You can use moss as mulch. Sphagnum moss is a tip for great mulch! Sawdust and wood chips
In general, I conduct various experiments on strawberries. Here's another know-how of mine. I noticed that there are no mouse nests near the daffodils. I planted strawberries in the fall of 2012, and along the edge there are daffodils, they don’t interfere with the strawberries in the spring, the strawberries haven’t even begun to grow, but they are already in bloom. I fed the daffodils and got some strawberries. The daffodils will go away, but I will water and feed the strawberries and the flowers will get enough and they will be pretty next spring. It's no secret to get large flowers On bulbous plants, they need to be given water and food after flowering. And I really didn’t have mouse nests on strawberries, but they devoured my Turkish cloves and tulips. Yes, strawberries and daffodils will sit together for 3 years. Then I remove the strawberries, and the daffodils will follow in a new bed.
And tasty, and beautiful, and stop the mice.
There were no nests on the strawberries and they were not eaten, the lilies were also surrounded by daffodils and were also intact. Tulips and strawberries are a controversial thing; tulips need to be planted every year. That’s why I refused to plant garlic on the strawberries, either on the edge or in the center. There is no doubt that the garlic grows large and the strawberries are protected from it, but the strawberries suffered during the digging, because we plant the garlic deep. But daffodils and strawberries have the same three-year cycle of living together in one place.
Regular and remontant varieties do not cross-pollinate; you do not propagate them with seeds (sexual method), but with tendrils (vegetative method). Yes, and plant seeds if you want (although this is a waste of time), they are in different time They bloom in autumn and even in spring.
Remember only one thing: the remontant one produces a mustache, which will produce a berry in the fall, so do not rush to tear off the new mustache from the remontant one. And here old bush Having produced two harvests in a season, it practically “dies” and ages quickly (this is where they talk about remontant, which means it degenerates). and also remontant varieties, so that the berries are available and watered and fed very regularly, not a lot, namely regularly (once every 10 days (every week is possible) or at least once every two weeks), but she thinks that it’s spring all the time and she needs to bloom and give a berry, well, don’t dissuade her.
There is no ideal order and distance between bushes. I plant a new bed with bushes not in two rows as usual, but in one row in the middle of the bed. Now she is gaining color and the mustachioed one will begin to grow antennae. I leave 1-3 tendrils (I trim the rest), they grow wherever they want (I try to direct them from the middle to the edge of the bed), and by autumn they will bloom and bear fruit. The “old” bush will also bloom again and bear fruit. I feed and sing special food. fertilizer for strawberries (sudarushka, ryazanochka, etc.) These fertilizers have a balanced composition. This best option, because it blooms, bears fruit, and rests at the same time. The bed is overgrown sloppily (but it can be corrected). At the same time, the “old” bush “dies” in almost one season (two harvests or continuous production of a crop - this depletes and ages the bush). in spring next year I remove the “dead” bushes, and the healthy and strong ones begin to work again. As soon as the bed takes on an unpresentable appearance, I plant a new one and dig up the old one.
You also need to know that there are two types of remontant (to put it simply, without getting bogged down in scientific terms):
1. Fruits twice (end of June, beginning of July and the second time, end of August-beginning of September. This berry is large as usual.
2. It bears fruit constantly, that is, it continuously blooms, bears fruit and grows. It is naturally smaller than the first and these are not traces of degeneration, but a specific feature.
I have both of these types, but they sit on different beds, sometimes you have to cover the first one in the fall with a covering so that it doesn’t fall under frost and produces a second harvest. But the second one, as much as it gives out, will be enough.
The strawberries have begun to ripen and, as always, there are two sore points: keeping them clean and preventing the blackbirds from pecking them. This is how I do it. I photographed my daughter two weeks ago, it was still in bloom, but preparatory work were already underway.
I have some of the strawberries under a black covering, with a 3-5 cm layer of mulch under it.
I add pine litter over the sawdust mulch. It won’t acidify the soil, after three years I’ll add lime, and now I water it with infusion of ash.
I lay down straws, I’m not afraid of mice, the beds are planted with daffodils, and in the summer my cat works full time when he’s not sleeping.
Moss is also very good stuff, and as mulch, and clean berries, and prevention of fungal diseases.
For thrushes I put sticks (I use bamboo, then they go to gladioli), on the sticks are bottles, preferably with a wide neck, preferably from beer. The most important thing is that the poles-sticks-rods stagger in the wind, the cans knock, and now I also tied a polyethylene signal tape (which is used to fence off all sorts of dangerous places by housing and communal services workers) between the poles, and tied a cut tape onto the poles, it moves with the slightest breath, like The robbers scatter.
Strawberries and raspberries are treated for weevils when only buds form on the bushes and the air temperature is +10, at this time they wake up, begin to have an active sex life and lay offspring in the buds, these offspring eat the filling of the buds and we are left without berries, now it cannot be processed and will be of no use. We take our mistakes to heart and next spring we declare war on the weevil.
The remontant always has spring in her head, she needs to be fed and watered constantly, if you are not a supporter of chemistry, then on Saturday of an even week we will give you mullein infusion, bird droppings, herbs, and on Saturdays of odd weeks we pour ash. I feed him chemistry on Mondays, but at 1/2 dose. By the way, I don’t like the taste of Elizabeth, but the size is good.
I grew strawberries under cover. The first year I squealed with delight, this year I am removing the last beds with covering. I won’t repeat myself with all the pros and cons, but if you decide to grow on a covering (agrofabric), try it, but select a small bed 1-2 m long, judge the result yourself. I’ll tell you right away that there are no ants on them, no slugs. I started cleaning up the beds with the covering, I took it off, there was clean earth underneath, the mulch was all rotten, only the vines were indestructible, but pale. But I won’t grow any more on the cover (the main reason is that the yield drops significantly in the second year; the berry gave out all its power in the first year), although I’m happy with the experiment (it ripened early, the yield was significantly higher in the first year of fruiting)
This is what my garden bed looked like with the cover.
To trim or not to trim leaves is an old debate. There are thousands of pros and thousands of cons.
If you haven’t pruned it yet, then you shouldn’t, it’s too late, the bushes won’t have time to grow green mass. All pruning should be done immediately after harvest. The main FOR is the removal of old diseased leaves and immediate preventive treatment of “bare” bushes and soil with antifungal drugs (phytosporin, Bordeaux). I trim, feed, sing, process, cover with spruce branches in the cold and always with a full basket.
In general, all berries are prepared for winter immediately after harvesting, and the sooner you cut out the fruit-bearing “twigs” and bend the raspberries, the better they are prepared for winter, and they love gooseberries and currants autumn care, the latter can wait until the leaves fall.
Well, I’m almost ready for winter with my strawberry.
The first attempt to cover the nakedness was mulched with sawdust.
And this is what the bed looks like after the first year of fruiting, the beginning of August 2013, the ground is not visible, everything is under mulch, I plant the mustaches in glasses, marigolds from pests and nematodes, now they are frozen and will go into winter in the bed with strawberries, I don’t pull them out, they are in their roots earthworms take up residence.
By the way, I also leave the stems of sunflowers until spring: the roots also work as snow retention for worms, in the spring I shake out the earth before burning the stems (they burn beautifully), the worms just pour out of the roots in “heaps” along with the soil.
Here we sometimes argue: to cover strawberries for the winter or not to cover them.
Everyone has their own approach. I am a REINSURER and always provide cover for a case like today. At night -10 -14 degrees, but no snow. Under a meter layer of snow and at -40 the ground will be -15. May God give us good snow before frost.
Here's what I do on strawberries step by step: bare planting, mulched with sawdust, covered with needles.
And one more thing: the type of mulch matters a lot. I mulch my tomatoes with cut grass - there is no phytoflora, but needles and moss are good for strawberries. In the spring, I rake up the shelter of needles and it turns out to be mulch, the berry is clean and, believe it or not, there is practically no white-gray rot on the needles and moss. Previously, when we picked berries, we specially took a bucket for rotten ones, but in this damp summer there were almost no rotten ones.
I also mulch gladioli and blueberries with needles, pine bark heathers and blueberries.
The top photos are autumn planting this year, and the lower photos are mulched fruit-bearing plantings, the layer of mulch is really visible and it usually becomes larger over three years.
We mulch the earth for several purposes. Various useful earth inhabitants work at the “garden soil-mulch” boundary; this does not require thick layer mulch, remember how in the forest leaf litter, coniferous litter, and grass gradually cover the ground with a thin layer. Therefore, in the first year of planting, I have a small layer of mulch on my strawberries: for the benefit of the earth and so that the berry does not get dirty. Weeds are growing, but not too actively. Some of the mulch will rot in the first year, but I will cover it again for the winter and add more mulch to bald spots (in my bathhouse there are bags of straw that I collected from the fields, I will add as needed). You also need to remember that mulch is also thermal insulation; in the fall it’s good, but in early spring- not very much (the ground takes longer to warm up, that’s why I rake up the needles), so I add mulch when the ground warms up (just when the berries are blooming), and before that I also pull out the weeds. Well, in the third year, the layer of mulch increases and there are almost no weeds, but it’s time to harvest the berries and start a new plantation, but the land is not depleted, but on the contrary, it becomes richer from the organic matter that I added.
In general, you need to mulch the land wisely. In the greenhouse with tomatoes, I have a very large layer of grass and there are no weeds through it, I mulch the gladioli with needles, after the first feeding and loosening, there is a layer of 6-8 cm and the weeds do not climb.
But if you are tired of weeds, you can grow strawberries under a layer of black covering material, I did, but under the covering I still mulched the soil and this method has its + and -. Go to the Berry Fairy's room. She has everything under cover.
Here the strawberries were mulched with straw, it was also a very good mulch.
I grow Pervoklassnitsa, Darenka and Solnyshko (under this name I bought her from the Victoria company, perhaps this is the trade name of Solnechnaya Polyanka). All varieties differ in the shape of the berries and in taste and in the timing of fruiting. If you have little space, definitely - Darenka. It is really good: fruiting, size, taste, and density. I'm generally a supporter domestic varieties, although I’m currently “testing” Corona and Salsa. The crown is inferior to the First-grader, although they are very similar. I haven’t decided on Salsay yet, but for me the density of the berry is important so that it can stand in the refrigerator of young people until they come to the dacha for the next portion; today only Darenka, Stolichnaya and Tsaritsa meet this requirement. Maxim sent the vaunted gigantella to the compost: tasteless, the berry is large, but small, and as a result, the yield is inferior to smaller ones.
“Old gardeners” know what strawberries look like after winter, so I’ll scare the “young” ones a little. In fact, it’s even worse, I’ve already removed the dry leaves, the beds look lumpy and littered, but I like it - it’s mulch, there’s no need to loosen the beds with mulch, the soil is loose, “plump.” In the first photo the beds are from the 2nd year, in the second photo they overwintered the first winter.
Last summer was damp and there were brown spots on the leaves. Now I need to cultivate the beds copper sulfate, Bodos mixture, but I prefer a strong solution of potassium permanganate. You can use a watering can, an old broom or a sprayer. In the first days of May I will feed it, but I will mulch when it blooms (or when I get around to it), in a bag there is hay and straw stored in the fall. You can grow mulch yourself, but I was a bit lazy and sowed just a little bit of mulch. I have not yet removed the sunflower stems - this is snow retention and winter apartment earthworms.
The most terrible animal for strawberries and raspberries is the weevil, at +10 it wakes up and goes hunting, you can find it on the flowers of strawberries and raspberries (but it’s already late, which means you’re late). But before the buds appear, it hides and waits, so I would recommend starting treatment with our favorite Actellik, focusing not so much on the temperature, but on the appearance of buds, they penetrate these buds and do their dirty work. Those. As soon as something similar to a twig with buds appears, we’ll all fight, we spray the strawberries and then the raspberries, because at that time another bad raspberry beetle appears. And as soon as the berry blooms, that’s it, no treatments, just the second feeding.
If you don’t take care of the strawberries, leaving unauthorized tendrils of 2-3 orders, then bushes will form that seem to be lush, but their leaves are not three-petalled, but five-petalled. There will be no berries on such bushes at all or they will be small. Now the leaves are starting to grow, take a closer look, throw away the five-petal bushes without any pity, if you want to check my words, put a mark.
In general, tags and cups are for me best approach. I pick a berry, I like the bush, I stick a stick in, I take the first-order tendrils from this bush into cups, and I cut off the excess ones.
On average, I have 40 bushes in my garden bed. These 40 bushes sit from the 1st to the third year, they are not added, sometimes I can only replace them if they have not overwintered well. It turns out that there are always 3 beds: 1, 2, and 3 years. Every August of the 3rd year I remove and plant a new one.
We grow a mustache. We take a glass, fill it with soil, place it or dig it into the ground, and place the growing mustache in the glass. The only negative is to make sure that the soil in the cup does not dry out. Nutrition from both the uterine and its roots. you can then cut off the grown mustache and wait until a bed appears, you can plant it in " kindergarten" until spring.
I'm not a particular fan of remontant strawberries, but I have my own approach to them.
Repair care is somewhat different from usual.
There is no ideal order and distance between bushes. I plant a new bed with bushes not in two rows as usual, but in one row in the middle of the bed. Now she is gaining color and will immediately begin to produce antennae. I leave 1-3 tendrils (I cut off the rest), they grow wherever they want (I try to direct them from the middle to the edge of the bed), and by autumn they will bloom and bear fruit. The “old” bush will also bloom again and bear fruit. I feed and sing special food. fertilizer for strawberries (sudarushka, ryazanochka, etc.) These fertilizers have a balanced composition. This is the best option, because it blooms, bears fruit, and rests at the same time. The bed is overgrown sloppily (but it can be corrected). At the same time, the “old” bush “dies” in almost one season (two harvests or continuous production of a crop - this depletes and ages the bush). In the spring of next year, I remove the “dead” bushes, and the healthy and strong ones begin to work again. As soon as the bed takes on an unpresentable appearance, I plant a new one and dig up the old one.
You also need to know that there are two types of remontant: (if you simply don’t bother with scientific terms) The first type bears fruit 2 times (end of June - beginning of July and the second time - end of August - beginning of September. This berry is, as usual, large
The second type bears fruit constantly, i.e. It continuously blooms, bears fruit and grows. It is naturally smaller than the first and these are not traces of degeneration, but a specific feature.
I have both of these species, but they sit in different beds; sometimes I have to cover the first one in the fall with a cover so that it doesn’t fall under frost and produces a second harvest. But the second one, as much as it gives out, will be enough.
For weevils only insecticides. The weevil doesn't care about any needles. I use it as mulch to keep the berries cleaner and the roots warmer in winter; of course, it scares some people away. It seems that experts say and write that berries under pine needles are sweeter. This is a photo from last year: moss, needles, and marigolds. Actually, in three years my needles turn into dust, I’m not afraid to bury them in the ground when digging, although the same experts do not recommend burying needles in the soil. But I believe that if someone processes it in the forest, then there will be people willing to use it in the ground in my garden. In addition, when digging, I add a deoxidizing agent (gumi lime), rotted manure and ash.
Well, I continue to show this. The first photo is the beginning of spring, in the second photo the same bed, the bushes are cheerful, the bed is lined with daffodils, the mice avoid them. I will plant the marigolds in the middle of the beds as soon as the threat of frost has passed, probably in July. I don’t pull marigolds out of the beds for the winter. The more “garbage” there is in the strawberry beds, the better it feels.
Mulching the soil was invented by nature itself. A man only spied how a fertile layer, moisture is retained, and plants survive even the most severe cold without problems. Today there are many mulching technologies using a variety of materials. But the principle remains original, natural - covering the soil with the outside protective layer which gives the desired effect. To carry out this procedure correctly, you need to learn everything about mulching the soil.
The benefits of this procedure for cultivated plants are undeniable.
So why do you need mulching? To free up time for the gardener to do other work or rest, without damaging the plants, and even with benefit for them.
Materials
All mulching materials, of which there are more than two dozen today, are divided into two large categories: organic and inorganic origin.
The discussion about which type of materials is better is ongoing both among specialists and amateur gardeners. The choice of category depends on the goals that mulching is supposed to achieve and on the place where the material will be used on a particular crop.
When mulching with any materials, you need to follow an important rule - it is carried out only after the soil has warmed up well. If you lay mulch on unheated soil, the effect will be the opposite of what was expected - the plants will develop poorly and their growth will slow down.
Organic materials
This group includes the following:
All organic materials differ from inorganic ones in that they are able to rot in the soil and turn into nutrients that nourish plants, form a humus layer and increase soil fertility.
Organic mulch is considered by many to be the healthiest and the only one suitable for use. But there is one nuance - when some of its varieties rot, nitrogen is drawn out of the ground. It is needed to activate the rotting process of sawdust, bark and shavings. Of course, the plants then experience a lack of nitrogen.
Organic mulch has its drawbacks (as does inorganic mulch). For example, if it takes nitrogen from plants, you have to pre-dild the soil under a layer of mulch with an infusion of manure, droppings or urea to replenish it.
Wood mulch (sawdust)
Sawdust can cake over time and cause damping off of plants.
There are restrictions on the use of bark, wood chips and leaves fruit trees. For example, it is better not to use birch and oak trees at all, or to use them only for conifers. The high content of tannins in them can damage garden and garden plants, slowing down their development.
For decorative conifers Birch and oak mulch can be used. They like it when the soil is acidified, and they are not afraid of tannic components, since the growth of conifers is already slow.
But let's return to the beneficial properties of organic mulch. Large sawdust and wood chips repel slugs. They are not comfortable crawling on them, and if you mulch the beds with these materials, the slugs will leave your garden, despite the presence of tasty plants.
Herbal mulch
Slugs also do not like straw. If you put a layer of fine straw (hay) about 12 cm, after shrinking it will give an ideal covering, about seven centimeters high, that can completely and environmentally protect your plants from all misfortunes.
Plant waste - weeds, grass removed from the lawn, green manure residues are very well suited for mulching not only between rows and near-trunk circles of fruit trees. It is not recommended to lay this type of covering on beds. The mulch should decompose over time, but grass clippings and weeds will quickly dry out in the sun and will not have time to decompose. If you wish, you can cover the soil with herbal vegetable mulch in the fall, before the rainy season. Then by spring you will have a good fertile layer.
Pine and spruce needles – best material for covering flower beds. It looks very decorative and promotes healthy flower growth.
Humus and compost
This species rightfully takes first place in the ranking of organic mulching materials.
Rotten manure has the only drawback, or rather, a feature of use that must be taken into account. He has dark color, so it attracts heat. If the site is located in a sunny place, and the plants planted on it are not particularly heat-loving, it is better to choose light-colored mulch.
Moss and turf
They are used mainly for the garden, arranging turf in the tree trunks of fruit trees and shrubs. You can cover the ground with ready-made moss taken from the forest, or with pieces of turf, or by planting any ground cover. This mulch will grow into the soil and be durable. In addition to preserving moisture and insulation for the winter, it will protect the garden from erosion and increase the amount of soil in the soil. nutrients.
Leaf mulch
Fallen leaves must be treated with caution. It has already been mentioned above that the foliage of oak and birch will not bring much benefit to gardeners and flower plants. In addition, foliage can become a carrier of fungal diseases, which are transmitted through the soil to cultivated plants, or, caught by the wind, spread fungal spores throughout the area.
If there is a suspicion of fungal diseases, it is better not to use leaves in their pure form for mulching. But it can be processed by special means, put in compost. And when it turns into nutrient fertilizer, mulch the garden with compost.
Inorganic mulch
- film;
- nonwoven materials;
- pebbles, crushed stone and gravel;
- coarse sand;
- paper and cardboard waste;
- expanded clay
These materials have no nutrients and do not decompose to form humus. Therefore, their properties are limited to protective and decorative. But since they do not rot, they are durable and do not lose their properties and appearance for a long time.
Inorganic mulch is mainly used in floriculture and horticulture. Vegetable beds that require constant cultivation are not covered with crushed stone or gravel, as they interfere with soil cultivation.
Gravel and crushed stone
Bulk inorganic materials are usually used as decorative mulch in flower beds, rose gardens, alpine roller coaster. They can also be used to fill paths and tree trunk circles bushes and trees. But keep in mind that between the pebbles, no matter how tightly you lay them, weeds will still grow. You need to think in advance about how to remove them in the future.
Film and non-woven cover
Black film perfectly retains moisture and also protects crop plants from weeds, as it inhibits their growth.
But watering is difficult. It has to be done manually, falling exactly into the film holes left for plant growth. Can be held under the film automatically drip irrigation, but it is not easy to control the level of soil moisture.
Under film or non-woven material If the humidity is high, slugs may accumulate and damage young shoots.
Black film has another one significant drawback– it increases the heating of the soil. In extreme heat, tree roots in the ground can “burn” or dry out if overheating is combined with high humidity.
The film is used for mulching potato, tomato, garden strawberries. It is advisable to use it in combination with straw, with which the film is covered on top.
Paper waste
They can only be used as auxiliary material, mixed with other types of mulch. One, it draws moisture from the soil, dehydrating and drying it. Paper or cardboard works well under organic mulch. This way you can almost completely prevent the germination of weeds (
Mulch is a material for top soil in a garden to help retain water, prevent weeds from growing and spreading, and control soil erosion. Sphagnum moss can be used for mulch in garden beds, for house plants, to improve soil composition, as fertilizer and much more. In this case, the mulch product is called “peat mulch.”
Different plants grow best in soils with different pH levels that they require. Some plants - radishes, peppers, potatoes, blueberries, raspberries, most spruce and pine trees, azaleas, roses - prefer acidic soils. Gardeners who live in areas with alkaline soils or those who want to grow plants that prefer acidic soils may need to increase the acidity of the soil to help the plants establish. Unfortunately, most types mulch and compost make the soil less acidic. Excellent sphagnum mulch, however, increases soil acidity.
Sphagnum peat (from which mulch) derived from moss sphagnum, a member of the Hypnaceae family, contains long fibers that resist rapid decomposition. Sphagnum Typically used as liners for hanging baskets and for gently improving the soil in areas with sprouts and young plants. But if you have a good supply of it, then sphagnum is welcome as an addition to your compost heap or mixed with other mulches. You can use it yourself, but it is very light and voluminous.
Sphagnum moss gently makes the soil more acidic. Adding just a kilogram of peat to a standard 6 acres will increase the soil pH by about one unit. You can add moss or moss mulch directly to the soil or add moss into the compost before using it. This is what makes sphagnum mulch different - in that it is not applied to the surface of the soil, but is like a layer inside. Sphagnum improves the texture of overly heavy or overly sandy soil, improves aeration and water exchange.
It is an attractive choice for gardeners in part because of its ability to absorb and retain water. It can hold 10 times more water of its weight, gradually giving it away as the moisture in the soil decreases. By adding peat to the soil you can reduce the amount of water that plants need. Moss mulch can also save plant life during extreme drought when water is not available.
Moss sphagnum — excellent environment for certain beneficial organisms, at the same time suppress the growth of fungi that can damage young plants. This makes it an excellent growing additive. indoor plants from seeds and maintaining seedling germination.
Long-fiber sphagnum moss makes an ideal mulch because it acts like a blanket to control soil temperature and retains moisture, allowing for steady plant growth. This keeps the soil in the right microclimate range to better protect plants from bacterial action, and protects plants from sudden winter freezing and thawing that can destroy roots. Sphagnum moss used as mulch can be left throughout the year to improve plant adaptation.
Some plants, including many orchids, bonsai trees and succulents, grow best in a completely soilless environment. Sphagnum moss provides excellent conditions for these special plants. Moss can remain wet for a long time without rotting and without carrying any substances or microorganisms that can cause harm.
Here it is useful plant may come in handy when building and furnishing your country wooden house.
Sphagnum moss makes a great mulch!
Mulch is a material for the top layer of garden soil to help retain water, prevent the growth and spread of weeds, and control soil erosion. Sphagnum moss can be used for mulch in garden beds, for house plants, to improve soil composition, as fertilizer and much more. In this case, the mulch product is called “peat mulch.”
Different plants grow best in soils with different pH levels that they require. Some plants - radishes, peppers, potatoes, blueberries, raspberries, most spruce and pine trees, azaleas, roses - prefer acidic soils. Gardeners who live in areas with alkaline soils or those who want to grow plants that prefer acidic soils may need to increase the acidity of the soil to help the plants establish. Unfortunately, most types of mulch and compost make the soil less acidic. An excellent sphagnum mulch, however, increases soil acidity.
Sphagnum peat
Sphagnum peat (from which mulch is made) comes from sphagnum moss, a family of Hypnaceae, and contains long fibers that resist rapid decomposition. Sphagnum moss is commonly used as liners for hanging baskets and as a gentle soil amendment in areas with sprouts and young plants. But if you have a good supply of it, sphagnum moss is welcome as an addition to your compost pile or mixed with other mulches. You can use it yourself, but it is very light and voluminous.
Sphagnum moss gently makes the soil more acidic. Adding just a kilogram of peat to a standard 6 acres will increase the soil pH by about one unit. You can add moss or moss mulch directly to the soil, or add moss to your compost before using it. This is what makes sphagnum mulch different - in that it is not applied to the surface of the soil, but is like a layer inside. Sphagnum moss improves the texture of overly heavy or overly sandy soil and improves aeration and water exchange.
Sphagnum mulch is an attractive option for gardeners in part because of its ability to absorb and retain water. It can hold 10 times its weight in water, gradually releasing it as the moisture in the soil decreases. By adding peat to the soil you can reduce the amount of water that plants need. Moss mulch can also be a lifesaver for plants during extreme drought when water is not available.
Sphagnum mulch
Sphagnum moss provides an excellent environment for certain beneficial organisms while inhibiting the growth of fungi that can damage young plants. This makes it an excellent additive for growing indoor plants from seeds and supporting the germination of seedlings.
Long-fiber sphagnum moss makes an ideal mulch because it acts like a blanket to control soil temperature and retains moisture, allowing for consistent plant growth. This keeps the soil in the right microclimate range to better preserve plants from bacterial action, and protects plants from sudden winter freezing and thawing that can destroy roots. Sphagnum moss, used as mulch, can be left throughout the year to improve plant adaptation.
Some plants, including many orchids, bonsai trees and succulents, grow best in a completely soilless environment. Sphagnum moss provides excellent conditions for these special plants. Moss can remain wet for a long time without rotting and without carrying any substances or microorganisms that can cause harm.
This useful plant can be useful to you when building and arranging your country wooden house.
Mulching tomatoes in the greenhouse and in open ground refers to the basic and mandatory requirements for caring for tomatoes. It is necessary to do this to increase the quantity and quality of the harvest. Not every gardener knows what mulching is and how to properly mulch tomatoes so that they bear fruit abundantly.
Mulching tomatoes in open ground differs from mulching in a greenhouse. It is necessary to study how tomatoes are mulched in a greenhouse and in open space. Various materials are suitable for mulching, which serve well as protection against various diseases, soil drying out, straight sun rays, as well as weed growth.
The essence of this process
Mulching for tomatoes is the process of covering the soil around the plants. various materials. Mulch is a layer of fine material that sits on the soil. The effect of this process has a very beneficial effect on the harvest.
Main functions of mulching:
- Decorative - that is, it is used as a covering to decorate the beds, to make them better, more beautiful;
- Maintenance the required level humidity and acidity;
- Protective function – protects from cold, rain, weeds, and pollution;
- The soil under the mulch needs to be loosened less often, as it hardens less. As a result, more oxygen reaches the roots;
- The material used for mulching can later be used as fertilizer, which will make the soil fertile for tomatoes.
The essence of execution this process quite simple: choose suitable material, chop it up, lay the tomato bushes around on top of the soil. The mulch can be anything: moss, stones, hay, bark, paper and even film.
What material can be used
The type of matter that can be used for the mulching process is divided into organic and inorganic. The choice of material depends on the summer resident’s means, imagination, the availability of available items and what grows near the site.
Organic substances are natural, natural matter, under which the soil will breathe better, and then it can still be used as fertilizer. Not everyone knows what types of organic mulch are allowed to be used for tomatoes, whether it is possible to mulch tomatoes with sawdust, pine needles, bark, and leaves.
Each material has its own advantage over cultivated plants. Sawdust protects against pests, saturates the soil with oxygen, and nutrients more easily reach the root system. Hay and straw prevent harmful insects from settling in and retain heat and moisture, which tomatoes love. Peat protects well from overheating, rain, and wind.
You need to be careful with materials such as pine needles, foliage, grass. Although they are an excellent affordable item, they increase the acidity of the soil, they can rot, multiply harmful insects. Moss or sphagnum moss is often used to mulch tomatoes. Moss is great for retaining moisture, protecting against weeds, and it also looks very beautiful in garden beds.
Inorganic substances mainly have a decorative function. Eat beautiful photos on sites where mulch is used specifically for design purposes. It can be cardboard, paper, stones, shells, crushed stone, expanded clay, film. They are used mainly in open soils, but rarely for tomatoes. Sometimes they put a film, but pests will easily grow under it, there will be severe overheating, and air will not flow well. But inorganic mulch prevents weeds from growing and retains moisture and heat.
General rules and requirements for mulching
There are a few important rules for mulching, which must be done to ensure a bountiful harvest.
- Mulch the soil when it is warm enough spring sun, you should wait until the frosts end.
- Before mulching the soil, it is necessary to loosen it well, dig it, water it, and remove weeds from it.
- The thickness of the flooring should be approximately 3-6 centimeters. Mulch is placed under the tomatoes, leaving a little distance from the stem and leaves.
- Complete removal of mulch is carried out in the fall. But if these are organic matter, then you can dig up the soil with them and use them as humus. This is usually moss, husk, hay.
- To prevent the soil from being strongly oxidized by mulch items, lime or chalk can be sprinkled on the top layer.
- It is not recommended to use transparent film, as the ground under it becomes very hot from the sun, air exchange is disrupted, and the roots may die.
There is a description of how to properly mulch in a greenhouse and in open tomato beds.
How to do it correctly in a greenhouse
Many novice gardeners have a question about how to mulch tomato bushes in greenhouses. It is very important to wait for the soil to warm up. You can do this at the beginning of summer. If the greenhouse is heated, then you can mulch immediately after planting the seedlings. Before mulching tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to prepare the soil.
It is loosened and weeds are removed. Then layers of crushed substances are placed on it.
Mulched artificial materials are placed on the beds and sprinkled lightly with soil. Cardboard, paper and film are laid in one layer. The film must be darkened. It should be opened occasionally to ventilate the plants.
Among organic substances, moss is perfect for greenhouses. , bark, sawdust, peat, dry straw. They allow the root system to breathe and improve soil fertility. Mulching will significantly increase productivity, allow you to forget about watering for a while, and reduce the threat of fungal diseases.
Open ground
Mulching tomatoes in open ground is similar to how it is done in greenhouses. This is the best option to protect tomatoes from exposure to wind, rain, sun and pollution. But here it is important to wait until mid-June, when the earth warms up well, when night temperatures become normal, and there are no frosts.
From artificial materials They mainly use dark film, cardboard or paper. Spunbond is a more breathable covering material that allows air to pass through, retains heat, and protects against the growth of weeds.
From organic matter, moss, small sawdust, and dry straw are better suited. It is laid in an even layer of 5 centimeters, leaving space away from the stem. Husks, dirt, peels should not be used, as they do not contain required amount nutrients. Bark coniferous trees and the needles are not suitable for tomatoes.
It is important to remember that organic materials are laid out after planting seedlings, and inorganic materials - before.
Mulching the soil is a process that requires a careful and reasonable approach. It is necessary to understand what can be used to mulch tomatoes in a greenhouse, how to do it in the open ground, what to use as a material for mulch, and at what time this should be done. If everything is done correctly, the tomatoes will respond with an abundant harvest and rich taste.
