Mulching in Vegetable Beds

Why Use Organic Mulch

• Organic mulch feeds the soil. It builds soil structure, increasing drainage and its ability to hold moisture. Good garden soil is moist and friable, allowing plant roots to easily extend downward in search of water and extra nutrients. Garden soil is alive with earthworms. Their burrowing and tunneling loosens the soil, and their discarded castings are a source of nutrients. Microorganisms break down the organic mulch further into a form that the plants can use for photosynthesis.

The Best Organic Mulch

• A mulch made of pine needles, peat or oak leaves is acidic. It lower the soil's pH. Mulch made of bark, sawdust or ground corncobs is low in nitrogen. Soil organisms are forced to use the available nitrogen in the soil to break it down and there is not enough nitrogen left to feed the plants. The best organic mulch is compost. It contains a balance of nutrients that are released slowly over a long period. It keeps soil pH around neutral, which is ideal for most vegetables.

How to Use Compost

• Before applying compost, get rid of all unwanted plants, pulling them up by the roots. This stops weeds from growing through the compost, and seeds can't germinate underneath it. Apply the compost after the vegetable seeds have germinated and started to grow or immediately after planting starts. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer around the seedlings. Water the compost, giving plants a burst of nutrition and getting them off to a good start. Apply more compost to the vegetable garden as it decomposes throughout the growing season.

Where to Get Compost

• Making compost in the home garden is easy. With little effort, your compost bin swallows kitchen and garden wastes turning them into a valuable source of free nutrients. Compost can also be brought cheaply from most municipal landfills. Compost is the most sustainable way to mulch your vegetable garden. It recycles kitchen and garden wastes and feeds soil organisms and the plants.