the essentials in brief
- A layer of mulch protects the soil and ensures natural processes that improve plant growth.
- Lawn mowers can be upgraded with special mulching sets. Cylinder mowers or mulching mowers are a worthwhile purchase for large gardens.
- Moisture-loving plants in partially shaded and shady locations like a layer of mulch. Warmth-loving species should not be mulched. Organic waste products are suitable as mulch material.
- Mulching has many advantages over mowing, with the right approach being critical to success.
What is mulching?
The term mulching is derived from the Middle High German word mul, which describes the crumbling earth. Mulching is also known as flailing and means covering the bare ground with organic material that has not yet rotted. In agriculture, the mowing and mulching steps are done in one go. The clippings are shredded directly and remain on the surface. Mulching with lawn clippings is a common practice in the private garden to encourage plant growth.
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Advantages:
- Constancy: Soil stays cool longer in the heat and keeps the daytime warmth better in the evening
- Yield: longer growing season and better harvest
- protection: Soil is protected from drying out in hot spells and silting up in heavy rain
- nutrient: The mulch layer is decomposed and acts as an organic fertilizer
- Weed control: Seeds of unwanted weeds do not get enough light to grow uncontrollably
Nature as a model
A mulch layer simulates a natural forest floor
Bare soils do not occur in nature. As soon as an area falls fallow, the first pioneer plants settle. In the forest, the ground is protected by mosses, leaves and herbs. This litter layer provides a habitat for numerous insects and fungi, which keep the functions of the ecosystem going. If you bed, Tree grate or the Mulching the lawn, ensure effective protection of the soil structure and its living beings.
Important when mulching:
- Spread mulch material only on loose soil
- Let the green and juicy clippings dry a little to prevent snails
- Apply thinly, no more than two inches thick
Devices for mulching mowing
Lawn mower models that reduce the workload have been around for a number of years. You cut the grass and shred it in the same step. The cuttings are no longer collected in a collecting basket, but remain directly on the lawn. The different construction methods each have their advantages and disadvantages. Decisive for the choice are the size and location of the garden.
| advantages | disadvantage | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lawn mower with mulching function | flexible, low-noise, low maintenance | mostly not suitable for large areas |
| Petrol lawn mower with mulching function | better performance than battery operated devices | noisy operation |
| Cylinder mower | clean cut, mostly hand-operated | fails in tall grass |
When is a mulching mower worthwhile?
Since many models are expensive, they are not suitable for the small garden. From an area of 200 square meters, the advantages of the lawnmower with mulching function come into play. They make it easier to maintain these areas. In smaller gardens it is worth retrofitting the existing lawnmower with a mulching set.
Is it possible to mulch with a normal lawn mower?
Most devices are not suitable for mulching. If you're using a conventional Mulching lawn mowers, very coarse material remains on the surface. It takes longer for the soil organisms to decompose the clippings. Often the clippings are unevenly distributed on the surface, which is why moss formation occurred in places. In addition, the exchange of gases between the air and the ground is impaired.
Mulching: when is the best time?
Lawn can be mulched several times a year
When and how often you carry out this maintenance measure depends on the area in question. For best results, you should mulch regularly from spring to autumn. Lawns can be mowed and mulched for the first time as soon as the grass has grown about ten centimeters high. Later, you can let the grass grow to a cutting height of between six and eight centimeters.
Make sure that the grass is as dry as possible. After rainy days you should not mow the lawn so that the clippings do not clump together. Beds shouldn't be placed right after the sowing the seeds are mulched, as this shadows the seeds and cannot germinate. Do the first mulching until the seedlings have grown a few centimeters high.
Which plants can I mulch?
Basically, you can provide anything that grows in the garden with a layer of mulch. At the Mulching the meadow you have to pay attention to other aspects than with Covering flower beds. The pasture for horses can also be mulched. However, not every plant will thank you with lush growth when the soil is covered with organic material. Mulching tomatoes means an increased crop yield. Special conditions apply when mulching roses.
Most plants like a layer of mulch - with the exception of heat-loving plants.
Perennial beds and grasses in the ornamental garden
Mulch (€ 239.00 at Amazon *) protects the floor and also looks pretty
While the meadow can be mulched with clippings, you have to use other material for ornamental plants. Every plant has different demands on the soil and this also tolerates the various mulch materials differently. In general, heavy floors should be covered with light material. Choose the mulch so that its grain size is slightly smaller than the grain size of the substrate. This prevents the soil from compacting and gives the vegetation stability.
Ornamental plants and their preferences:
- rhododendron: Fall leaves, bark mulch or crushed branches and twigs keep the pH value constantly in the low range
- bamboo: Pine bark, shavings, leaves or straw maintain the soil moisture
- Perennials: Bark mulch is an all-rounder
Flower beds in the kitchen garden
Dried comfrey leaves and nettles with no inflorescences are ideal if you have Mulching tomatoes want. Cucumbers and beans can also be mulched with lush weeds. Because of the high rate of decomposition, you will have to mulch the vegetable patch more often. Flat peas, buckwheat and vetches make perfect mulching material for potatoes because they are rich in nutrients and mainly add nitrogen to the soil.
Digression
Mulching corn stubble
Plants in dry and warm locations
Many ornamental plants or herbs from Mediterranean regions that grow in sunny locations prefer dry and warm conditions. Such crops should not be mulched with straw, bark or green material. For lavender, a layer of gravel is suitable as a ground cover. The stones store heat and are permeable to water and air.
Fruit and berry bushes
Strawberries particularly benefit from straw
Straw is not only suitable for covering paths in the garden, but also for Mulching raspberries, Currants or blackberries. The loose material ensures good floor ventilation and acts as optimal protection. If you Mulching strawberries, you not only benefit from the improved soil properties. The ripening fruits remain on the straw protected from wet earth and are less prone to gray mold and snail damage.
Bushes and trees
Fruit trees on the Orchard meadow show themselves grateful over a layer of mulch. That Mulching the tree slice not only serves to ensure that the soil does not dry out as much during the hot summer months. The mulch layer acts as a visual delimitation and thus protects the tree from mechanical damage that often occurs during harvesting work. As a material, you can use both lawn clippings and bark mulch or straw. For the Mulching roses Bark mulch is less suitable as the shrubs depend on optimal soil ventilation. Provide the ornamental plants with compost in the fall.
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Materials for mulching
Organic materials have different effects. Their rate of decomposition depends on factors such as structure or moisture content. Mulching with straw is a popular variant that is used on berry bushes. In principle, you can reuse any organic waste from your garden. However, you should pay attention to the needs of the respective plant.
| use | Hints | |
|---|---|---|
| Clippings | in almost all plants | can be mixed with wood chips for better ventilation |
| leaves | Forest plants, vegetable patch, berry bushes | Fall foliage is poor in nutrients |
| Sheep wool | Heavy Eater | releases nitrogen over a long period of time |
| Nettles | Flower beds, ornamental plants, fruit bushes | rots quickly |
| Bark mulch | Perennials in Penumbra and shadows, grasses and ferns | Use freshly sieved, methanol and sulfur smells indicate putrefaction processes |
| straw | Vegetable and orchard | fixes nitrogen in the soil, which is why additional fertilization is necessary |
Mulching or mowing?
Whether you like your Mow or mulch the lawndepends on the one hand on personal preferences and on the other hand on your garden and the equipment you have. From an ecological point of view, mulching is better because you do not remove any nutrients from the lawn and ensure a natural cycle. However, this method is more time-consuming because it has to be performed more frequently. In particularly heavy or very sandy soils and in regions with high levels of precipitation, mowing with subsequent composting of the clippings makes more sense.
Disadvantages of mulching:
- too thick a layer attracts snails and voles
- prevents soil warming in spring and autumn
- Harvest mites feel particularly good in mulch
- some mulch materials remove nitrogen from the soil
How to mulch properly
Mulch protects against weed growth
While mulching a lawn is easy, beds and shrubs need a little more attention. Done correctly, that helps Mulching against moss and weeds.
Ground preparations
Carefully roam through the substrate in the bed or under bushes with a rake. Unwanted weeds are loosened and the top soil layer gets fresh air. Weeds do not have to be disposed of on the compost if they have not yet formed fruit. Your roots dry out quickly on the surface of the earth, so that the herbs also serve as a good layer of mulch.
Tips
You can protect young plants during this work by putting small pots over them.
Spread mulch
Scatter the organic matter on the ground and distribute it over large beds with a broom and under bushes by hand. You should keep a certain distance from the stems of the plants so that the damp mulch layer does not cause putrefaction at the plant base. A few centimeters are enough for the plant to be adequately ventilated. The thickness of the layer should be about five centimeters. More frequent and more economical use of the material is better than single mulching in large quantities.
Check occasionally
The mulched area can then be left to its own devices. Since there are always some unwanted plants growing through the mulch layer, you should pluck them regularly. They can then remain on the surface so that the soil organisms can release their nutrients. The next layer of mulch is due as soon as the old material has almost completely decomposed.
Alternative mulching materials
The trade offers alternatives to the common mulch substrates that arise in the garden. Such materials prove to be more effective in certain situations compared to organic waste. These variants are not only less suitable for long-term use for reasons of cost.
Coconut mats
They act as air-permeable bed covers and protect the soil from frost, heat and erosion. Shallow-rooted ornamental and useful shrubs such as Honeysuckle and honeysuckle or elder and blueberries benefit from Coconut mats.(€ 21.90 at Amazon *) These are three to five centimeters thick and consist of unusable coconut fibers. They are held together by organic natural rubber and can easily be cut with scissors. A coconut mat lasts two to three years.
Tips
Coconut mats are also suitable as an insulating layer for planters in winter. Cover the substrate with the material and place the pot on a piece of coconut mat.
Foil, fleece or paper
Plastic films protect against weeds and warm the ground, but they are not very environmentally friendly and do not look good
Fabrics made from dark synthetic fibers ensure that the floor is warmed up quickly when the sun shines on it. Underneath, the soil remains moist for a long time. Such covers are especially suitable for weed-covered areas whose vegetation automatically dies after a long period of time. Since the material does not decompose and the floor ventilation is restricted, plastic mats are not suitable for continuous use.
As an alternative, we recommend films made of corn starch or paper, which are biodegradable. Their rate of decomposition is high, so they have to be renewed regularly. The ground warming is greater than under mulch covers made of straw, compost or lawn clippings. Therefore, heat-loving plants such as pumpkin or cucumber feel particularly comfortable with this type of ground cover.
frequently asked Questions
How does mulching with a mulching mower work?
As soon as the lawn has grown ten centimeters high, you can drive it down with the mulching mower. When the lawn is dry, the speed is set high. Drive the lawn in even lanes so that all blades of grass are covered. The tracks can overlap at the edge of the surface. If the lawn is higher than ten centimeters, you should shorten it by a maximum of a third. The next mowing can be carried out the next day in order to achieve the optimum cutting height of three to five centimeters.
When should I mulch the lawn?
Mulching mowers should only be used when the grass and the ground are well dry. After a long time Rainfall Waiting for the best time can turn into a race against grass growth. If you cannot delay the mowing date any longer, set the cutting height relatively high and work your way forward slowly. This will keep the risk of clumping to a minimum. Clean the knives thoroughly after work so that the plant residues do not dry out in the mower.
Why should I mulch my lawn?
If the clippings remain on the surface and are not removed, a natural nutrient cycle is created. Soil organisms decompose the plant material so that the nutrients are returned to the soil. In addition, the thin layer protects against excessive solar radiation and prevents overheating. This allows the lawn to develop better.
How often do you have to mulch?
In spring you should drive the mulching mower over the lawn once a week. During this period of high rainfall, the grasses grow very strongly, which is further promoted by the improved supply of nutrients. The shorter the intervals between mowing dates, the more splendidly the lawn develops. Adjust the frequency to the growth of the grasses. This decreases during the dry summer period, so you can extend the intervals.
How does mulching change the appearance of the lawn?
A species shift can occur on a non-mulched area if the existing grasses are not supplied with sufficient amounts of nutrients. Lawn mixtures mainly consist of the meadow panicle. Due to a lack of nutrients, this type of grass is pushed back by other grasses, which can do better under less nutrient-poor conditions. Red fescue and ostrich grass dominate the picture. This reduces the load-bearing capacity of the lawn and there is an increased risk of matting.
How can I make mulch myself?
Since mulch is made up of organic debris, you can make a suitable mix yourself to cover the ground. Garden waste of any kind is perfect. Chop up clippings from hedges and trees and mix them with small amounts of grass clippings or straw. The material is well suited for berry bushes. In the fall, you can collect fall leaves and use them as mulch material. If you have problems with snails, you should resort to mulch made from chopped reed. Crushed herbs with an intense scent have a deterrent effect on various plant pests.