I took all your fab advice on tomatoes when I planted my veggie garden this weekend. New question: Should I use mulch in the vegetable garden? If yes, what kind?
I took all your fab advice on tomatoes when I planted my veggie garden this weekend. New question: Should I use mulch in the vegetable garden? If yes, what kind?
0 Answers
Lake Gal wrote on :
I find cedar is wonderful for any area around your yard where you want weed control and need to retain moisture. Since my hill gradually slopes down to a lake with plenty of passing summer boaters, I also needed something that stays in place and looks nice too. Good Luck with your garden!
Lake Gal wrote on :
I have a large vegetable garden on a side of a hill that gets direct sun most of the day. In order to help hold the moisture in I put a generous amount of natural cedar mulch around the base of each plant. Cedar mulch naturally repels insects (unlike other mulches which can encourage pests), retains moisture and discourages weeds. In the late fall after I let everything die down and rot, I rototill everything back into the soil (including the mulch) which helps add nutrients back into my garden.
Lina Perl wrote on :
Thank you for the tip! I am jealous of your hill in the sun! I have a tiny patch in my backyard that gets sun….and I’m squeezing every last vegetable I can out of it! At this point I’m on the fence between cedar mulch and wheat straw. You tip about tilling everything back into the soil in the fall is great….I will definitely do that.
KelleyG wrote on :
I’m jealous of your sunny large garden too! And cedar is indeed excellent, I use it for winter protection in my bitter cold climate in Toronto, and in specific places for weeds and ornamentation — it smells heavenly after a rain!
KelleyG wrote on :
I like to use compost instead of mulch and have used both my own and bags from a garden center, cow or sheep manure. This helps to reduce weeds throughout the season, enriches the soil and gives tomatoes their much needed nitrogen and acidity that makes them so tasty. Adding compost is a quick and easy way to do so many good things for your vegetable garden. Now enjoy watching your plants grow!
Lina Perl wrote on :
thanks! Quick question: the compost I’m using is also bagged, from my local garden center (I’m a newbie, so I haven’t created my own compost yet!). It looks to me like very fertile dirt, so I’m confused as to why it would reduced weeds….Wouldn’t it encourage little green things (like clover and grass) to grow around my veggies? Thanks in advance from a total garden novice!
KelleyG wrote on :
The compost works like mulch, except it has more nutrient properties for your soil and it truly does not encourage weed growth. On year I missed composting and lived to regret it with the huge weed growth. I also buy my compost when I don’t have time to dig it out of my composter and it works well too. My small city vegetable garden needs to operate as efficiently as possible, hence I use the compost. I mulch lightly around my flowers, but find compost easier to manage around my veggies — try mulch or compost this year and see how you like one and then alternate next season, gardening is an adventure!
Lina Perl wrote on :
Got it. Thanks so much for this explanation. I have a bag of compost, so I’ll definitely try it out! (Hopefully my little veggie plants will survive the last 4 days of torrential rains!).
Greenwoman wrote on :
I like to use clean wheat straw around roots of my veggies. It will help hold moisture and keep the soil from splashing up onto the leaves in a hard rainstorm. Enjoy your garden, Pam
Lina Perl wrote on :
Thank you!! they didn’t have this at my local garden center, but I just found a online source. Great tip!