Your Garden + Natural Mulches = Better Harvests

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7. Mulches do wonders in protecting the shallow roots of such plants as blueberries, Azaleas and Rhododendrons. Without a mulch, these plants must be cultivated. Deep cultivation, however is detrimental to their health since even the slightest scraping of the surface to control weeds will sever a multitude of valuable feeder roots.

8. A 6-inch mulch of ground corn cobs, wood chips or sawdust placed in the garden aisles, or paths, will enable you to walk in your garden immediately after a heavy rain without compacting the moist soil or getting your shoes muddy.

Mulch placed under individual squash, melons or pumpkin plants eliminates fruit rot due to direct contact with cool, moist soil and soil insects. It will also prevent the fruit from getting splattered with mud every time it rains.

9. A natural mulch is invaluable in areas that suffer from great fluctuations in winter temperature. Properly applied after the ground freezes hard in late fall, a mulch will prevent the alternate thawing and freezing of the soil that can completely destroy root systems of even the strongest perennials.

Mulches will also prevent deep freezing around less hardy plants and will help to keep the soil from freezing in bulb beds where late plantings must be made in early winter. In such cases, mulch is removed to allow the bulbs to be planted, then it's replaced after the area freezes hard.

REMEMBER THESE FACTS WHENMULCHING WITH NATURAL MATERIALS

A. Mice will often nest under a mulch beneath low-hanging branches. If left undisturbed they will eventually feed on bark during the winter, and cause serious damage to your trees. Either place traps beneath any mulch in the orchard or keep the mulch at least 12 inches away from the trunk of each tree.

B. Dry mulches can be a fire hazard in dry weather. Be careful about lighted matches and discarded cigarette butts if you smoke while working in the garden.

C. Natural mulches, such as sawdust, green grass clippings and fresh hay, cause a nitrogen deficiency in the soil for a short period after application. During this time, plant growth suffers. Although the condition is never very serious, it can be prevented entirely by scattering a natural fertilizer high in nitrogen (animal manure, bloodmeal, bone meal, tankage or sewer sludge) over the surface before putting down the mulch.

OTHER USES FOR NATURAL MULCH

By practicing these additional uses of mulch in your garden you can add to your gardening enjoyment and success.

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