Mulching: function, advantages & procedure

Many gardeners swear by mulch. But what exactly is mulching and what are the benefits? We show what it's all about and how to do it correctly.

Anyone interested in sustainable gardening or permaculture busy, will certainly have heard of mulching. Mulching is attractive for all hobby gardeners because it can reduce maintenance work in the garden and promises a higher yield. Of course, mulching only improves the garden if done correctly. So that you can successfully mulch in your garden, we have put together everything you need to know about sustainable gardening practice in this article.

What is mulching?

Mulching is a tried and true garden practice. The word "mulch" means something like "unrotted, organic material". A mulch layer is a layer of non-rotting plant remains. How does mulching work? When mulching, material such as bark mulch or lawn clippings is spread on the ground and left lying around without rotting. So the ground is not bare, but is covered by a layer of mulch. This has many advantages for the soil and the plant: Proper mulching helps to improve soil fertility and soil structure.

What are the benefits of mulching?

When done correctly, mulching can bring many benefits. These can be roughly divided into three areas: protection, nutrient input and weed suppression.

The mulch layer can be seen as a protective layer as it protects the soil from the elements. The organic material insulates the soil, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter. This can even extend the growing season for crops. In addition, the layer of organic material prevents the evaporation of water from the soil. This means that the soil can store water longer and less watering is required. In addition, a layer of mulch prevents soil erosion because the soil does not lie there without protection, but is protected from being washed away, for example, in heavy rain. The mulch layer contributes to the nutrient input because it consists of organic material that slowly decomposes. Busy microorganisms convert the material and in this way make the nutrients it contains available to the plants. In this way, the mulch layer continuously releases nutrients to the plants over time and less fertilization is required. In addition, mulching materials such as Bark mulch against weeds be used: The mulch suppresses unwanted weeds, as they are unable to grow through the mulch layer. A final benefit of mulching is that garden waste, such as leaves or lawn clippings, can be usefully recycled by turning it into mulch material.

The advantages of mulching at a glance:

• Insulation layer cools in summer and warms in winter
• Less evaporation = less watering
• Prevents soil erosion
• Valuable nutrients for the plant = higher yields
• weed suppression
• Garden waste can be put to good use

What are the disadvantages of mulching?

If mulching is not practiced correctly, it can not only have advantages, but also disadvantages. First of all, the choice of the right mulching material is crucial. The ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C/N ratio) plays a crucial role here. Some materials, such as straw, contain a lot of carbon but hardly any nitrogen. As a result, the microorganisms require more nutrients to decompose the straw than is ultimately made available to the plants. The microorganisms even consume additional nutrients, which the plant then lacks. This can be recognized by the low growth and the yellow leaves of the plant. It is therefore important that mulch materials with a low nitrogen content are also supplied with fertilizer. Horn shavings or a Fertilizer with organic long-term effect, which provides nutrients over a long period of time. In this way you can ensure that your mulch material does not have a negative effect on the plant.
Other problems can arise if the mulch material is too wet. This causes increased mold growth and also increased snail infestation. Snails and mold simply feel very comfortable in a humid environment. A final disadvantage of mulching: once mulched, it is no longer possible to work the soil under the mulch layer. Unless of course you remove the mulch.

What should you pay attention to when mulching:

• Incorrect mulch can deprive plants of nutrients (C/N ratio)
• Moist mulch encourages mold and snail infestation
• No tillage possible under the mulch

Which material is suitable for mulching?

Many organic materials can be used for mulching. In general, almost everything that occurs in the garden and of which there is a lot available can be used.

Suitable materials for mulching at a glance:

• bark mulch
• wood chip
• lawn clippings
• leaves
• straw
• Comfrey

Of course, not all mulch materials are equally suitable for all plants and applications. A detailed overview of mulch materials and a description of what they are suitable for can be found in our special article.

How do you go about mulching?

Actually, you can start mulching in your garden at any time. However, spring is a good time, when you start to work the soil in the garden anyway, or autumn, when a lot of organic material accumulates.

Before you can start mulching, some preparations have to be made. Carefully remove all weeds from the area where you want to mulch. After that, the soil is loosened up well. Next, fertilizer is incorporated into the soil. This is necessary so that there is enough nitrogen in the soil and the organic material from the mulch can be converted really well. For this we recommend a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect such as our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer, which ensures the supply of nitrogen to the soil over a long period of time. It also contains other important nutrients for your plants.

If the soil is well prepared, you can apply the mulch material. How thick you make the mulch layer is up to you. The thicker the layer, the longer it takes for the organic material to decompose. In general, mulch layers with a height of between 5 and 15 centimeters have proven their worth. When spreading the mulch, make sure to leave enough distance to the stems and trunks of the plants. If the mulch is too close, mold and rot can occur. After your exertion, you can sit back and let nature do its work - there is not much left for you to do. Only occasionally do weeds make it through the mulch layer. This can then be plucked out and become mulch itself by placing it directly on top of the mulch layer (only on dry days).

Step-by-step guide to proper mulching:

1. Weed well before mulching
2. Loosen up the soil
3. Fertilizer with organic long-term effect incorporate into the soil
4. apply mulch
5. Keep a sufficient distance from plants
6. Let nature take its course
7. Regularly remove weeds that make it through the layer of mulch and leave them on top of the mulch

This is a well-known and common gardening practice Lawn mulching. You can find out here what advantages this entails and how to proceed.