Mulch

 

I've just put in a big garden, 60'x14', with tomatoes, peppers, herbs,
musk melons, peas, cucumbers, and strawberries. It's weed free at the
moment but that can't last. Any suggestions mulch? I'm thinking straw or
peat moss. I'm told that bark mulch is a bad idea.

 

General Schvantzkoph wrote:

We use newspaper, three layers, covered with grass clippings and chopped
up leaves. Straw should work fine but you should check the pH of your
soil before adding peat moss, peat moss is pretty acidic. HTH

George

 



In previous years I've put newpaper down with cedar mulch on top.  This year
I'm trying to reduce the cost of my garden and have decided to just put
grass clippings down.  So far it's working ok.  And it's free.  Will try to
save some seed this year too.  The soild is finally where I like it to be so
no more major amendments are necessary.  I had the soil tested by the local
coop extension and everything they tested for was great.  I have yet to do
it, but for my strawberry patch I am going to use the dried, overwintered
cut seagrass (ornamental grass) from the property as a substitute for straw
since it's very similar in appearance.

 


Straw is full of seeds and could cost more than you might like to spend to
get good coverage.

Peat moss blows away easily.

Getting all those bales of straw or peat to your location may be a problem
unless you have access to a truck or pay for delivery.

Leaf mold is good mulching material and it/s often free for the hauling, but
you still need a truck.

Grass clippings are free and conveniently located near your garden.

My garden is a bit smaller than yours (40' x 16').  I plant in 4' wide beds
with ~2' wide strips of grass in between the beds.  It/s easy to maintain
and highly productive.   Once the plants begin to mature, they produce their
own 'weed controling, moisture conserving mulch' as the foliage from the
high-density planting shades the ground.  Weeds between the beds are
controlled with the lawn mower.

 

You got to be careful with grass.  You can kill you plants with N burns
when you heap on fresh grass clippings.