Mother Earth News 1998 by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub

Retaining Moisture

All of the mulches I’m going to discuss retain moisture with the arguable exception of a living mulch. A living mulch like clover will draw moisture from the sod for its own growth and some of the moisture drawn by the plants will be lost to the atmosphere through the leaves. On the other hand, a carpet of leaves on low-growing plants that catches morning dew and holds a cushion of air beneath it may snake up for the moisture it uses. By cushion of air I mean that low-growing plants, such as clover grown between rows of corn, will shelter the soil surface from drying breezes and from the baking sun. Whether or not the beneficial influence offsets the moisture used is something for scientists to investigate.

All mulches, except dust, inhibit rainfall or irrigation from above from reaching the soil. For this reason, it is best to mulch a soil that is already moist. Here in New England, the spring soil is usually moist. There has been a time or two when I held back on mulching and waited for rain. Once an impervious mulch like plastic is put down, there is no chance of additional moisture reaching that soil in any quantity. It amazes me when I check the condition of soil under a plastic mulch in mid or late summer and find it moist below the top half inch. Where are the plants getting sufficient water to fill out eggplant and tomatoes? The roots have probably extended beyond the plastic, but still, the soil under the plastic has received no additional moisture since the end of May.

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