Creating Organic Mulch

Mulch the Organic Way for the Health of Your Plants and the Planet

Weeds! Nothing is more frustrating to a gardener – it can take hours every week to keep a healthy, weed-free garden.  Mulch is nature’s way of not only keeping weeds at bay, but also keeping moisture in the soil, regulating soil temperatures, and preventing erosion.  The best example of natural mulching is the bottom of a forest floor, covered in pine needles protecting the soil, and providing nutrients to the great trees that can continue to grow for decades.

While humans have come up with their version of mulch in rubber and plastic coverings, nature really has provided us with the best options.  Synthetic mulches can last for years so they are certainly a time-saver, however, they do not break down and provide extra nutrients for soil, so they are not as valuable as natural options.   

The advantages of organic mulch are plenty: it’s often inexpensive or free because it can be gathered in your backyard or found in public forests.  Organic mulch also breaks down and adds nutrients to the soil, and this, in turn, promotes earthworms which further distribute those nutrients and create healthy, prolific soil.

Types of organic mulches:

• Pine needles – an all-natural mulch; plentiful and long lasting; great for mulching shrubs and trees
• Grass clippings – needing a bit of prep, cut grass clippings must be dry and applied gradually.  They provide nutrients to the garden, and therefore are great for vegetable beds because they break down quickly and help to create faster growth and better taste in vegetables.
• Newspaper – plentiful and perhaps the cheapest option available; not the most attractive looking type of mulch, but does break down easily; can be applied shredded, or in full sheets and covered with a thin layer of soil
• Bark or wood chips – easily purchased at most home improvement or gardening centers; most come from recycled wood scraps which are much better for the planet and take less energy to reproduce than plastic or rubber mulches (what we recycle page rr.com)
• Cardboard – Be sure to use only non-treated cardboard without wax; thin layers, a little at a time, allow bottom layers to begin to break down

Tips

The best times to mulch are in the spring and late summer or fall, after a good rain, and after weeding thoroughly.  Ideally, mulch twice a year to continually provide your soil with nutrients, hold in moisture and suppress weed development.

Apply mulches no more than four inches thick, any more will not give  added benefits and may, in fact, prevent water from seeping through.  Thick or coarse materials such as cardboard or wood chips should be applied in stages.  Make sure the product is broken up to allow water to reach the soil, and therefore, your plants.

Do not pile mulch up around the base of your trees, shrubs, or vegetables because this can cause the plant to eventually suffocate and die.  Be sure to allow plenty of room around the base of your plant to allow for air and growth.   

Revolution Recovery is a recycling company in Philadelphia, whose recycled wood chips contribute to organic mulches in the area. Visit them at http://www.revolutionrecovery.com or find your local recycling company.

How to Create & Manage an Organic Garden : Making Organic Compost & Humates for Organic Gardens

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