Mulching

To Mulch or Not to Mulch?

…A no-brainer, right?

Of course you should mulch; with all the benefits you would be crazy not too. Throw it on, more the merrier.  Hold on there...not so fast! Few things in life are all benefit with no downsides and mulch is not exempt. Without a few considerations you may not get the expected outcome that you want.  

The main things to consider are time of year, your garden type, location, and pests in your area. 

Gardening in the Ozarks can be challenging due to our thin topsoil layer and the brutal summer droughts that we are subject too. If this was all there was to consider, it would be a no-brainer. However, we must also consider the time of year. The best time of year to mulch is late spring/early summer. Applying mulch too early in spring can cause crop problems by preventing the ground to warm up sufficiently for germination and stimulate growth. If cool crops like spinach and lettuce don't get a fast start and sufficient growth before warm weather hits it can cause early bolt, severely reducing crop yield and quality. For best early season crop yields, mulch should be avoided at this time of year.

Your garden type also needs to be considered.  Some gardeners prefer row gardening and others prefer square foot gardening. In row gardening mulching will be a benefit in preventing weed growth and moisture retention. Crops most practical to mulch are beans, peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes, vine crops and other long-term summer crops with large amounts of foliage. However in square foot gardening, mulching may not only be difficult but may not even be necessary. As the plant's leaves act as a ground cover giving the same benefits as mulching would.

Also location plays a big part in our part of the country due to our rolling countryside. If one is gardening at the top of a hill, the garden will be subject to more drying winds, causing faster evaporation than a garden located in a moist river valley.

Pests should also not be overlooked. As wonderful as mulch is, it is also a breeding ground for pests. A lot of gardeners are overwhelmed by pests, not realizing they may be raising them in their mulch. Total crop failure can be the result of this single cause. 

What can be taken away from this is that mulching has its pluses and minuses. One needs to consider its effects in time of year, type of garden, its location, and pests in the garden. When using mulch evaluate how your garden is responding and adjust gardening practices to get the best benefits. 

What has worked for me is I only mulch my tomatoes and utilize square foot garden without mulch to avoid pests. By doing this I have enjoyed good crop yields with few pests while I have seen other gardens completely wiped out by mid-summer when abundant yields should be the norm.

Source:  Keith Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener

Posted 6/20/2014