So continues our never ending Journey... Its spring finally! or its been spring? Who knows with this crazy weather! So the first thing to do when Spring hits is garden clean up. For some reason winter always accumulates all sorts of debris and stuff in the garden. After cleanup my suggestion is mulching :).
The best time-saving thing a gardener can do is applying mulch. This goes for everywhere from vegetable gardens to flower beds. Mulched gardens are healthier, have fewer weeds, and are more drought-resistant than mulch-less gardens. Done properly, it'll allow you to spend less time watering, weeding, and fighting pest problems.
There are two basic kinds of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches include formerly living material such as chopped leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, wood chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles, and even paper. Inorganic mulches include gravel, stones, landscape fabric plastic etc...
Both types discourage weeds, but organic mulches are better since they also improve the soil as they decompose. Inorganic mulches don't break down and enrich the soil, However You don't have to replace inorganic materials as often. As with anything there are pros and cons.
There are two rules for using organic mulches to combat weeds. First, be sure to lay the mulch down on soil that is already weeded, and second, lay down a thick enough layer to discourage new weeds from coming up through it. It can take a 3- to 6-inch layer of mulch to completely discourage weeds, but as we all know here in lovely Tartan Village weeds have special powers of aggravation. A 2-3-inch layer is usually enough in shady spots where weeds aren't as troublesome as they are in full sun. If you know that a garden bed is filled with weed seeds or bits of perennial weed roots, you can use a double-mulching technique to prevent a weed explosion. For example wood chips over landscape fabric. However do not set landscape fabric over plants you already have they will die.
Spreading organic mulch saves labor and nurtures plants by preventing most weed, and the few that do pop through the mulch will be easy to pull. Keeping the soil cool and moist in summer, organic mulch reduces the need to water. It also decomposes slowly, releasing nutrients into the soil. It encourages earthworm activity, improving soil tilth and nutrient content. Plus, it prevents alternate freezing and thawing of the soil in winter (which is super important in our area because of the crazy weather).
You can use shredded leaves or wood chips for mulching. You can purchase bags of decorative wood chips or shredded bark from a local garden center to mulch your flower garden and shrub borders.If you have trees on your property, shredding the fallen leaves creates a nutrient-rich mulch for free. You can use a leaf-shredding machine, but you don't really need a special machine to shred leaves—a lawn mower with a bagger will collect leaves and cut them into the perfect size for mulch. You can also go to to the free mulch yard on Eisenhower Avenue and get as much mulch as you like its free. If any of you eat out or shop a lot in Alexandria like i do, your just getting your tax money's worth ;)
You can spread a wood chip or shredded leaf mulch anywhere on your property, but it looks especially attractive in flower beds and shrub borders. Of course, it's right at home in a woodland or shade garden. Wood chips aren't a great idea for vegetable and annual flower beds, though, since you'll be digging these beds every year and the chips will get in the way. And some bagged wood chips have synthetic preservatives and colorants that are not healthy to eat.
Grass clippings are another readily available mulch, although it's a good idea to return at least some of your grass clippings directly to the lawn as a natural fertilizer. It's fine to collect grass clippings occasionally to use as mulch, and the nitrogen-rich clippings are an especially good choice for mulching vegetable gardens.
If you have enough compost, it's fine to use it as a mulch. It will definitely enrich your soil and make your plants happy, but you may want to reserve your compost to spread as a thin layer around plants and top it with another mulch, such as chopped leaves. YOu can also mulch with hay however this isnt a very attractive alternative
Now on to the inorganic varieties. Mulching a vegetable garden with sheets of black plastic film can be a good idea, black plastic will transmit the sun's heat to the soil beneath. Because the plastic film remains warm and dry, it protects the fruits of vining crops such as strawberries, melons, and cucumbers from rotting and keeps them clean. Because water can't permeate plastic, the mulch retains soil moisture but it also keeps rainwater from soaking the planting bed. Thus, the ideal watering system for a plastic-covered bed is soaker hoses or drip hoses laid on the soil surface before you put down the plastic. HOwever when it comes to trees and shrubs plastic can hurt it because it prevents air to get down tot he root system eventually the plants decline and die. Stick to organic mulches such as shredded leaves, bark, wood chips, or compost under your trees and shrubs.
Mulching with stones or gravel is a good idea but it should be done over a layer of landscape fabric to prevent the stone from sinking into the ground over time.
So this is what should be happening right now around the garden. Mulch Mulch Mulch its our best friend. Happy Spring! :-)
