In a selection types of a mulch, ways of its application are in detail described. It is specified that gives mulchirovany soils to the truck farmer and the gardener. Mulching materials, advantages of a mulchirovaniye and possible complications are in detail described.
We MULCH, PROCEEDING THEM the NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES
The mulch happens light and dark (black). The light mulch well reflects sunshine, protecting the soil from an excessive overheat. Its this plus can turn back a minus if it is necessary for us that the soil under a mulch well got warm, for example, in the early spring. The dark mulch in this case promotes more intensive warming up of the soil but if we don’t clean it in time, in the hot summer the soil under it will overheat. It is important to find golden mean.
The layer of an organic mulch shouldn’t be too thin or thick. If the thickness of a mulch of only 1 cm and less, it doesn’t provide a sufficient zateneniye of the soil, and weeds freely sprout through it. If the mulch lies a layer in 15 cm and more, it can complicate access of air to roots of a plant and those microorganisms for which it is simply necessary! In everything there should be a sense of proportion.
The main advantage of an organic mulch that, rotting through, becoming compost – the power supply for plants, it enriches with organic chemistry the soil. That this process occurred quicker, it is possible to apply solutions of microbiological preparations. They not only will accelerate process of transformation of an organic mulch in organic fertilizer, but also will revitalize the soil, suppressing development of diseases in it.
Plants on our beds any more suffer one year from a phytophthora. Trying to suppress its manifestations on sick plants, we at all don’t undertake any actions for destruction of activators of a phytophthora in the soil, we do not interfere with its distribution. After all the naked soil under plants, bottom listya which are constantly splashed by dirt – it and is the main source of distribution of a phytophthora. Having laid a mulch layer in 5 – 8 cm, we put an additional barrier of this terrible illness. If in addition to water a mulch to preparations Light, it is possible not only to increase immunity of plants, but also to stimulate the general improvement of the soil, having in addition fertilized it in the most natural and natural way – in the course of a mulch peregnivaniye!
The biggest advantage of a mulchirovaniye of beds and pristvolny circles in a garden – the general improvement of the soil, gradual transition to natural, organic agriculture. The second, very important advantage – reduction of labor costs. Is and many other advantages, but it is best of all to be convinced of it on a personal experience, applying an agrotechnology of natural agriculture and mulching the soil.
THAT GIVES MULCHIROVANIYE SOILS
• Under a layer mulching materiala in the summer in the soil moisture that reduces need for waterings remains. The soil covered with a mulch in the early spring and late autumn overcools less. Zamulchirovannye of landing of winter garlic and podzimny crops of vegetable cultures practically don’t freeze in the winter at any frost.
• At rather stable humidity and temperature in the zamulchirovanny soil earthworms become more active, the soil becomes friable, air exchange that promotes activization of work of useful microorganisms improves. From it the soil structure improves.
• The soil covered by a mulch not razmyvaetsya also isn’t condensed during a rain, especially at strong heavy rain.
• Suppresses germination of seeds of odnoyoletny weeds. Especially difficult probitsya through a mulch layer to weed plants with small seeds (a shchiritsa, a shchetinnik, mar white). It is rather more difficult to fight against long-term kornevishchny and korneotpryskovy weeds. It is possible to get rid of them only having applied the materials which are completely closing access to plants of a sunlight and moisture, a precipitation or irrigation water (dark films, a cardboard, old carpets, roofing felt, mulchbumaga).
• If a mulching material to cover the soil round cabbage and carrots plants, to their roots the cabbage and carrot fly won’t make the way; the mulch reduces also quantity of nematodes. A mulch recommend to use and for fight against a dangerous virus disease – stolbury a tomato and others paslenovy.
MULCHING MATERIALS
To a mulchirovaniye of the soil apply, first of all, available and inexpensive materials – an economy waste. Best of them – well rerotting humus in which already decayed semena weeds. Humus not only zashhishhaet the soil from washout, an overheat or cooling, but also supplies plants with nutritious elements in the balanced ratio.
Peat is good as a mulch.
Compost which prepare from the economy waste, too a quite good mulching material. But it is necessary to watch that in it seeds of weeds didn’t collect. At compost preparation in a heap it is impossible to put the remains of sick plants.
As the mulching material is used also straw. However it shouldn’t be taken from fields where herbicides were applied. For decomposition of the cellulose containing in straw, microorganisms spend a large amount of nitrogen. Therefore before its introduction the soil should be fed up nitrogen or to water straw with solution of nitric fertilizers (20 – 30 g on a water bucket).
Available, cheap and effective material for a mulchirovaniye – a new-mown or podvyalenny grass and the pulled-out weeds. It is impossible to use for this purpose blossoming or already inseminated plants, and also a grass from a lawn processed by herbicides.
Fine mulching material – the crushed bark (a waste of the woodworking enterprises). It is especially good for a soil mulchirovayoniya under long-term vegetable cultures, and also under trees, garden and ornamental shrubs. The bark can protect the soil within 2 – 3 years, without decaying.
In recent years there were many synthetic materials. Polyethylene, polipropilenovy, polikhlorvinilovy, and also films from other plastic materials inexpensive, are convenient in application and are comfortable for plants. But synthetic nonwoven materials are especially convenient. They pass water and the beams of a certain range useful to plants.
The quite good mulching material considered a cardboard. It is very convenient for stacking in row-spacings. And making openings at the necessary distance, it is possible to cover already ascended or landed plants.
SOME COMPLICATIONS ARE POSSIBLE
Problems can arise all well mulchirovany, but at its application. It will be especially difficult to struggle with slugs and snails. Under organic materials, but especially under a film and a cardboard, they will find shelter on day time of day.
Freely the medvedka will feel under mulch cover also. And, despite categorical rejection by supporters of organic agriculture of application of any poisons, in fight against a medvedka not obojtis without use of the poisoned baits.
Soil shelter various materials – the most ancient reception of care of vegetable, garden and flower cultures. He allows to facilitate their cultivation considerably. At first sight, the beds covered by various materials and space under trees and bushes seem not quite esthetic. But everything depends on how to carry out this work.
Certainly, the mulchirovaniye should be practised in the southern and central regions of Ukraine where soils demand protection against drying-up dry winds and high temperature. And the last. Insistently we advise to all truck farmers and gardeners gradually to master this method of care of plants. Certainly, it is necessary to start to do it on the small area. Gradually looking narrowly and deyoly the necessary conclusions, you surely make friends with this method.
(On Ogorodnik magazine materials).