Hello my dear gardeners!
Strawberry time has come and today we will talk about what mulch is and how to use it correctly.
About mulching
Mulching is the covering of soil around plants with organic and inorganic materials.
- Organic mulch - materials that not only cover the ground, but also have a beneficial effect: sawdust, hay, straw, mowed grass, peat, needles.
- Inorganic mulch - natural and synthetic materials, most of which do not provide useful actions on the soil: sand, river pebbles, gravel, brick chips, polymer film, agrofibre, expanded clay, sackcloth. The exception is pressed coconut flakes.
Each type of mulch has a different effect, so it is recommended to mulch with different types in summer and autumn.
Pros and cons of mulching
The positives include:
- Retention of moisture in the soil.
- They protect the roots from the harmful effects of temperature fluctuations and thereby improve metabolic processes.
- Do not allow soil crust to form after watering.
- Protect from weeds.
- They create a layer between the soil and the plant and do not allow fungal spores to penetrate.
- Winter mulching with organic materials prevents freezing and additionally nourishes strawberries.
There are also disadvantages:
- Organic wet mulch (except sawdust and pine needles) in the heat is a breeding ground for slugs and snails.
- In rainy summers on heavy clay soils, a dense layer of mulch can lead to root rot.
Let's take a closer look at the types of mulch:
organic materials
Sawdust and shavings
- Used both in summer and winter.
- For better decay, rotted material of natural hardwoods is used.
- Fresh sawdust is not used, as it draws nitrogen from the soil. If there are no other options, fresh sawdust is spilled with a solution of urea (200 g per 10 l).
- It is forbidden to use sawdust from chipboard, as they contain resins that are harmful to humans.
- The soil is freed from weeds and covered with a double layer of newspapers.
- Sawdust and shavings are poured with a layer of 5 cm and left until complete decay (2 years).
important! With this method of mulching, abundant primary watering is necessary.
Coniferous reset and cones
- Used as mulch in both winter and summer.
- They use rotted needles, bark and small twigs, which rot well and additionally nourish the soil, and also protect against gray rot.
- Not suitable for highly acidic soils.
- Lay in a layer of 3-5 cm, depending on the soil.
lowland peat
- Due to the porous structure, it regulates the water exchange between soil and air well.
- It is especially useful to apply on heavy clay and sandy loamy soils. Clay makes more loose, and sandy saturates with moisture.
- In addition, it nourishes any soil well.
Important! High-moor peat is not used, which, unlike lowland peat, creates a dense crust on the soil and increases acidity.
Straw
- Straw is an excellent material for summer mulching. Well passes moisture and remains clean even after heavy rain.
- It is not used on depleted soils, because it does not provide additional nutrition to plants.
- You can lay in a layer up to 15 cm - it gives a draft.
Hay
- The material is inexpensive but labor intensive.
- More nutritious than straw, but has a tendency to rot, so they are laid in a layer of no more than 10 cm and changed every 2 weeks.
- Hay is pre-shaken from weeds, then soaked and dried.
Important! Hay and straw are not used in autumn, as they attract rodents for wintering.
Manure and compost
- Protects and improves the structure of the soil, and also serves as additional nutrition.
- It is good to use in cool latitudes, since the dark color of the mulch increases the temperature of the soil.
- This material needs to be updated periodically, since the nutrients are quickly processed by strawberries.
Attention! If the technology for harvesting compost and humus is violated, there is a danger of infection with pathogenic bacteria.
Inorganic materials
Black plastic film
- Maintains soil moisture well.
- Good protection against weeds.
- Prevents rooting of tendrils.
- Well warms the soil and allows you to get an earlier harvest.
- Not suitable for heavy soils as it is impervious to moisture and causes root rot.
- It is used only in the spring, as it does not protect the roots from frost.
Agrofibre (spunbond)
- It is also used only in the spring-summer period.
- Through it, you can water and feed strawberries.
- More hygroscopic than film, however it is recommended to periodically lift around the edges for ventilation.
Coconut flakes (mulchagram)
The material is expensive, but in great demand because:
- It consists of natural fibers without impurities, which completely dissolve and nourish the soil well.
- Protects from both waterlogging and weathering.
- Warms roots well.
- It is neutral and applicable on soils with any acidity.
Mulching strawberries is an important and mandatory process. Each of the gardeners chooses the most convenient way for him. How do you mulch strawberries and what material do you choose for this? I look forward to your comments.
Read also: Methods of propagation of ordinary and remontant raspberries. Tips & Tricks
Another related article: Anyuta tomato: characteristics and description of the variety, yield
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