Growing your own vegetables can be incredibly rewarding, particularly if you actually manage to grow a tomato, and mulching your vegetable beds can help you get great results by optimising your plants' environment. Mulching can prevent the soil from drying out, protect plant roots from exposure to high temperatures and supress weed growth. There are many different types of organic and inorganic mulch and some are better for vegetable beds than others. Organic mulches are biodegradable and made with natural materials, while inorganic mulches tend not to break down over the growing season. Here's an overview of a few types of mulch that are ideal for vegetable beds:
Landscaping Fabric
Landscaping fabric is an inorganic mulching material that is laid on top of your soil before planting. You simply need to make holes at the points where you want to sow seeds or transfer young plants. As your whole bed is covered by landscaping fabric, weeds are suppressed. This is ideal for those who don't enjoy weeding, having large vegetable beds to maintain or struggle with being physically able to keep on top of weed control. Plants that love heat, such as peppers and tomatoes, do well in beds covered with landscaping fabric, as it increases the soil temperature. However, you need to stay organised when it comes to watering your beds, as landscaping fabric is impermeable and the soil can become dry quickly.
Straw
Straw is an organic mulch that's ideal for placing around delicate fruits and vegetables that hang low or come into contact with the ground, such as strawberries. Straw can protect your fruit and vegetables from coming into contact with moist soil, which can cause mould to develop. Rainwater passes through a layer of straw mulch easily, so your soil is less likely to dry out with this option, but heat will also be able to escape from the soil, so plants that enjoy cooler temperatures will do well with straw mulch.
Compost
Compost is a classic organic mulching option that can be used for many fruits and vegetables. Water can easily soak through it to reach plant roots, it's a good insulator and it adds nutrients to the soil to help your plants grow and thrive. The main downside of compost is that it does nothing to supress weeds, but it's relatively inexpensive and can improve your soil condition.
Your local gardening centre will have a wide range of mulches available. If you're unsure of the right type for your garden, have a chat with them.
For more information about mulch delivery, contact a local company.
Share16 June 2023
I have always wanted a pretty flower garden of my own. My grandmother has a glorious garden filled with vibrant coloured flowers that smell so good. Unfortunately, I have black fingers, and it seemed that growing a flower garden of my own was always going to be beyond my reach. This year I am making it my resolution to create a garden just like my grandmothers. Follow my blog journey as I figure out the best way to get flowers to flourish and bloom despite my lack of gardening talent. I have the perfect spot picked out in the back garden, so it is going to be an exciting adventure for sure!