Thursday, August 28, 2008

Using Mulch In A Wilmington Garden

By Jim Carpenter


Mulch is a material that gardeners place over the surface of the soil to help in maintain moisture. Also using the right kind of mulch in a garden can help to improve the condition of the soil as well. In this article we explain a little bit more about the kinds of mulch, Wilmington gardens should be using.

Of all the things that a gardener can do in their garden, laying down some mulch on soil which is exposed to the elements ensures that the plants will remain healthy. This type of material is actually very effective if the correct amount is laid down at preventing moisture loss from the soil.

Also along with preventing moisture loss mulch is something many gardeners use in order to prevent weeds growing. But as mentioned for it to be affective it needs to be applied on the soils surface properly. Laying too much of this or using the wrong type can actually prove to be harmful to your plants.

Most gardeners when selecting mulch for their garden will use those that have been made from straw, leaves, sawdust or bark. But as you lay it remember that you should not allow it to come up into close contact with the plants it is being placed around. A gap around the plants should be left so that the soil around the plants roots is able to get sufficient amounts of water, nutrients and oxygen to help them grow.

The quality of mulch material you use in your garden should be of a very high standard. If it is badly prepared or the mulch is of the wrong (sour mulch) sort then this actually is extremely harmful to your plants. The sour mulch is a material that will contain high levels of toxins and these could have an adverse affect on your plants growth.

When it comes to how much mulch you should be laying in your Wilmington garden it will depend on which type of materials it is made from. Plus also the type of soil on to which the mulch is also going to be laying on needs to be taken into consideration as well. Where you have soil that is sandy then you need to lay down a layer of mulch that is between 3 and 4 inches in depth. Doing this will actually help the soil to retain moisture that seeps through the mulch from above much better.

Today you can get purchase materials for using as mulch in the garden from your local nursery or garden center, but can be quite expensive. However, many gardeners now to save money will actually make their own. One way of making your own mulch is to collect the grass clippings each time you mow the lawn and then spread them over the soil. This type of mulch material is best suited for use in vegetable rather than flower gardens as it can be somewhat messy when laid.

If you have an organic garden then you should only be using an organic variety of mulch on it. Most organic mulch, Wilmington gardeners select to use has either been made from the own garden clippings or from trees that have been shredded. Actually making your own can prove much more cost effective than buying the bags from the local nursery or garden center. This kind of mulch also is worth getting for a normal garden as it can enrich the soil underneath as well.

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