Protect Your Garden's Soil With Mulch

Mulches are a vital part of organic gardening, especially in hot climates like the Southeastern United States. Heavy rains can wreak havoc on garden soils, and high daytime temperatures can quickly burn organic material out of the soil. Applying mulch over your garden’s soil protects it’s organic content and structure from compaction when the soil dries, and helps prevent erosion from rain. Mulches also stabilize the temperature of the soil, insulating microbial soil organisms, earthworms, and plant roots from temperature extremes. They help control weeds, and perhaps best of all, mulch helps reduce water consumption by reducing loss to evaporation.  When applying mulch, remember not to spread it too close to the plant as this can cause fungal attacks due to the increased humidity it creates.

So what can you use to mulch your organic garden?

Alfalfa
An excellent , popular mulch that is high in nitrogen, trace minerals, and the plant hormone triacontanol.

Salt Hay
Great because it doesn’t mat and is free of seeds. Avoid using grass hay, as it’s loaded with seeds.

Straw
It’s light and easy to work with, and adds organic matter to the soil when tilled in.

Compost
Be sure to use only finished compost, as material that isn’t fully composted can rob the soil of nitrogen.

Dried Grass Clippings
Dried is the keyword here…spread only about an inch of herbicide free, dried grass clippings over your garden. Piles of fresh grass clippings will only clump and mat. And smell.

Shredded Bark
A nice looking, readily available mulch option that breaks down slowly, but also takes nitrogen away from the soil.

Shredded, Dried Leaves
A high quality, readily available garden mulch that adds organic matter and trace minerals to the soil.

Newspaper
Not the most attractive option, but a very effective weed barrier between rows of vegetables.

Wood Chips, Shavings or Sawdust
Effective mulches that can temporarily rob the soil of nitrogen. Bone Meal and Dried Blood should be added to the soil before mulching to correct this. Do not use material from treated wood.