Mulching "Problem"

I just started using a bagged hardwood mulch that is broken down to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. This mulch has definately created a barrier between the mulch and the soil. It is generally 1-2 inches thick and I know water is not penetrating it. I have a small raised bed about 50-60 sq ft and yesterday I drowned the bed putting at least 50-60 gallons of water down. I let it sit for about 2 hours and went back and the water had only penetrated the mulch to the tune of about 1/2 inch. I also noticed my newly planted daylillies were looking bad and checked the soil, and it was pretty dry although I have been watering heavily every 3rd day. In my zone we are now getting daytime temps in the low 80's. I am attaching a picture of the raised bed that has Dutch Iris. Please do not be fooled by all the growth as this much was just put down 2 weeks ago.

Suggestions/advice please!

Don, I have a similar raised bed as yours. The only thing I can think of if you have a lot of peat moss in your mulch. Peat moss needs a good soaking... My raised bed is a heavy mulch mix very little soil. Hope you get this solved before summer.

I think you might have to remove as much mulch as you can, soak in buckets, water the remaining bed with thinner layer of mulch. when the bed is soaked well, and the mulch in the buckets is saturated you can probably put mulch back on. How high is your raised bed? The higher out of the ground it is, the drier it will be.
You could also after doing that, brush the mulch away from the plants a couple inch or so diameter, so that the dirt shows. then when you water the water will get to the plants quicker. The inch or two mulchless diameter around the plants would probably provide better aeration, and evaporation would wet the stalk and leaf of the plant, but most of the bed with the mulch would prevent any excessive evaporation, and the roots and soil around the plants would wick the moisture from under the mulched portion if necessary.

Have you thought of using soaker hoses under the mulch?

If there's any way to let the water warm up first, it will soak in better, especially if there's peat moss in the mulch, but even if there's none in it.

Thanks for all the input! Not sure if there is much peat moss or not but the mulch definitely creates a crunchy sticky surface. My bed is around 33 inches of the ground. I think I will move the mulch back a couple of inches around each plant Len as I like the idea of aeration will still maintaining minimul evaporation. The soaker hose is another good idea, just to far away from a water source to be viable at this time. Why would warm water penetrate better than normal tap water?

Thanks all, I have plenty to consider now!

dwr857, here is an idea for you. Ollas.
http://www.enewsbuilder.net/watercon/e_article000533719.cfm?x=bbrDcbK,b2FRwTrq,w
http://www.azpottery.com/item.asp?IID=3394
You can also use the cheaper conventional style terra cotta pots at walmart. You just have to cover them to prevent evaporation. I just bought some, I think a 4" was $1.07 and 6" $1.97.

Those olla's sound neat .. why couldn't you just bury some 2 ltr bottles with a few holes in the sides leaving the top/neck of the bottle just under the soil with the cap on of course then when you want to water, just move the mulch away, fill the bottles, recap and push the mulch back over.

X

Another great thought! I like it!

This thread definitely caught my interest. I've always read that I should mulch my garden beds because it helps to retain moisture during the hot dry summer. Well, this last summer I had a large amount of brush from some trees, so I rented a chipper shredder and made my own hardwood mulch. I had a good sized pile and I was a happy camper. Then, after a very heavy rain, I went out to use a little of the mulch, and much to my surprise, the mulch in the pile below the surface was bone dry. I couldn't believe that no water had penetrated the surface of the mulch. Later, we had several days of soaking rains. Again I checked the mulch, to find that everything below the immediate surface was completely dry. This has me seriously rethinking the mulching process. If long soaking rains are not penetrating the surface, than what is happening to the plants in my garden when I water them? Maybe I just need to mix the wood mulch with other materials, like leaves, to keep it from creating such an impenetrable surface.

DawninTx - Through email I received what I thought to be a great idea. Take your hardwood mulch and mix it with 70% compost and 30% hardwood mulch. I even tested it to make sure the water was penetrating and sure enough it was. This weekend, I am going to remove the hardwood mulch I have down and using a wheel barrel mixit 70/30 and re-apply to my beds.

As I am sure you know that water goes thru fine compost fairly quickly, with the addition of 30% hardwood it made an incredible difference. The area I tested it on last Monday was still moist today with daytime temps in the mid 70's. I think this may work.

Don

Don, sounds like a good suggestion. I usually put compost down first, then a layer of hardwood mulch, but it looks like mixing them would be better. Besides, you can never have too much compost, IMO. ☺