Many gardeners have realized the importance of utilizing mulch. It is an excellent addition to your vegetable garden and prevents weeds along with handling fluctuations in temperature and retains water. All these elements are extremely important for your garden. The advantage of using mulches that are organic is, they tend to break down eventually in the soil, this builds the structure and texture of the soil.
Early spring, winter, and fall are excellent times for you to place a mulch blanket. You can utilize any mulch that is organic for your vegetable garden. Many times, there are reasons why you would choose a certain type of mulch over the other.
Compost
Compost is excellent to utilize with the soil as it enhances the texture adding nutrients and enriching the garden bed. It works in a similar way that mulch does. You can utilize a generous amount of compost in your vegetable garden, and yield a rich harvest.
There are numerous compost materials that can also be utilized as a mulch they are;
Dry leaves
Collect a sufficient number of dry leaves during fall and utilize them in the garden beds, as soon as they are collected. Dried leaves utilized as mulch (more as a blanket over the soil). You can also turn the leaves below the soil (this is done on a garden bed that is empty). Allow them to rest through the winter. In the spring you will realize you have beautiful humus soil all set for planting.
Cardboard or newspaper
These are gardening tools that come in extremely handy and are organic mulch. Most gardeners have it available and if you don’t have any, you could always borrow some from your neighbor. Newspaper is 100% biodegradable. The critters present in your garden beds will love it. I always recommend laying down the paper in five layers making it thick enough. We can do so, only for the fact that it decomposes quickly.
As you lay it on your garden soil, and the wind is not a friend of yours right now, to make your life easier you could make the newspaper a tad damp. This will help you to lay it down quickly. I always prefer to dampen the newspaper before I can lay down on the soil. Cardboard is also excellent and works in a similar manner however; it does last longer making excellent footpaths in between the vegetable rows.
Seedless hay and straw
Seedless hay and straw are excellent as mulch but, I must say if you are planning to mulch a foundation that is ornamental then, it would probably not look as attractive as you would like it to. Seedless hay and straw are excellent for your garden patches however, make sure the layer is thick.
If the layers are thin, they will blow away easily. I love using straw for my whole beds and vegetable beds too. They create very good footpaths in between rows.
Shredded bark and wood chips
These are popular mulches but, certain gardens should consider this because, they are study materials that do not break down easily. For instance, an annual flower garden or vegetable garden that you will be pulling out and later replanting at least several times annually, then such kind of bed is not ideal for this mulch.
I do not prefer wood chips in my garden bed however, they are ideal for shrubby foundation and perennial garden soil.
I do hope that this article has given you clarity on the best way to utilize compost as mulch. All the best!