidophiles, since it has high acidity and chemical activity. The main plus of peat is a combination of good covering and excellent feeding properties.

It can also be used for other crops mixed with sand or humus. Decomposes relatively quickly. As a rule, crops are mulched with peat only once per season.

Often used for mulching seedlings or when planting plants with seeds. It is the optimal mulch for use in greenhouses, as it combines the functions of a fast-absorbing fertilizer and a covering agent.

Common forest moss can also be used as a mulch, as it has all the main characteristics of this covering agent. It keeps the soil moist and protects the area around the stem or trunk from pests. Weeds will also not be able to break through a thick layer of moss. The protective functions of moss do not interfere with air exchange processes.

One of the popular types of moss for mulching is sphagnum. Moss is suitable for mulching tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, blueberries. Of all organic matter, moss is able to retain soil moisture for the longest time. It is believed that such material will be ideal for crops that do not need to be watered too often.

An interesting, but rather highly specialized natural covering material. It has a pronounced alkaline reaction and contains a large amount of calcium. Therefore, it is mainly used for calcephiles or for deoxidation of soils. Used in crushed form.

Instead of egg shells, crushed shell rock can be added.

Remains from potato peeling, appearing when it is cooked for food, can be used in the garden in many ways. They are rich in starch and potassium, so they can be used as a natural fertilizer. In addition, potato peelings are used in the country to make compost. Due to the thick enough peel, this material can also be used as a mulch.

In order to properly mulch the soil with potato peelings, they must first be dried. Fresh cleanings are an environment favorable for the formation of fungus. In addition, the remaining sprouts have a relatively high chance of sprouting (up to 30%).

On poor soils, it is recommended to use finely chopped greens of the following plants as mulch:

These plants are able to accumulate a large amount of nitrogen and various trace elements, therefore, they are perfect as a mulch that combines the properties of a gentle fertilizer. As a rule, such mulch is used similarly to peat mulch - no more than once a year. Most often, it is used either in early spring or late autumn, in order to provide plants with nitrogen at the beginning of the season.

Sometimes the following technique is used: legumes are grown as siderates, then they are mowed, part of the mowed green part is crushed and dug up with soil, and part is used for mulching when planting a new crop.

Fallen leaves can be used as mulch at the end of the season to shelter plant roots from winter frosts. This is a very compromise material, since its usefulness is doubtful. The positive qualities can only be attributed to its general availability.

The danger of using fallen leaves lies in three factors:

1. Leaves throughout the season filtered atmospheric air and precipitation, dust, dirt and various chemicals accumulated on them. That is, they are more toxic than any other covering material.
   

   ---

2. Fallen wet leaves are an ideal environment for the development of fungi and pathogenic bacteria, so their use for cultures with weak immunity is not recommended at all.
   

   ---

3. In early spring, it is the leaves that cause the root system of young plants to mature.

Therefore, often the leaves are not used as the main, and as an auxiliary mulching material - they cover already covered areas. For example, mowed grass is placed on the ground, a plastic film is placed on top, and only then a 20-30 cm layer of fallen leaves. And even in this case, the leaves are not left on the beds until the end of winter - at the first spring thaw, they should be removed to avoid overheating.

Usually, it is divided into aesthetic and practical. The first group traditionally includes various solid materials: stones, crayons, crushed stone, etc. The second group is covering fabrics of artificial origin.

The main purpose is to give the landings a beautiful appearance. It is mainly used for ornamental plants. They can create obstacles for the penetration of pests, but retain moisture and heat mediocrely. Often used as an external shelter for already laid material: for example, a layer of stones is placed on a bed of straw or humus.

Mulch made from flat stones or pebbles is good for keeping the topsoil from being washed away by precipitation or irrigation water.

It retains heat and moisture well in the soil, protects against most pests trying to get to the soil. The disadvantages include poor air permeability, which leads to overheating of the root system.

Another important disadvantage of the coating of this material is its low mechanical strength. Sometimes polyethylene mulch film can also be made in a multi-layer structure, which avoids this disadvantage, but leads to another - a decrease in transparency.

They are polymer fibers connected in a certain way. Recently, a large number of such materials have been produced. They have a different thickness and have good thermal insulation characteristics. Some of them are able to hold water.

They are applied in much the same way as polyethylene film, with the only difference being that they provide better water and air exchange. One of the disadvantages of such materials is low strength.

It is devoid of the disadvantages of polyethylene, since it can conduct air almost unhindered, thereby ensuring the breathing of the root system. There are many modifications of agrofibre with different water and air permeability. Moreover, it can be different in different directions.

The most versatile inorganic mulch material. On sale are a variety of its types, differing in color, thickness, ability to pass water, air and light. It has high strength, since it is essentially a woven material.

The only drawback of agrofibre is its cost. In addition, its use for more than one season is not recommended, as the material loses its properties.

Thick cardboard can also be used to mulch beds. This lightweight and relatively durable material is easy to handle, and its service life is about the same as that of freshly cut grass.

As a weed control, cardboard will be most effective early in the season.

Unlike sawdust and other woody materials, cardboard and thick paper are relatively neutral and do not change the composition of the soil. It is especially good to mulch berry plantings or areas with white cabbage with cardboard. To prevent the destruction of the material from precipitation, it is desirable to lay it in two layers.