Mulching & different kinds of soil

Are you mulching your garden and your plants? If you aren't by now, it's time to think about this mulching process as mulching should be adopted whenever possible.

Actually in Southern gardens it is a valuable cultural practice but is needed anywhere that you want to grow healthy and beautiful plants, flowers, trees, shrubs or gardens.

When you have a period of time when the rainfall is variable you will have dry periods, and mulch is a great help in maintaining an even supply of moisture in the soil. It will actually keep the soil beneath your shrubs, plantings, strawberry plants and/or vegetable gardens moist. This is absolutely essential to the welfare of Azaleas and Camellia plantings in the south. The mulch will really keep the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. As the organic content of the soil decays, it supplies acid for the many plants that need it. Leaves, bark, peat moss and sawdust are among the important materials used in mulching.

If you prepare a two inch mulch composed of the following items-- grass clippings, straw, ground corncobs, or any other similar materials-- you can cut water loss due to evaporation from your soil up to as much as fifty percent. Can you imagine how much that will help your plants? Mulch will actually keep the soil protected during those times of hot sun and also the winds that will really dry your soil.

When the rains come it will compact the soil and keep oxygen from penetrating the root zone, so the layer of mulch keeps this from happening and protects your plants. Actually, a three inch layer of mulch can keep the soil underneath up to twenty to twenty five degrees cooler.

When your soil gets too hot in temperatures, the roots actually can stop growing and then the plants suffer, wilt and sometimes die from this high temperature even if you water faithfully.

You are probably wondering 'When might I apply this wonderful organic mulch to my plants, shrubs, etc.?' We suggest that you apply the mulch in late spring or even early summer. If your area has a lot of spring rains wait until these are over and let the ground warm up so the soil can be worked more easily.

Notice perhaps a neighbor's shrubs or plants if he is already using mulch, as there won't be a lot of dirt splashed on the flowers. Now when one layer of mulch seems to have decomposed, you should cultivate this decomposed mulch into your soil and then you'll apply another layer of fresh mulch. Think of the wonderful organic nutrition you'll be giving your soil by just repeating this mulching process over and over. You will be admired by all who see your beautiful and healthy shrubs, plants, and garden.

It is important to remove any grass or weeds that have crept into your planting beds.
Then till existing mulch into the soil (or work in with a gardening fork) to help loosen the
soil around your plants and enable water and nutrients to penetrate.
If the soil is heavy and hard, amendments such as peat can be worked in to help create a
lighter texture.
Work in a light application of well-aged manure or a commercial time-release fertilizer.
Remove any dead plants and install new plants before you apply your mulch layer.
Mulch with "finished" compost from your pile or a good commercial wood mulch, placed
three-to-four inches deep in the bed.
Although fine mulch should be used to create a good barrier on top of the soil, larger size
bark "nuggets" can be added as a top layer to dress the bed up.

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