http://www.care2.com/greenliving/marvelous-mulch.html
Marvelous Mulch
posted by Annie B. Bond Jan 29, 1999 2:36 am
Mulch protects the soil, prevents weeds, and provides nutrients to make rich, loamy topsoil. It keeps too much water out, and enough water in.
- When to mulch: In the spring and fall (after the ground is frozen for those in the North).
- How to mulch: Cover all exposed soil with 2 inches of mulch. This will help prevent runoff during heavy rains.
- What to mulch with: Nutritious mulch includes dried manure (age six months before spreading), wood chips (contact your town road crews for a possible source), corncobs, leaves (just make sure they are torn up leaves so they don’t mat), grass clippings (from unsprayed lawns), pine needles, hay, stones (they retain heat—helpful in northern climates—and protect the soil from torrential rains), straw, seaweed, peat moss, sawdust, and many other natural, organic materials. Black plastic spread over the soil is used to eliminate weeds and retain the moisture of the soil, but won’t impart any nutrition to the soil.
- Is green manure a mulch? Green manure is not actually a mulch, but crops that are planted in soil to protect the soil from runoff and to provide the soil with nutrients. Traditional green manure crops include clover, winter rye, or alfalfa. The crop is turned into the ground the season after it is planted. A great USDA-devised mulch system for tomatoes uses the green manure groundcover hairy vetch.
Go to the Source
Gardener's Supply Company Passport to Gardening : A Sourcebook for the 21St-Century Gardener by Lali
No matter what your gardening specialty or experience level, this is your sourcebook. More than 40 aspects of gardening are surveyed and the paths to more in-depth information clearly identified. This is the first book to help the avid gardener "travel" the world of gardening.buy now
Great Garden Formulas : The Ultimate Book of Mix-It-Yourself Concoctions for Gardeners by Joan Benja
The most complete collection of garden secrets ever compiled, this book includes money-saving formulas made from household items; easy and safe pest control formulas; and easy-to-make herbal edibles, crafts, and home remedies. buy now
The New Organic Grower : A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener
This expansion of a now-classic guide originally published in 1989 is intended for the serious gardener or small-scale market farmer. It describes practical and sustainable ways of growing superb organic vegetables, with detailed coverage of scale and capital, marketing, livestock, the winter garden, soil fertility, weeds, and many other topics. buy now
The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by J. I. Rodale
Originally published in 1959, this is the book that started it all. J.I. Rodale, the founder of the organic gardening movement in the United States, compiled information from his visionary magazine, "Organic Gardening and Farming", into a 1,152-page masterpiece on the art and function of organic gardening. Not a word has been chnaged in this nostalgic, yet extraordinarily applicable work. buy nowrelated stories
-
I learned that chocolate was bad for pets when one Easter…
(2 comments)
-
Newspaper is a cheap, abundant and useful mulch. And it’s…
(5 comments)
-
What to do with your coffee grounds? You can use them…
(7 comments)
Annie B.
Melissa
Jana
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Eric
Andrew
Dave
Deepak
31 comments
add your comment »I love the smell of mulch
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I know I already said this, but to make sure it's seen by a few more people, .....
.........I WISH THEY HAD MENTIONED NOT TO USE CYPRESS MULCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are losing the protection to our coast and our wetlands because they cut down whole cypress trees and grind them up into mulch.
Don't use Cypress mulch.
And if you do use any mulch, don't use so much as you see people using today, those are our trees.
Check out:
www.saveourcypress.org
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thanks
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
thanx!!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
4/24/2008: My Daughter and I have raised dwarf hamsters for years now. I have buried any that have died under a potted tree of my Daughter's so they mulch with their very souls! I have used shavings of safe papers for their homes for a very long time. Can this safe paper be used for mulching? I have read that paper is very strong as far as supporting the Earth's structure-much stronger than expected. It decomposes as well and as long as there aren't dangerous or toxic inks in them, I thought they would be ok to use, What do you think?
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Ls jardines son importantisimos para ayudar a conservar el ecosistema. Asegurense de tener plantas de la zona, las plantas y flores exoticas suelen ser muy atractivas, sin embargo, no son el alimento que necesita la fauna como las mariposas y las aves entre otras muchas especies
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT INFO!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Termites. Make sure your soil does not touch any wood part of your house. Termites like darkness, so by making sure there is an ample amount of light should also help deter them.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
is there a natural way to deter termites. Our last house provided a feast for them, don't want it to happen again.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I live in a flat but enjoy a lot of green plants in pots that get plenty of sun, especially now that summer in here. Calcutta, is hot, humid and supposedly good for plants, but I get plenty of weeds.What mulch can I prepare and how much should I put into each pot? Enjoying your mails.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?