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Tips for gardens that will thrive, not just survive
Story and Photos by Nancy Chennault
A perfect time to make improvements to your soil, for the best results next summer, is in the fall. The gardener benefits, as well. The cooler temperatures of autumn are refreshing and even a cloudy day can be a great day when you are working in your garden. You will determine which of the various types of mulch will suit the needs of your garden and your soil.
Soil structure and fertility are the foundation for a healthy garden. Good soil promotes vigorous root systems and without strong roots, plant performance suffers. Organic mulch, applied in the fall, can be beneficial but there is often confusion as to what mulch actually is and how and when it should be applied.
Mulch: A protective cover for the surface of the ground
Mulch is often thought of solely as the finishing touch after installing landscape plants However, its function is applicable to a gardener’s goal of improving the health and well-being of the garden, regardless of its size. Mulch, depending upon what material is used, can help retain moisture, control soil erosion, supply nutrients, smother weed seeds and slow down weed growth. Wikipedia compares mulching in gardens to the natural leaf cover that is found on forest floors in the fall (see photo, at right).
Inorganic
Mulch can be inorganic, such as red lava rock, gravel, recycled tumbled glass, plastic sheeting or shredded tires. These fill the need for a protective cover and may be desirable in certain situations. Inorganic mulches will last many years. However, because they will not decompose, they will not address the goal of improving the soil for healthier root growth.
Organic
Organic mulch is made of materials that will decompose over time. Therefore, mulching with grass clippings, bark dust, sawdust or leaves fulfills the gardener’s goals of improving the soil structure and adding nutrients. As these materials breakdown, they become integrated into the soil to add beneficial ingredients.
Green manure
Living mulch, such as Crimson Clover, (see photo, at left) is planted in the fall and then incorporated into the garden soil in the spring. It is commonly called “green manure” because it adds nutrients to the garden soil as it decomposes after it is rototilled into the garden. Crimson Clover, as a legume, has nitrogen ‘“fixing” nodules on its roots, and therefore offers the added benefit of adding the premier nutrient for plant growth. Your local garden center or favorite nursery will stock cover crop seed this time of year and can provide you with instructions and supplies. Be prepared to tell them the square footage of your garden space. Crimson Clover should be planted before November 1st for proper germination before temperatures drop.
This is what you do with old CRRs?!
This autumn, collect fallen leaves for your garden. After you have removed vegetable plants and/or flowers, weed the area and rake the soil smooth. Lay several layers of newspaper over the surface of the soil. Traditional, unbleached newsprint is best. (Avoid slick, magazine type pages if possible.) Editor’s note: And if you MUST use CRRs, please make sure you have read them first. Pile on the leaves to a depth of 4 inches or so and walk away. The protective layer will keep winter rains from compacting and saturating the soil. (See photo, at right.) When you are ready to work in the garden next spring, cut through the leaf and newspaper layers with a sharp shovel and turn them over, exposing the soil. It will be moist, but not wet, and free of weeds. Cultivate with a rototiller or continue to spade it under as you chop the newspaper and leaves into smaller pieces. You can use the larger pieces to line pathways or mulch around shrubs or trees and the smaller bits will continue to rot and add organic components to the soil.
Soil amendments
Therefore, mulch can also become a soil amendment (or conditioner), which improves soil structure. To amend the soil is to improve a soil’s deficiencies. Perhaps it is poorly draining. By incorporating materials that increase the airspace between soil particles, water is able to pass through more readily. Soil amendments are mixed with the soil at planting time or during a fallow period so they immediately become part of the soil surrounding plant roots. Peat moss, compost, manure, sawdust, sand, clay and shredded bark can all be soil amendments that help improve soil structure. Lime is added to correct acidity and gypsum releases nutrients as it improves soil structure.
Compost
Using compost as mulch adds nutrients to the soil. Compost is made up of organic matter such as grass clippings, sawdust, kitchen scraps and leaves that have decomposed, or “broken down” over time to become a material rich in nutrients. Its moist, crumbling texture has soil amending properties as well and can be incorporated into flower beds and vegetable gardens at planting time.
A successful garden brings great joy to the gardener. It could be a simple mix of summer colors in a container or a raised bed overflowing with a harvest of vegetables. Perhaps you dream of an acre of manicured garden beds awash with spring bulbs or blooming shrubs. Any of these and more are possible when your soil promotes healthy plant growth.
Be sure to put MULCH on your “Yes! I can do it” list as you put your garden to bed for the winter. Next spring, as you reap the benefits of the amended soil, you will be glad you did.
Do you apply mulch to your garden? Have you put any of Nancy Chennault's gardening tips to the test? We'd love to hear about your successes (and failures, if any.) Let us know by using adding a "Comment" in the space below.
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Long-time garden center operator Nancy Chennault has written "Northwest Gardener" since 2006. To suggest a topic or ask a gardening question, contact her at NWGardener@CRReader.com. She and her husband Jim now operate “The Plant Station” on their beautiful garden property in Castle Rock.
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