What has been your experience with mulching? Has it helped you a lot or is just more work? I've had a mostly positive experience and I did this video talking about it. It is part of a web series I am making about gardening. What do you think? I also want to know if you mulch and what do you use? [YOUTUBE]watch?v=d0KCjflxGkM[/YOUTUBE]
No! Tried it and hated it. More work in a vegetable garden I don`t need. But it made a nice home for the ants/bugs. Used regular bark mulch.
I'd say yes. Even although it's more work in the garden it's befeficial to the plants to cover them in mulch over winter.
Thanks for the reply. Have you tried a deep layer of straw? I would agree. do you use it during the summer also, or only in winter? moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
I use shredded Native Texas Red Cedar mulch on all my garden year round. With drought conditions it helps keep moisture in the soil and keeps most weeds down. I don't use bark chips in Texas. Termites and other bugs love living in it, cedar is a natural insect repellent.
Here in NE Texas you have the same problem with any mulch available. We raise hay. You would be surprised at what you find under those 1200 lb round bales. No one here mulches vegetable gardens. The cedar would be cost prohibitive when our garden is worked with a tractor.
I use leaves and grass. Also some hardwood in flower beds. Need mulch when we start hitting 90* - 100* days and no rain.
I thought about using hay when I first started my garden but then heard about the critters that make a home under it and changed my mind. Went with the hardwood mulch and the next Spring there were swarms of termites taking off from under it. So I use the cedar now, smells great when first put down too. Mulch year round these last few years is the only thing keeping most of my plants alive but at the same time when we get less than an inch of rain it doesn't reach the soil under the mulch. Which reminds me I have to replace a lot of soaker hoses this spring before laying down fresh mulch.
Suburban Homestead I use mulch all year round like Toni. It certainly helps keep down the weeds. I use bark chippings - we don't have to worry about termites here in Scotland thank goodness.
I used to use grass clipping in my old place but now I don't because grass clippings is such a luxury now.
I use a variety of mulches. Cedar mulch for established paths and ornamental beds, and a covering for cardboard mulch for new beds and paths. All my ivy hedge trimmings are run over with the lawn mower to make mulch for veggie beds. Really lessens weeding and conserves moisture. Shredded cedar mulch needs to be lightly refreshed or raked to help keep the slugs' trails broken up and under control (as much as anything can). It is like composting directly onto the gardening bed without seeds. I never mulch with anything with seeds. I never do any digging or tilling except to move plants or pull back mulch for planting seeds. By using mulch I find that I can move/change beds and paths to my whim with ease and always have rich soil and full of life. Part of the realities of living for several decades in the same plot of land is that your garden changes for a variety reasons and flexibility is key to making those changes. Mulch gives me that flexibility.
I'm a zone 5 container edible gardener never have mulched and don't think I ever will I plant a little tighter rarely need to weed my garden because of it
We use about 85 cubic yards in all of our gardens every year. I am hoping to use less this year but the hubby wants to cover all the gardens again. Oh well, I pay the bill he moves it all. Guess he will win this argument.
