Mulch!!

[springbok]

Please somebody put me out my misery!!

What is it???  And what does it mean to Mulch soft fruits??

[springbok]

[Old bird]

Hi Springbokgirlie!

No mystery really a mulch is a covering of either manure, grass clippings, compost anything quite small (chopped like wood chippings - but not wood chippings!) which is put over the beds or around plants  to suppress weed growth and keep the moisture in the soil.

I know that sometimes when I see something I always try to work out what they are on about - a lot of peeps do LOL - what does that mean?  I thought maybe lots of love - but no can't be - can it?!!

Old Bird
;D

[Barnowl]

I think it means Laugh Out Loud

[Old bird]

Thanks for that Barn Owl!  It helps when you know.  I will give you another shout when I find another one that I don't know!

;D

[Baccy Man]

Mulch is used for various purposes:

To adjust temperature by helping soil retain more heat in spring and Autumn and by keeping soil cool and even out temperature swings during hot and variable summer conditions.

To control weeds by blocking the sunlight.

To retain water by slowing evaporation.

To add organic matter and nutrients to the soil through the gradual breakdown of the mulch material.

To repel insects.

To incrementally improve growing conditions by reflecting sunlight upwards to the plants, and by providing a clean, dry surface for ground-lying fruit such as strawberries, squash and melons.

For erosion control - protects soil from rain and preserves moisture.

For sediment control - slows runoff velocity.

Mulching is a particularly important part of any no-dig gardening regime, such as practiced within permaculture systems.

Organic materials used for mulch:

Grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, shredded bark, whole bark nuggets, sawdust, shells, seaweed, wood chips, shredded paper, cardboard, wool, etc... All of these materials also act as a direct composting system. There are many differing opinions on what is best to use though.

Living mulch is also used as a type of mulch, or more specifically as a mulch-like cover crop. This technique involves undersowing a main crop with a fast-growing cover crop that will provide weed suppression and other benefits associated with mulch. Living mulches differ from cover crops in that plants continue growing with the main crops whereas cover crops are incorporated into the soil or killed with herbicides. However, living mulches might need to be mechanically or chemically killed at some point to prevent competition with the main crop.


Inorganic materials used for mulch:

Rubber mulch - Made from recycled tyre rubber.
Plastic mulch - Crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting. This method is predominant in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of acres cultivated under plastic mulch worldwide each year (disposal of plastic mulch is cited as an environmental problem).
Biodegradable plastic sheet mulch - Various products have been developed as a biodegradable alternative to plastic mulch.
Gravel.


Old bird OTTOMH these sites are good for chat definitions.
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/chat.htm
http://www.chatdefinitions.com/

[caroline7758]

Can I add one more to the organic list- spent hops. I get these free from a couple of small local breweries and they are great for keeping weeds down and improving soil structure although they don't add much in the way of nutrients, apparently.

[kt.]

Some info on mulch:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0205/mulches.asp

If you do a search on Google you get loads of pages come up.

[ninnyscrops]

Up with you Caroline - always do spent hops  :)

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF0206.jpg

[caroline7758]

Hoping to pick up a load today. :D