Maintaining a home garden in optimal conditions can be a very laborious job that requires constantly monitoring that the conditions are ideal. One technique to facilitate this task is mulching . It is a technique widely used in organic gardens that, among other benefits, gives protection to crops and soil.
If you have a vegetable garden, a garden or just plants that you want to take good care of, keep reading because in this article we will see how to make a mulch for plants or mulching. with a very simple step by step and we will also explain the benefits and advantages of using padding
What is mulching or mulching for plants and its benefits
The quilting or mulching is a technique used in organic farming in which a physical barrier protection is provided to the floor and prevents weeds develop. This barrier consists of putting on the surface of the soil a layer of different materials, both organic and inorganic, which prevents the passage of light and gives it protection against strong changes in temperature and against erosion.
The benefits of mulching are diverse, including:
- It hinders the growth of weeds in the garden.
- It provides protection to the substrate and the microorganisms that inhabit it against sudden changes in temperature, winds or abundant rainfall.
- Helps keep roots warm in winter and cool in summer.
- It helps to reduce water losses due to evaporation and gives shade to the soil, which allows to maintain humidity in the substrate. Therefore, mulching helps to save water in crops.
- The mulching with organic materials helps the soil fertility, since its elements are decomposed and incorporated into the soil as humus.
- Helps increase biodiversity and biological activity present in the soil.
Types of mulch for plants or mulching: organic and inorganic
There are two basic types of padding or mulching for plants and these are organic and inorganic :
Organic padding
This type of mulching uses exclusively organic materials, such as peat, leaf mulch, decomposed manure, straw, compost, sawdust, bark, wood chips or dried grass clippings. The advantage of these types of mulches is that they also provide improvements to the soil in fertility.
For example, mulch made from pine bark not only protects soils, but also acidifies them. You can also use mulch from shredded branches of plants that are healthy and free from disease. Another way to mulch is to apply a thin layer of dried grass clippings or use the leaves that fall from deciduous trees.
Another type of organic mulching that works very well is that of wood chips and bark, but with at least two years old, since the young bark usually absorbs nitrogen from the soil when it decomposes. Another option, if we are going to use young bark, is to apply some nitrogen mineral fertilizer.
The mulching organic is always recommended, since they decompose and provide additional improvements to the ground as the supply of nutrients.
Inorganic padding
This type of mulching uses inorganic materials, such as gravel, gravel, marble, crushed ceramic, expanded clay, volcanic rock or stones in general. However, these types of materials do not provide the improvements of organics. The padded or muching made stones are suitable in hilly terrain and around downspouts.
How to make a mulch for plants or mulching step by step
Mulching is recommended before the tree or plant begins to sprout. In this way, the new plant will take better advantage of the supply of nutrients or the improvement in the soil that will be produced. When we refer to our orchard , pot or garden, the ideal is to do it at the end of winter , just before starting the crops, and we can repeat it at the end of summer .
The steps to make a mulching or mulch for gardens or plants in general are:
- Remove the weeds and decompress the soil with a hoe, letting the soil loose so that the materials and supplements that we provide penetrate better.
- Add the material and spread it out on a padding with a thickness of between 10 cm and 15 cm.
- Add microorganisms, which will facilitate the decomposition of organic matter and the absorption of nutrients by the plant.
- Add the nutrients that the plant needs.
- With a rake or cultivator, bury the microorganisms and compost and mix them.
- Water the crop.
So your mulch or mulch for garden or plants will be ready .
