When I mentioned last week that it was dull and grey and miserable outside what followed was several days of warmth, light and sunshine. So far, so Michael Fish. However, as I peer out again it is obvious that the greyness and dampness is back and, rather like paying for a pint with a fiver in pubs these days, despite my hopes, I don’t see any change coming my way.
So, (Everyone is talking about how annoying it is to start a sentence with ‘So’. Good! Let’s have a heated debate.) Mulch. What is it? Of course you know that. It’s a material you spread over your soil that can keep heat in and frost out and help your soil develop. It can be grass clippings, leaves, wood chips, bark, coffee beans, hay, straw or even your own compost.
It can also keep weeds down and, as an added advantage, it’s more pleasant to walk on than mud. Well it is if it’s wood chippings or bark, egg shells are not so pleasant to walk on and I should know. I walk on them every time I come back an hour late from the pub to find Mrs Drew asking why I haven’t fixed the tap yet.
Mrs Drew at Full Cry. You’d walk on eggshells too!
So (Oops), timing. I mean, do you mulch now or don’t you? The RHS clearly says mid-to-late Spring or Autumn are the times to be mulching, as at these times the soil is usually moist and, hopefully, warm enough. Well, as far as I can see we are right there in the zone. But, if there is a jury, it has gone for a little walk to think about it, because there are varying degrees of enthusiasm for mulching out there and more caveats and clauses than a Boy Band contract.
These include, do it on moist soil not when it is dry, don’t over mulch, don’t smother your precious plants and don’t put mulch too close to the base of tree stumps or shrubs, because , apparently, if you are using moist mulch it can soften them.
All this advice is fine, in fact some of it is very good. But there are some strident mulch and anti-mulch factions out there and I know people who get seriously biblical about it. Calm down dears… it’s just some stuff! Important yes, toa gardener, but it’s hardly life defining.
So (there I go again), have you used your Brushcutter to cut down lots of foliage to build up your compost heap? Or make yourself some mulch? Of course you have. Your garden was looking like the setting of an episode of Lost and you whipped around with a great machine like the Einhell GE-BC 33 AS a low vibration brushcutter. Our old mate Dick has been blogging about this one, it comes with FREE safety kit, and you can see it here.
Your Basic Mulch
Also, if you took my advice of some time ago and got yourself a decent little chipper like the Einhell one here... you could easily create your basic wood chip or bark type mulch and kill two birds with one stone…although if a stone actually flies out of your chipper and kills two birds, you are not loading it properly.
Your mulch can, of course, be broken down leaves (and let’s be honest they are now falling so brush, rake, blow or suck ’em up and use ’em). Of course, you will need to remove those stubborn weeds first – the perennial ones – get right in the soil and take them out root and all if possible.
So (Enough now. Ed’) whether you are mulching to keep weeds out of an empty bed, keep the coming frost at bay or simply to make your beds look prettier, now is a good time to be doing it and if you need good advice (rather than my half-formed ramblings) try here at the RHS
Enjoy your garden. Drew Hardy.
