Mulching

I never utilized mulch enough in our previous gardens, but after moving here and working with my grandpa who has given us a complete education on mulching, the Ruth Stout way, I recommend it for everyone to enrich the soil and conserve water (especially important if you are working with a base of sandy soil like us). Here are some notes on what we learned and our process. Mulching not only conserves water, but prevents soil compacting, crusting, and eroding. It insulates the soil (protecting from extreme temperatures), feeds the soil and builds richness right in place, and prevents soil borne illness, while suppressing weeds! This is with natural mulch not plastic mulches. I suppose the benefits may be similar, but plastic would not feed the soil and would not allow breathability, which could lead to more issues. I have not tried this method and would not use it because we try to avoid plastic.  It seems unnecessary when there are so many low cost easy to work with options that help feed the soil. One thing I learned in the education process is that my grandfather loves worms (a lot) and so does our youngest daughter (always considered one of her favorite animals). Well, this is another reason to mulch, it encourages earthworms to proliferate, and we know how beneficial earthworms are to the garden. They help to aerate and feed the soil. 

Materials to consider for mulching

Cardboard

Cardboard can be used to block out weeds in large patches. You can layer cardboard and hay in preparation for a new bed the following year. You will then add compost to your planting areas and more mulch over that around the plants. This is a great application for cardboard, but it should not be overused because it can attract pests. 

Newspaper

This is a great material to use as a first layer after plants are in and you are working your way through mulching your garden. After the initial layer of newspaper I would not continue to add more to older beds the following seasons. With newspaper you will add it after plants are in or have sprouted so you can see where they are. First water the bed thoroughly then, cover the bed surrounding the plants with the paper and more water. Then, top the paper with a secondary mulch. We like hay as a second layer. This initial layer helps to hold in water, suppress weeds, and it decomposes quickly adding a nice layer of compost to the soil. Additionally, you should put compost and/or leaf mold with the soil in the first step before the paper to give a feeding of beneficial microbes that will speed the process. 

Leaves

Because leaves take longer to break down we reserve these for rows. This spring we added a layer of straw to our rows then as we pulled weeds from around the beds we would place them in the rows to breakdown there (the weeds in your garden offer a lot of nutrients and can be used as mulch. Once the leaves fall around our house we will bring them to the garden and top the rows with them.

Leaf Mold

Leaf mold is rich with indigenous microbes (if taken from the land where you are planting). This is from the forest floor, under the top layer of leaves where you can see mycelium structures. This rich material can be added to compost when planting or putting the bed to rest in the fall. In the fall, once the annual plants have been removed, you can add a mixture of compost and leaf mold to where you will be planting the following season. Then, cover the top with a layer of hay. In the spring you will fold the hay back to plant your seeds in the enriched soil.  

Hay

Hay contains a lot more nutrients than straw so we prefer to use hay on our beds and straw in our rows (straw is more cost efficient if you are buying it otherwise if you have an abundance use for both areas). If you are bringing in hay from another source look for non-gmo. If you live near an Amish community that might be a good place to check. Hay breaks down more quickly than wood chips so if you are using both apply the hay first then wood chips on top. 

Straw

As mentioned above straw can be used in rows. It does tend to sprout so a layer of cardboard or leaves first is helpful and apply it thickly. Because of the thickness needed with straw it can attract rodents so be mindful of that. In addition, because of the thickness needed it is not as ideal around plants because you want to be mindful of having some air flow around root areas. With all of these too much is too much. Keep all mulching lighter at the base of plants. If you are using this in your rows and they are wide enough to mow down, letting the straw sprout can work like a green manure. If you live in a dry climate straw can be a fire hazard so take care there as well. 

Woodchips

Can be added to beds and rows and work great for suppressing weeds, but kept about 6 inches from the base of the plants you are working around. 

Yard waste 

Grass and weed clippings can be added thinly to beds and rows. They add a lot of nutrients, but if applied too thickly can be gooey. Alternatively, you can make a fermented tea and feed your plant the nutrients that way. 

I hope you enjoy the process of enriching your soil as you put your garden to rest this season.