Mulch - Application

Application

Mulch is usually applied towards the beginning of the growing season, and is often reapplied as necessary. It serves initially to warm the soil by helping it retain heat which is lost during the night. This allows early seeding and transplanting of certain crops, and encourages faster growth. As the season progresses, mulch stabilizes the soil temperature and moisture, and prevents sunlight from germinating weed seeds.

In temperate climates, the effect of mulch is dependent upon the time of year at which it is applied as it tends to slow changes in soil temperature and moisture content. Mulch, when applied to the soil in late winter/early spring, will slow the warming of the soil by acting as an insulator, and will hold in moisture by preventing evaporation. Mulch, when applied at the time of peak soil temperatures in mid-summer, will maintain high soil temperatures further into the autumn (fall). The effect of mulch upon soil moisture content in mid-summer is complex however. Mulch prevents sunlight from reaching the soil surface, thus reducing evaporation. However, mulch can absorb much of the rainfall provided during light rainfall, which will later quickly evaporate when exposed to sunlight, thus preventing absorption into the soil, while heavy rainfall is able to saturate the mulch layer, and reach the soil below.

In order to maximise the benefits of mulch, while minimizing its negative influences, it is often applied in late spring/early summer when soil temperatures have risen sufficiently, but soil moisture content is still relatively high. Furthermore, at this point in the growing season, plants should be well enough established to be able to cope with the increase in the numbers of slugs and snails owing to the habitat provided for them by the mulch. However, permanent mulch is also widely used and valued for its simplicity, as popularized by author Ruth Stout, who said, "My way is simply to keep a thick mulch of any vegetable matter that rots on both sides of my vegetable and flower garden all year long. As it decays and enriches the soils, I add more."

Plastic mulch used in large-scale commercial production is laid down with a tractor-drawn or standalone layer of plastic mulch. This is usually part of a sophisticated mechanical process, where raised beds are formed, plastic is rolled out on top, and seedlings are transplanted through it. Drip irrigation is often required, with drip tape laid under the plastic, as plastic mulch is impermeable to water.

In home gardens and smaller farming operations, organic mulch is usually spread by hand around emerged plants. (On plots with existing mulch, the mulch is pulled away from the seedbed before planting, and restored after the seedlings have emerged.) For materials like straw and hay, a shredder may be used to chop up the material. Organic mulches are usually piled quite high, six inches (152 mm) or more, and settle over the season.

In some areas of the United States, such as central Pennsylvania and northern California, mulch is often referred to as "tanbark", even by manufacturers and distributors. In these areas, the word "mulch" is used specifically to refer to very fine tanbark or peat moss.

Mulch made with wood can contain or feed termites, so care must be taken about not placing mulch too close to houses or building that can be damaged by those insects. Some mulch manufacturers recommend putting mulch several inches away from buildings.