Spring mulching can protect your soil, balance soil temperature caused by the climate, reduce pests and weeds and help the soil remain healthy whilst retaining water. With all of these positive effects that can be gained by mulching you may want to rush ahead this spring and mulch as soon as you can, but it is sensible to learn first about the mulching do's and dont's that will help your garden to gain the very best from the mulching process, and to avoid the very worst.
MULCHING DO'S
Mulching in the spring is a good idea, rather during other times of the year, as the soil will still be wet after the winter rain and by mulching you can retain some of this water for your plants.
However, have a think about what you are planting first as the soil will still be cool, which can be cause negative results if you want to grow flowers which will benefit from the soil being a little warmer. If this is the case then do leave mulching around flowers for a few weeks longer to give them the best start possible.
Do use sheet mulch if you are growing vegetables on a fairly large scale rather than for individual plants. Sheet mulch is made from biodegradable material and so is a better alternative to plastic mulch.
The reason that it is best for larger scale gardening is because it is far quicker and less expensive than other forms of mulch, of which you would need vast amounts to cover a large area.
With sheet mulch you make little slits for your plants to go through in the sheet itself. This helps to prevent weeds and pests, whilst cutting down on water evaporation leaving the water for the plants instead.
Do use organic mulch if your primary goal is to add nutrients to the soil, whilst still retaining the benefits above. Organic mulch may come from a variety of materials such as cocoa shells, bark, manure, sawdust, wood-chips, grass clippings, leaves, hay and straw.
If your lawn is dry with yellow patches then do add mulch to it once a month until it has improved. The best way to do this is to simply remove the lawnmower clippings catcher from the back of the lawnmower as you mow and let the clippings rest on the lawn instead of collecting them up after mowing.
If you mulch your lawn in this way then wear old clothes as you do so, as some of the clippings will land on you as you mow without the catcher in place.
Do use rock and gravel for mulching where your goal is to provide warmth for you plants for longer than usual and to prolong the growing season. The rocks and gravel will retain heat. This is especially so if you live where the climate is very sunny in the summer months.
Do consider mulching around ground laying fruit plants as this will make for a dry and clean surface for the fruits and lessen the chances of them rotting before you have had a chance to pick them.
MULCHING DONT'S
Don't be tempted to place mulching material too close to your plants. Leave a little gap around the stems so that moisture isn't constantly touching them.
It is necessary also to make sure, when using organic mulch, that you don't use grass that has gone to seed as this will, of course, end up growing more grass just where you don't want it.
Don't use sour mulch as it can kill your plants. You will know if your mulch is sour as it will smell unpleasant, unlike the smell of healthy organic mulch which will smell sweet and woody.
Sour mulch happens when the material which it is made from hasn't decomposed enough. The nasty smell which it produces is due to toxic build up which will have the opposite effect to that which you desire if used on your vegetable plot or garden.
If its too late and you fear that the mulch that you have already put down around your plants is sour, then water heavily to give the chemicals a chance to dissipate and you may save your plants.
Don't forget that when you use mulch you will also need to water your plants a little longer than before, so that the water reaches the plants.
Don't forget to periodically check whether you need to apply extra mulch. Mulch will compact slightly as time goes on, and if made of light material, and it gets very dry, will blow around.
Don't spread your mulch too thinly or it wont work so well. Three inches of mulch is recommended in most cases, or at least two inches if that's all that you can manage.
Don't place your mulch on top of weeds. They wont all die, in fact, they may well multiply.
Don't forget that although mulching can be wonderful, during the winter months the air above the mulched ground will be cooler. This may encourage diseases and pests if you don't keep an eye on proceedings.
SOURCES http;//www.rhs.org/Advice
http;//en.wikipedia.org