FUN WORLD

If you are not able to give ample amount of attention to your garden, then mulch is the best way to go. Apart from the benefits we talked about above, mulch also helps in protecting the plants in various weather and temperature changes. The plants don't get easily frozen or thawed due to the presence of mulch. But that was all about mulch. What about mulch dye? What is it good for?

Well, what mulch dye does is makes your garden look good, more aesthetic. Whenever we plant beautiful flower and/or fruit plants, the mulch gives the entire garden an elegant look. There are different types of mulch, as in different colors of mulch that you can purchase from the garden stores such as shades of red, gold, black, and brown. However, going to the store and purchasing a new bag of colored mulch can be pretty expensive. And hence, to keep the expenses to a minimum and still get your mulching requirements covered, why not make mulch dye at home. Want to know how? Read the rest of the article.
There are several types of mulches which are classified into organic and inorganic mulches. When you decide to lay mulch, assess what is most important to you. If it is the appearance of your lawn, you can pick inorganic mulches such as slate, stones, brick chips, and plastic. These inorganic mulches are great tools to use to achieve creative landscaping. Additionally, these materials are also long lasting. However, once they are laid, they pretty much cut off access to the soil, and then it is difficult to add any matter to improve the soil quality.

Organic mulches serve the dual purpose of protecting the soil and providing nutrients to it. The mulch slowly decomposes and releases organic matter which helps keep the soil loose. This allows water to seep through more easily, aids root growth, and also makes the soil more absorbent. Organic mulches include garden compost, bark, bark chips, leaf mold, grass clippings, straw and hay.

While the process is very simple, here are some tips for mulching that will help guide you.

• While growing new plants, sheet mulches, plastic sheeting or woven ground cover fabric are the most beneficial to use. If their appearance puts you off, know that they can be disguised with a gravel or bark covering. Another concern is moisture, but rain or irrigation water runs across the sheets, and enters the soil at the edges and planting holes.
• Homemade mulch from materials in your own yard, include lawn clippings that are perfect in a vegetable garden where their appearance will not be a concern. They must be utilized immediately to avoid heating and rotting. They are great to work with as they spread easily around even small plants due to their fine texture.
• Another cheap option are newspapers, which work wonders to control weed growth. One must only use pages with black ink on them, as color dyes used may be harmful to the soil microflora and fauna. To prevent the paper from blowing away, use 3 or 4 sheets together and weigh them down with any other mulch material.
• A popular mulch option are leaves, which should ideally be collected in the fall. They can be shredded using a lawnmower or shredder. When leaves decompose, they give the soil an absorbent porous structure. Compost is also a great mulch.
• Bark chips and composted bark mulch provide a lawn with a neat finish, and benefit the soil. Hay and straw work are good options for a vegetable garden, though they may contain weed seeds. Seaweed mulch, ground corn cobs, and pine needles are other types of organic mulch. Pine needles are known to increase the acidity of the soil, so use them accordingly.
• When using mulches in your vegetable or flower garden, the right time to apply them is after spring, once the soil has warmed. If the soil is cool and wet, seeds germinate slowly and they also may decay. Also de-weed the soil properly before mulching, removing even weed roots. Sufficiently water new plants before mulching.
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If you apply mulch with the objective to keep the ground warm through the winter, the right time to do it is late in the fall, before it begins to get really cold. However, time it so that you start the process after the ground freezes, or the cozy environment you create may attract rodents searching for a warm home for the winter. If you live in a place that receives snow in the winter, use loose material such as straw, hay, or pine boughs, so that the plants will not get pressed under the weight of snow and ice.
• If you are wondering how much mulch you need, first start by measuring the area you need to cover. The amount of mulch you will need is the length x breadth x height (layer of mulch). For example, if you wish to cover an area 10 feet x 10 feet with 3 inches of mulch, you would need 25 cubic feet of mulch. Inorganic mulch should be at least 2 inches thick.
• Mulch is usually commercially available, bagged or bulk at garden centers. For those who need large volumes, bulk falls cheaper. For those who need limited amounts, bagged mulch is easier to tackle and store.