Garden mulch for weed control

 
There are many widely practiced methods for weed control in gardens and
an important method among them is the use of garden mulch. Mulch is a
kind of covering placed around plants in order to avoid the growth of
weeds. Also, there are additional benefits that could be earned by using
garden mulch such as the reduction of erosion and water loss, and also
the regulation of soil temperature. And for organic mulches, farmers are
able to derive additional advantage since these mulches upon
decomposition serve as soil amendments. When you get a pest and building
inspection done on your property, you could also seek expert advice on
garden mulches. This is because, there are various factors to be taken
into consideration while deciding upon which garden mulch or landscape
mulch is most suitable for your landscaping needs. Also there are many
questions that usually people who are enthusiastic in landscaping raise
such as whether any garden mulch affects soil pH. This becomes much more
important with the knowledge that the composition of our soil pH has got
a hefty impact on plant health.


The best available answer to this question seems to be that soil pH is
little influenced by garden mulches. And this is supported by the
example that though oak leaf garden mulch is acidic when it is fresh, it
turns more alkaline as it decomposes. Also, garden mulch which is
composed of pine needles lowers soil pH to only a negligible degree if
at all it lowers the soil pH. Also, we should be careful in determining
which garden mulch is to be used because one that performs well in one
category may be miserable in another.




--
coykiesaol

 

Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition)
(Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides)
by Stu Campbell
<(Amazon.com product link shortened)
sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid94901182&sr=1-1>

p.39

Compostable Material Average C/N

Alder or ash leaves ............................ 25

Grass clippings ................................ 25

Leguminous plants (peas,
beans,soybeans) ............................. 15

Manure with bedding ........................... 23

Manure ....................................... 15

Oak leaves .................................... 50

Pine needles .............................. 60-100

Sawdust................................. 150-500

Straw, cornstalks and cobs .................. 50-100

Vegetable trimmings ........................... 25

Aged Chicken Manure  ........................  7

Alfalfa ................................................ 12

Newspaper........................................   175

-------

http://www.composting101.com/c-n-ratio.html

A Balancing Act (Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios)


All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C)
combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N). The balance of these two
elements in an organism is called the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N
ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the
composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for
energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are
compost scientists) have determined that the fastest way to produce
fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere
around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or 25-30:1. If the C:N
ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. If the C:N
ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january052009/israel_attacks_1-5-09.ph
p

 (snip)

 Mulch is a

Good grief!