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In the News - June 2008
Mulching - It's More than Making a Garden Look Pretty!

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - One relatively easy gardening chore that heaps great rewards is mulching, says Dr. Obadiah Njue, horticulture specialist, Cooperative Extension Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

With summer heat rapidly approaching, garden vegetables will soon be experiencing heat and water stress. In addition to reducing this stress, mulching suppresses weed growth, says Dr. Njue.

Mulching helps your garden in other ways, too.

• Conserves water by reducing evaporation of soil moisture
• Lowers soil temperature
• Increases water absorption
• Reduces fertilizer leaching
• Keeps vegetables off the ground preventing possible contamination
• Prevents fruit rots
• Increases crop yields
• Reduces labor required in cultivation
• Reduces tillage and use of weed-control chemicals
• Prevents the formation of soil crusts
• Increases soil fertility after decomposition
• Decreases soil loss from heavy rain, irrigation and/or wind

Dr. Njue recommends mulch be 3 to 4 inches deep. Too little gives only limited weed control and too much prevents air from reaching roots, he says.

Many different materials can be used for mulch including newspapers. Although mulching materials can be obtained from garden centers and city compost sites, the most inexpensive, easy to obtain and easy to use materials are those from your yard, such as leaves and grass clippings.

Here are some tips from Dr. Njue:

Leaves - Free, spread easily, release nutrients upon decomposition. Shredded leaves work better.

Compost - Has fertilizer value and a soil-like appearance. Finished compost (humus) is also a good organic amendment for tilling into the soil after the growing season.

Bark - Attractive, durable and suitable for vegetable gardens. Small pieces are preferred over large chunks. The high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio requires prior application of fertilizer.

Newspapers - Readily available, economical, but difficult to apply. The high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio necessitates prior application of nitrogen fertilizer. A good use for newspaper is as an under-mulch. Place two to three sheets under a thin layer of an attractive, more expensive mulch.

Polyethylene film (plastic mulch) - Economical for larger-scale commercial applications. Holes or slits facilitate the planting of seeds or plants and water entry. Plastic mulch increases soil temperature and allows production of crops earlier in the spring. Drip irrigation is required for plastic mulch.

Ideal for acid-loving plants are pine needles and peat moss, says Dr. Njue. Both are attractive. Pine needles are not prone to forming a soggy mat. Peat moss can be expensive and dry peat moss requires considerable time and water to become moist. Apply it no deeper than 3 inches and avoid in areas subject to drought.

Restricted to vegetable gardens because of their appearance, straw and hay are easy to apply. They are not long-lasting, frequently contain weed seeds and are used primarily as a winter mulch for protection.

June 13, 2008

By: Carol Sanders
Writer/editor
UAPB School of Agriculture
Fisheries and Human Sciences
(870) 575-7238
sanders_c@uapb.edu