Mulching My Garden Beds
This time of year all gardeners are busy weeding. And let's face it, few enjoy this gardening chore, but we all know those pesky weeds will grow and grow.
To cut down on some of the weeding, I regularly lay down a two to three inch layer of organic mulch over all the beds. Spreading mulch discourages those weeds from growing by depriving them of sunlight and air. Mulch also has other benefits - it insulates the soil to protect plants from extreme temperatures in summer and in winter, gives the beds a finished look making them very neat and tidy, and because I make my own mulch here at my farm, I know it is filled with nutrients, which improves the overall health of the plants.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
-
- Fortunately, I am able to make lots of mulch, and compost, right here at my farm. During the course of the year, my outdoor grounds crew amasses large amounts of organic debris – felled trees, branches, leaves, etc., but none of the material goes to waste. It is either repurposed quickly as milled lumber or made into mulch and compost.
-
- Once a year, I call in a tub grinder and crew to grind all that organic matter. It is done in a back field of my farm. This photo was taken in February.
-
- And after all the material is put through the grinder – not once, but twice – it is a beautiful pile of fine mulch.
-
- This is all weed-free organic matter and contains horse and chicken manure – all usable in the garden beds.
-
- This week, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, is mulching the herbaceous peony bed.
-
- He carries wheelbarrows full of mulch and drops them in between the rows of peonies.
-
- Once all the needed mulch is dropped down in piles, Chhiring rakes it evenly throughout the beds. It is a tedious process, but always well worth the effort.
-
- Nearby, my living maze is already well dressed with a layer of mulch.
-
- And do you know the difference between mulch and compost? Mulch and compost are not the same. They are both used to help the soil, but they have different applications and benefits. Mulch is applied to the top layer of soil to help control weeds, retain moisture, and regulate temperature, whereas compost, which is broken down over time, provides essential nutrients and enriches the soil structure.
-
- Here, mulch is also dropped in small amounts and then spread evenly under each plant.
-
- This maze looks especially healthy because the plants are well fed, well watered, regularly mulched, and the soil is consistently amended.
-
- Recently, all the beds on my Winter House terrace were given a fresh top layer of mulch. And do you know… mulch can even deter some pests and insects.
-
- In addition, the barberry and boxwood were recently pruned and groomed, another important gardening chore.
-
- The hedges around my pool were mulched. On the inside of my pool fence, I have this tall hedge of purple columnar beech trees, Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ – a splendid tree with deep-purple foliage.
-
- The hedge continues all around the pool, disguising the fence. On the other side of the fence, a hedge of two dark-colored burgundy-black leafed specimens – Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ and Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ shrubs.
-
- Down by my large run in paddock, the hydrangeas and hostas beneath the Osage Orange trees, Maclura pomifera, were also given a new layer of mulch…
-
- … As were the sycamores, continus, and hydrangeas in this allée in my middle hayfield. With this organic mulch, heavy soils are better equipped to hold water and resist compaction – reducing any erosion and runoff.
-
- This is one side of the Japanese snowbell allée leading to my tennis court. It is made of Styrax japonicus ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol’ and the taller Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light.’ This allée has also been nicely mulched. Another good benefit of mulching is that it serves as a barrier or visible marker to limit possible damage by other equipment such as mowers and trimmers.
-
- Just beyond my chicken coops is a hosta garden filled with hundreds of bold, green, gorgeous hostas. They are planted beneath the shade of these majestic dawn redwoods, Metasequoia.
-
- This entire area was also mulched. I have many dawn redwoods around the farm. They are among my favorite trees. They grow faster than most trees and need only occasional pruning to keep them looking their best.
-
- And here is a section of freshly mulched tree pits in my orchard. When mulching tree pits, be sure to pull the mulch away from the base of the tree trunk and not up against the trunk. Too much mulch will suffocate and kill the tree. Remember, “bare to the flare”, which means nothing should ever be above the tree’s flare – the point where the tree stops widening at the bottom. Using mulch around the farm is a wonderful way to beautify the gardens and to give back to the earth.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
