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 who deals with sustainable gardening or permaculture 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 practices 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?

If 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, sinceit is made 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, mulch materials such as bark mulch can be used to control weeds: the mulch suppresses unwanted weeds because 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 put to good use by turning it into mulch.

An overview of the advantages of mulching:

• 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 used sensibly

What are the disadvantages of mulching?

If mulching is not done 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. For example, horn shavings or a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect that provides nutrients over a long period of time are suitable for this. 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 youremove the mulch.

Things to watch out for when mulching:

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

What 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.

An overview of suitable materials for mulching:

• Bark mulch
• wood chipper
• Mowing
• Leaves
• Straw
• Comfrey

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Of course, not all mulch materials are equally suitable for all plants and uses. For a detailed overview of mulching materials and a description of what they are suitable for, see our special article.

How to mulch?

You can actually start mulching at any time in your garden. However, spring is a good time, when you start cultivating 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 that the soil is supplied with nitrogen over a long period of time. It also contains other important nutrients for your plants.

Once 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 applying 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 hard workyou 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 turned into mulch itself by placing it directly on top of the mulch layer (only on dry days).

Step-by-step instructions on how to mulch properly:

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

A well-known and common gardening practice is mulching the lawn. Here you can find out what advantages this brings and how to proceed.