I would like to get the opinion of the members as to what mulch is best for vegetables. I used a finely shredded bark this year and compost the previous year. I would have used compost again this year, but my wife makes the compost and doubled her flower garden size, so I lost out on that source.
So, what would make a good source for next year? Has anyone tried cocoa husks? I have seen newspaper used, but my vegetable garden is in the front yard, so I would like it to look somewhat presentable. Any suggestions would be great!
mulch for vegetables
Grass clippings, shredded leaves, pine needles, all work fine, and are sometimes readily available in cities.
Definately, let the grass clippings dry a bit in the sun first, and lose their green color, though. They can get a bit hot as they break down, especially if applied thickly. Great source of nitrogen, but when grass clippings are wet, they really smother the soil a bit too much, tending to mat down and not let the soil "breath". When they're dry, they blow easily in the wind, not to mention they're a bit of a firehazard. Not a good combination there, when you think about it.
Pine needles can dramatically change the pH of the soil. It will be best suited for acid-loving plants.
I prefer straw. It stays in place well, is easy on the legs, keeps the weeds down, and can usually be tilled in, the following spring (provided it wasn't applied too heavy). Some like landscape fabric, but I always thought it was a PITA to work with.
Straw works fine if you have deep pockets. Little more fire hazard than grass clippings or pine straw, but no problem if you are not in habit of dropping burning cigaret butts. The leaves, grass clippings are usually free, although the city of Augusta has discovered that they can pick them up compost them a bit and sell them back to gardeners at a profit. I collect enough for my kitchen garden by having some homeowners hold them for me. As for pine straw and pH, the longleaf of Georgia will barely effect it and only for a short while. Has no effect on vegetables.
If you live anywhere near the "heartland" (near Kansas; 75 miles to the west of here), straw is the ticket (not too expensive though much higher now). I used to use grass clippings, but unless you compost them you'll have to deal with grass seedlings coming up in the garden forever. I hate grass; it's the hardest thing to get rid of when it's where you don't want it.
Dave.
We water our vegetable gardens with soaker hoses and have tried a variety of mulches on top. This year it's leaves. All of the family members who felt obligated to "bag" their leaves last fall gave them to us. Some got layered into the compost piles but most (about 20 large bags) were overwintered in their bags and used this summer. They've done an excellent job of keeping the weeds out and the moisture in.
Has anyone tried roofing felt to fight weeds between rows (not around plants)? It isn't that expensive for a small garden when cut to walking size and MAYBE be reused. I don't know by experience. The thought came to me while shopping for lumber at Lowe's. Just a workable thought which I wanted to ask.
Thanks!
Lostindian, I'd want to know exactly what's in that felt before I used it. I use newspaper under straw.
I have a neighbor around the corner that uses the cocoa mulch but it's big bucks. Smells nice when weeding and working in the beds. It also decomposes into the soil faster than bark. That's my 2 cents :)
The cocoa mulch smells great but can be toxic to dogs who will try to eat some of it.
We mulch with compost and plant intensively so that the plants mulch each other.
Any area not shaded by an adjacent plant gets an undersown cover crop as a living mulch.
Ohhhh good to know... makes sense that dogs don't like it.
There are special kinds of landscaping fabric or plastic with lots of holes punched in it which also makes an excellent mulch, but it warms the soil. It is wonderful on weed prevention and can be reused if it is heavy enough. Of course, it doesn't improve your soil.
actually lafko, most dogs DO like chocolate. It just doesn't like them back and can make them very sick.
There is "planters paper" which suppresses weeds as well but also degrades into the soil and is tillable. There's a new one made of corn starch. I've only seen these in black.
I vote leaves all the way. Get yourself a good shredder to chop them well. There always seem to be leaves around whether they are on your property, or in the neighborhood. You might as well put them to good use, rather than in the landfill. I use them and love em.
I love leaves too, but if I don't put a good layer of paper underneath, the quack grass takes over.
anyone bought a good leaf chopper/shredder? I want one for this fall
jessums,
I use newspaper as a base and cover it with salt hay, which contains no weed seeds unlike straw.
Every spring when my vegetable seedlings are up a couple of inches high, I just catch my fresh grass clippings and spread them on my garden paths and between rows. We have big oak and hickory trees on our place, so those first spring mowings are about 2/3 green grass and 1/3 chopped up brown leaves. I keep the mulch a couple of inches away from the new plants, but spread it thick elsewhere.
At that time of year, the new grass is thick, green, and wet - and a day or so after spreading the mulch it gets so hot I can't stand to hold my hand under it. That COOKS the grass, weed, and volunteer seeds that are in my soil - and I have very little trouble with weeds or grass for the rest of the season.
Every fall, I till it in - and in the spring before planting I till again and add some fertilizer to make up for nitrogen depletion.
This works just great for me. Unwanted seeds are destroyed, the soil under the mulch stays cooler and retains moisture better, and I can walk in the garden even after a heavy rain without getting into mud. I use a soaker-hose system in my rows, so there's no overhead watering.