What is mulch and where to get it? What is mulch in the garden?

The maintenance of a personal plot on which berries or vegetables are grown must necessarily include measures for the protection and nutrition of plants. In this case, if a small vegetable garden or a country house is kept away from the city, it is advisable to use the mulch for this purpose. It is not difficult to understand what mulch is and where to get it, since it is prepared literally from improvised materials. The only point that should be taken into account before the preparation of this fertilizing is the kind of plant and the effect that mulching should provide.

What is mulch?

In the creation of mulch weeds can be used, leaves, old sawdust, straw, husk, compost and other materials, waste, as well as processed products. The main condition is to get a set of nutrients from this raw material. In addition, to understand what mulch is and where to take it at home, you can turn to normal manure. If in autumn it is put in a specially prepared place, then by spring it will find the optimal state for use in mulching. Further it must be spread on the soil surface and wait until it is "pulled" worms into the bowels of the earth. So there is a distribution of humus at the soil level, where the root system is located . Likewise, other types of mulch come in - the scheme is simple: to spread the dressing over the beds, if possible, to protect this place with curbs and wait until the organic produces the result in the form of a rich crop.

Positive impact of mulch

Mulching cover provides the soil layer with the necessary supply of useful microorganisms. In the process of decomposition of this layer, the mineralization of nutrients is accelerated and the efficiency of their assimilation by plants is increased. That is, the definition of what mulch in the garden is, can have two interpretations. On the one hand, this is a technical operation to protect and nourish the soil layer, and on the other hand - the necessary additional fertilizer for the growth and development of cultivated plants. Decomposition of mulched organics is carried out directly in the soil layer, as a result of which all valuable trace elements reach the goal and do not perish in vain. In some cases, the presence of a cover with mulch eliminates the need for loosening the soil, since the root system of plants receives the optimal supply of oxygen due to the absence of a dense crust on the surface.

Dark or light?

As is known, the intensity of absorption of heat and light is to a large extent determined by the color of the object. Since the interaction of the soil layer with the sun is one of the most important parameters determining its fertility, it is worth considering the color of the mulch to which the bed will be covered. In particular, this will allow regulating the thermal regime of the soil. And again the question becomes, what is mulch and where to get it to get the right color? For light material, you can use sawdust and straw, and for dark - humus and foliage. But more important. It is first necessary to correctly determine what is required for the soil at the moment, since thermoregulation with mulching can play both a positive and a negative role. For example, a dark cover will ensure its retention of heat, and light - minimizes the arrival of sunlight, which will reduce the likelihood of overheating the soil.

Mulch from freshly mowed grass

Freshly cut grass is the most affordable material, which can easily find both a summer house and a horticulturist. The problem with the question of what mulch is and where to take it, will disappear by itself, since it can be prepared from lupine, alfalfa, mustard, nettles and stems of peas. That is a set of quite common herbs that grow in almost all regions of Russia. The composition will be more effective if it includes all these herbs without exception - the soil will be enriched with micronutrients of different groups, which will improve the structure of the fertile layer and the growth rate of vegetables. In addition, mulch from the above described herbs helps to eliminate pests. For example, young stems of nettle, scattered between the rows, will protect the strawberry from snails. Chrysanthemum will help in the fight against the bear, and marigolds with nails would scare off nematodes.

Mulching with compost

Compost itself is a good tool for structuring the soil and supplying vegetation with useful substances. It contains living microorganisms that destroy harmful bacteria of the soil layer. This is another example for those who want to understand what mulch is. The photo below illustrates composting mulching.

Such a cover becomes a barrier not only for pests, but also prevents plant diseases. Mulch from compost can be only 2-3 cm in thickness, but this layer is enough to provide protection to plants, the action of which can not be compared to any chemical fungicide. For some varieties, there are direct indications of experts on the use of compost mulching - to such, for example, roses and tomatoes prone to diseases.

Mulch from wood chips

This material is suitable as a means of mulching the soil, designed for perennial flowers. If there are problems with finding a place where to take mulch of this type, and there is no own chips, then it can be replaced by bark. Either way, the finished material will have a beneficial effect on the protective properties of the soil, suppress the development of weeds and retain water. By the way, this is the most durable cover among all analogues. Mulch from wood chips can maintain its original properties throughout the year.

But there are restrictions on the use of this mulching tool. Chips can not be used if it evaporates the acetic or acidic odor. In such conditions, the plant can die after a couple of hours. The presence of such a sharp odor is due to the fact that acetic acid, contained in wood chips, is abundantly released in the process of decay without access to oxygen. Determining with where to take mulch in the spring, you should carefully look at other wood materials. In extreme cases, you can use the branches of coniferous trees, which are no less effective and, depending on the plant, can increase the yield by half.

Mulch based on a cover material

Mulching is often performed with the help of household film or woven materials. Covering the bed with such a flooring, you can achieve moisture retention, weed control and loosening of the soil. Now it is necessary to answer the question: what is mulch and where to take it to form such a coating? The cover can consist of cardboard, roofing material and tar - the main thing is that the material does not let light through.

The advantages of this mulching method include practicality and durability. Depending on the characteristics, this layer can last several years. But there is a serious minus. Unlike humus, chips and compost, such a shelter will not provide food. As a maximum, it is possible to achieve optimal regulation of moisture and temperature on the soil surface, as well as physical protection of the plant.