What is Mulch

By

Mr.Allah Dad

Khan

What is mulch?

Mulch is a layer of

material placed on

the soil surface

How Much?

Maintain 3-4

inches of mulch

BUT…

Allow 1-2 inches of space

between mulch and plant base

Contact with the plant can result in wood rot due to

fungal and bacterial pathogens

Citrus trees are particularly sensitive to this

2nd layerAimal manure 2 – 3 inches

Types of Mulch

Organic materials

bark, wood chips,

leaves, pine needles,

grass clippings

Inorganic materials

gravel, pebbles, or

woven ground cloth

Benefits not as great

Benefits of Mulch

1. Improves Soil

2. Eases Maintenance

3. Improves Plant Performance

4. Adds beauty the Landscapeto

5. Suppresses and slowing weeds growth

6. Improving Soil Quality/ Restoration

1.Mulch Improves Soil

Organic materials improve soil structure and

fertility

Buffers soil temperature

Prevents soil compaction

Minimizes erosion

Mulch helps prevent stormwater runoff.

2.Mulch Eases

Maintenance1. Improves water

infiltration

2. Prevents water loss by evaporation

3. Inhibits weed seed germination

4. Suppresses weed growth

3.Improves Plant Performance

Additional roots form in the

mulch layer,

yielding more roots than an

unmulched plant

Spread mulch around the base of newly planted

trees and shrubs to help plants establish.

4. Adds Beauty to the

Landscape1. Uniformity

2. Contrast

3. Variety of colors

4. Interesting textures

5. Gives landscape a finished appearance

Chemicals that inhibit plant growth Fresh mulches have these chemical properties

Eucalyptus, Melaleuca and Pine straw may exhibit long term allelopathic properties

Both positive and negative effects

Can inhibit weed growth

Can inhibit seed germination and growth of young bedding plants

5. Allelopathy

5. Soil Quality Restoration

Key to restoring soil quality is reducing soil compaction and

increasing organic matter content.

Comparing Mulches1) Criteria for Selection

2) Common Landscape Mulches

3) Alternative Mulch Materials

4) Quality Assurance

Criteria For Selecting A

Mulch Sources, availability, and price

Color, scent, and texture

Durability

Decomposition rates

Susceptibility to termites

Changes to soil chemistry

Why Mulch

Spreading mulch over your garden soil is the

best way to save time and energy in your yard.

Mulch helps the soil hold moisture so you don't

have to water as often. It also suppresses

weeds. And over time, mulches made from

organic materials break down and increase

your soil's structure and fertility.

What is mulch?

1. Mulches are loose coverings or sheets of

material placed on the surface of cultivated

soil. Mulches can be applied to bare soil or to

cover the surface of compost in containers.

2. Depending on the type of mulch used, there

are many benefits of mulching including:

3. Help soils retain moisture in summer

4. Suppress weeds

What is mulch? contd

1. Improve soil texture

2. Deter some pests

3. Protect plant roots from extreme

temperatures

4. Encourage beneficial soil organisms

5. Provide a barrier for edible crops coming into

contact with soil

6. Give a decorative finish

Characteristics of a Good Mulch

1. The ideal mulch is:Economical.

2. Readily available.

3. Easy to apply and remove.

4. Stays in place.

5. Supplies organic matter to the soil.

6. Is free of noxious weeds, insects, and

diseases.

Importance of mulches

Mulch insulates the soil helping to provide a buffer from heat and

cold temperatures.

Mulch retains water helping to keep the roots moist.

Mulch keeps weeds out to help prevent root competition.

Mulch prevents soil compaction.

Mulch reduces lawn mower damage.

Selecting the Right Mulch

There is not one perfect mulch. But understanding the attributes of different materials can help you choose the best mulch for a particular location.

The first choice to make is whether a situation calls for a summer or a winter mulch.

Winter mulches are used primarily as insulation for woody plants, laid down in late fall to keep the soil evenly cool throughout the winter. Straw, shredded leaves, and pine needles are all effective winter mulches.

Summer or growing mulches are normally applied after the soil begins to warm in the spring. The primary roles of summer mulches are to warm the soil, reduce weed growth, and retain soil moisture.

Mulches Groups

Mulches can be split into two main groups; biodegradable and non-biodegradable.

Biodegradable mulches

These break down gradually to release nutrients into the soil and help improve its structure. Layers will need replacing when the material has fully rotted down. Among the best materials are leaf mould, garden compost, wood chippings, processed conifer bark, well rotted manure, straw (for strawberries).

Non-biodegradable

Non-biodegradable mulches do not boost the fertility or structure of the soil, but they do suppress weeds, conserve moisture and some have the added advantage of looking decorative. Slate, shingle, pebbles, gravel, stone chippings and other decorative aggregates are often used as a mulch across beds. Crushed CDs, sea shells, tumbled glass and similar materials can be used on the surface of containers.

Sheet mulches or woven landscape fabric are ideal for new beds or borders. After laying, slits can be made in the fabric, allowing direct planting through it. The downside is these mulches do not look very attractive, but they can be camouflaged with gravel, bark or others materials. To allow rain and irrigation water to reach the roots it’s best to choose a permeable sheet.

Kinds of Mulch

There are two basic kinds of mulch: organic

and inorganic. Organic mulches include

formerly living material such as chopped

leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, wood

chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles,

and even paper. Inorganic mulches include

gravel, stones, black plastic, and geotextiles

(landscape fabrics).

Organic mulch

Non-organic mulches

How to Mulch

Remove weeds

Water

Spread 2-6” of mulch across soil surface

Keep 6-12” away from base of shrubs and trees

Keep mulch on top of soil to avoid nitrogen tie-up

When to apply mulch

Mulches are best applied from mid- to late

spring and autumn, when the soil is moist and

warm. It is best to avoid applying mulches in

winter and early spring as the soil is too cold,

and in summer, when it will be dry. They can

be applied around new plantings or to

established beds and specimen plants.

How to apply mulch

Beds and borders can be mulched entirely, taking care not to smother low growing plants or to pile mulches up against the stems of woody plants.

To be effective, biodegradable mulches need to be between at least 5cm (2in) and ideally 7.5cm (3in) thick

Lay mulches over moist soil, after removing weeds, including their roots, when the soil is not frozen

When creating new beds, planting through mulch sheets is effective

Single trees and specimen shrubs are best mulched to the radius of the canopy

Using Organic Mulches

Such as grass clippings, leaves, manure, and

compost, improve the soil. Stones and plastic

don't. Black plastic, unless it's porous or

perforated, grows a smelly, slimy coating. It

also turns brittle and breaks into little pieces

that escape the garden. Cheap landscape

fabric is not worth it -- weeds and roots will

tangle in it.

1.Bark mulch:

Choose from shredded, chipped, chunks, or nuggets.

Usually pine, cypress, or hardwood. Attractive and long-

lasting, especially the large nuggets, but might look too

chunky around dainty flowers.

2.Shredded leaves:

If you have trees on your property, shredding the fallen leaves creates a nutrient-rich mulch for free. You can use a leaf-shredding machine, but you don't really need a special machine to shred leaves—a lawn mower with a bagger will collect leaves and cut them into the perfect size for mulching.

You can spread a wood chip or shredded leaf mulch anywhere on your property, but it looks especially attractive in flower beds and shrub borders. Of course, it's right at home in a woodland or shade garden. Wood chips aren't a great idea for vegetable and annual flower beds, though, since you'll be digging these beds every year and the chips will get in the way. They do serve well as a mulch for garden pathways, though.

Shredded Leaves

Grass clippings can be left on the lawn to reclaim nitrogen equivalent to one fertilizer application per year!

Apply grass clippings as mulch sparingly…Thick layer can inhibit

infiltration of waterEasily transported via

stormwater runoffRapid decomposition

requires frequent replenishment

3. Grass Clippings

Grass Clippings

4. Compost Finished compost improves soil

structure and fertility. Use as: Mulch

Amend soil in plant beds

A layer of compost underneath mulch will help to reduce the effects of nitrogen robbing.

Compost Mulches

5. Pine needles:

Pine needles are a trim-looking mulch for garden beds.

They allow water to pass through easily and they break

down slowly. Despite what you may have heard, using

pine-needle mulch will not make your soil significantly

more acid.

5A.Pine Straw

By-Product of the timber industry

Readily available Poor color retention

Rapid decomposition

High in nutrients

Lowers soil pH

Highest allelopathic effect

5B. Pine Bark Mulch

By-Product of the timber industry

Readily available

Retains color

Slow decomposition

Eaten by termites

Low nutrient content

Slightly acidic

6. Hay:

Loose layer can be about 6 inches deep, will

settle down. Might contain weed seed.

7. Straw

Loose layer about 6 inches deep, will settle

down. Lasts one to two seasons. May deplete

soil nitrogen.

Mulching

Applying Straw Mulch

Mulching limits soil erosion, lessens the need to contain

sediment and enhances water quality.

8. Wood Chips

Byproduct of timber industry. Quality varies. Recycled

woods from pallets and construction might contain toxins

that kill plants and contaminate soil. Don't use chips if

they smell sour; this indicates the presence of harmful

acids. Rid fresh chips of acids by letting them

decompose in a compost pile or pit before using.

9.Sawdust

Breaks down quickly. Depletes soil nitrogen,

so sprinkle soil with blood meal or other

nitrogen source.

10. Landscape Fabric

Use at base of flowering shrubs. Cover with thin

layer of attractive mulch. Get good-quality fabric,

or weeds and roots will tangle in it. Best type is

bonded, not woven.

11. Leaf Mold

Leaves composted two to three years. Turn

under at end of season to improve soil.

12. Plastic

Use at base of flowering shrubs. Get a kind

that lets water pass through. Top with more

attractive mulch.

PLASTIC MULCH History

Cost

Planting

Advantages of plastic mulching

1. It is completely impermeable to water.

2. It prevents the direct evaporation of moisture

form the soil and thus limits the water losses

and conserves moisture.

3. By evaporation suppression, it prevents the

rise of water containing salts.

4. Mulch can facilitate fertilizer placement and

reduce the loss of plant nutrient through

Leaching.

Advantages of plastic mulching

contd

5. Mulches can also provide a barrier to soil pathogens

6. Opaque mulches prevent germination of annual weeds from receiving light

7. Reflective mulches will repel certain insects

8. Mulches maintain a warm temperature even during nighttime which enables seeds to germinate quickly and for young plants to rapidly establish a strong root growth system.

9. Synthetic mulches play a major role in soil solarization process.

10. Mulches develop a microclimatic underside of the sheet, which is higher in carbondi-oxide due to the higher level of microbial activity.

Advantages of plastic mulching

contd

11. Under mulch, the soil structure is maintained

during cropping period

12. Early germination almost 2-3 days.

13. Better nodulation in crops like Groundnut.

14. Less nematodes population.

15. Water erosion is completely averted since soil is

completely covered form bearing action of rain

drops.

16. When compared to organic mulches, it serves

for a longer period.

Selection of mulch Depends on

1. The selection of mulches depends upon the

ecological situations and primary and

2. secondary aspects of mulching

3. Rainy season - Perforated mulch

4. Orchard and plantation - Thicker mulch

5. Soil solarisation - Thin transparent film

6. Weed control through solarisation -

Transparent film

Selection of mulch Depends on

contd

7.Weed control in cropped land - Black film

8.Sandy soil - Black film

9.Saline water use - Black film

10.Summer cropped land - White film

11.Insect repellent - Silver colour film

12.Early germination - Thinner film

Methods of mulching

1. Orchard/Fruit/Established trees

2. Mulching area should preferably be

equivalent to the canopy of the plant.

3. Required size of mulch film is cut from the

main roll.

4. Clean the required area by removing the

stones, pebbles, weeds etc.

5. Till the soil well and apply a little quantity of

water before mulching

Methods of mulching contd

7.Cover the film to the entire area around the

tree and the end should be buried in the

ground.

8.Semi circular holes could be made at four

corners of the film in order to facilitate

water movement.The position of the

slit/opening should be parallel to the wind

direction

Mulch Laying Techniques

i. Mulch should be laid on a non-windy condition

ii. The mulch material should be held tight without any crease and laid on the bed

iii. The borders (10 cm) should be anchored inside the soil in about 7-10 cm deep in small furrows at an angle of 45°.

Pre planting mulch: The mulch material should be punctured at the required distances as per crop spacing and laid on the bed. The seeds/seedlings should be sown/transplanted in the holes.

Plastic mulch is a product used, in a similar fashion to mulch, to suppress weeds and conserve water in cropproduction and landscaping.

The red color actually increases

stem strength

History of Mulch

The idea of using polyethylene film as mulch in plant production saw it’s beginnings in the mid 1950’s.

Cost of Mulch

These costs include equipment, the plastic film used as the mulch, transplanters designed for plastic beds, and additional labor during installation and removal of mulch films.

Hoophouses used for growing of transplants

Planting for Mulch

Planting also requires specialized planting equipment. The most common planting equipment is a waterwheel type transplanter. The waterwheel transplanter utilizes a rotating drum or drums with spikes at set intervals.

Plastic mulch-layer and cultivation equipment are important components of the Upper Forty farm machinery.

Potatoes coming up through a black plastic mulch. The plastic keeps the ground warm, and it keeps the moisture in, and the weeds at bay.

What is a High Tunnel

A high tunnel is a solar heated, manually vented, plastic-covered cold frame that is used to lengthen the traditional growing season for many horticulture crops.

Plasticulture

Plasticulture is crucial to Indian agriculture in view of the changing technological

scenario for boosting crop yields and productivity. Introduction of linear low density

polyethylene (LLDPE) as a mulch film has brought a revolution in agricultural water

management. It is actually a boon to dryland farmers. This is one of the fastest growing

plasticultural applications in the world.

1. The cost of LLDPE film is also lesser than one third of LDPE mulch film. Moreover for mulch activity lower thickness (15 to 20 microns) are highly suitable.

2. However due to ever increasing cost of raw materials the films are costlier now. Hence Government should take all possible measures to produce the film in a mass scale and make it available to the farmers at a reasonable price.

3. Subsidy may also be given through banks to encourage the farmer to adoption soil mulching. Low cost machines may be developed for spreading and rolling down the film in the field. PFDC’s may be geared up for large scale demonstration in farmer’s field to give a wide publicity

Tomatoes are most commonly established in the high tunnel by

transplants.

Staking and stringing of tomato plants will improve fruit quality and early marketable yield.

Pruning tomato plants

Panda plastic mulch clear

top with black sides.

Organic strawberry field: variable plant vigour due to no fumigation. Yields less than 1/ 2 conventional.

Sweet, sweet potato success for northern growers!

Plastics used in agriculture can be recycled through:

Mechanical recycling - for agriculture materials that are still in relatively good condition

Incineration/ Energy Recovery Processes - because plastic has a high calorific value (i.e. polyethylene films from greenhouses) this can be an excellent option in many communities.

To preserve food

for a very long period

13. Gravel,Pebbles,Crushed Stone

Available in a variety of colors

Permanent

Fireproof

Lawn mowers can pick up and

throw the stones

Reflect solar radiation,

generating heat

14 .Crushed stone mulches

15. Geotextiles (or Landscape

Fabrics)

Since the mid-eighties, geotextiles (or landscape fabrics) have been the big news in mulches.

These woven and nonwoven fabrics of polypropylene or polyester are an improvement over traditional black plastic. They not only block weed growth and reduce surface evaporation but also allow water, fertilizer, and oxygen to penetrate easily through to the soil.

16. Geo textile

17 .Cedar Mulch

Cedar mulch also has termite repellant properties.

Studies have shown cedar mulch is detrimental to

termite attack and survival. Naturally occurring resin

found in heartwoods of cedar can be toxic to termites.

18. Eucalyptus Mulch

Harvested from plantations

Good color retention

Low durability

Settles, decreasing in volume

Low in nutrients

Good allelopathic properties