Mulch It! by Stu Campbell

Author:Stu Campbell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Published: 2001-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

One way to use landscape fabrics is to lay the fabric first, hold it in place with wire prongs, and put plants in place through slits cut in the fabric. Then cover the fabric with an organic mulch.

Certainly remove all weeds before mulching. It’s also best to water the area well before applying the plastic, although walking on wet soil compacts it.

Pros. Plastic mulch has been shown to produce earlier and higher-yielding crops, conserve water, warm the soil, reduce erosion, and reduce weeds. Some types control certain insects: Silver-surfaced plastic repels some aphids. One study found red plastic reduced the nematode population under a tomato crop.

Plastic of any color practically eliminates moisture evaporation. Water condenses on the underside and drips back into the soil. This also tends to keep the seedbed in a friable condition.

Cons. Since it prevents moisture evaporation, plastic also prevents water from penetrating. You will have to take special care to water your plants. Some people install irrigation systems above or soaker hoses under the mulch.

Plastic mulch doesn’t allow the soil to breathe, which can lead to some serious disease problems in ornamental plantings. Tree and shrub roots may suffer from the lack of oxygen.

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