To Mulch or not to mulch?

[en-lighten-ment]

My thoughts are. It protects the top layer of soil and promotes evan evaporation.

How ever some one on another thread told me: It's a perfect breeding ground for pathogens.

So I Thought I would see what you dirt heads think?

Thx, Peace

 

[jaykush]

what kind of mulch, and where, what conditions? mulch in some places is great, but in others its worse.

 

[CT Guy]

In general it's a good idea, in that it puts back the organic matter that you pulled from the soil when you harvested. But it would be nice to have more info....

 

[quadracer]

Mulch, mulch, mulch!

Mulch with compost, hay, weathered hay, coffee grounds, alfalfa, worm castings.

 

[en-lighten-ment]

I sorry I guess I did not give you enoph info. I used a home made mulch of dried lawn clippings to cover the soil on my indor grown MJ pots.

Thank you for all the responces

Peace
EN

 

[trichy]

Make sure you have adequate drainage on your soil mix, if its too heavy the roots may not be able to breathe enough. Average soil grown plants grow slower b/c they take longer to dry out and they get more oxygen when you water. A mulch may prolong that process, in my opinion. If you are using organics, it will surely benefit the organisms in your soil though.

*I have never tried it indoors though, that is only speculation*

Outdoor plants though, mulch, mulch, mulch

 

[barletta]

I lost more early plants than expected this year to slugs. I had mulched the local tall grass (the dead portions) around my young plants in an attempt to keep moisture in the soil for the newly planted plants. It made PERFECT home for slugs. I had to pull it all back after ~2wks, nothing would stop the slugs, and I had used the chem pellets on the mulch. NOTHING. I pulled it all back, and re-applied the pellets @ 1/2 strength, and no problems the rest of the summer. Just be careful if you are putting mulch around young plants in the early season.

I have no exp mulching inside, but I do like topdressing with guano/castings as it makes a nice dense mat up top...

 

[Desiderata]

Glad you shared that Bartletta!.......something just clicked!

 

[toodles]

I would never put any lawn clippings or anything from outdoors on an indoor grow.

I don't understand why you would do that? You're just asking for disease and critter problems.

If I may....Why do you think you need to mulch those plants anyway?

If you really want to mulch them, use something "sterile".



Toodles

 

[ooga booga]

It isn't a question of whether to mulch or not to mulch, but rather one of whether too much mulch or not much mulch.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Make your own ewc. It's the perfect mulch. In veg...feed those worms some kelp meal and alfalfa meal about a week before you use it as mulch. IN flower I'll feed em some kelp and some high P guano about a week before I add the mulch.
Peace
Rocky

 

[en-lighten-ment]

The organic soil I'm useing came from the outdoors, and I preity sure that it is not sterile. I am also fairly positive that useing sterile dirt would be anti productive. It is a benifit that the soil stay moist longer as I can't water on sat, sun, or monday.

 

[en-lighten-ment]

Toodles I am quit sure the compost you use in your "soil" is from the outdoors

 

[jaykush]

It is a benifit that the soil stay moist longer as I can't water on sat, sun, or monday.

the main problem with mulch and water retention indoors is, well outdoors we use mulch to keep the soil cool and keep it from evaporating like crazy because of the sun. indoors its not as hot, and the soil is not as deep. there is a point where your soil stays wet too long and anaerobic microbes start to breed. shooting for a watering every 3-4 days is perfect.

 

[toodles]

Toodles I am quit sure the compost you use in your "soil" is from the outdoors

No Shit Sherlock.

There's quite a difference between commercial "compost" and grass clippings, leaves, straw, etc. etc.

Let's take grass clippings. Grass clippings in many places/situations have all sorts of bugs and critters, eggs, larvae, spores, seeds, you name it...and not all of them are "beneficial". If you want to risk putting things like that on your grow, have at it. I'm sure not going to do it.

....and I agree completely with Jaykush about the wet/dry cycle of 3-4 days. Mine is about 3 days now.

 

[MrFista]

No Shit Sherlock.

Don't pm me telling me other people are morons Toodles.

I'm quite capable of ferreting out the wannabes myself.

Toodles the beginners saviour... Pull your bloody head in.

 

[CT Guy]

the main problem with mulch and water retention indoors is, well outdoors we use mulch to keep the soil cool and keep it from evaporating like crazy because of the sun. indoors its not as hot, and the soil is not as deep. there is a point where your soil stays wet too long and anaerobic microbes start to breed. shooting for a watering every 3-4 days is perfect.

Good post. Just wanted to point out that mulching also provides a habitat for microbes and a food resource. It also icreases your organic matter and in general is a good fungal food. In this instance, I'm not convinced it's as beneficial because your starting soil is of much higher quality than what plants are typically grown in outdoors. I would look into peat or some or method for providing better water retention than grass mulch.

 

[jaykush]

Good post. Just wanted to point out that mulching also provides a habitat for microbes and a food resource. It also icreases your organic matter and in general is a good fungal food.

yea thats also one of my favorite benefits outdoors. i always apply a hefty layer of compost under my new mulch layer when each new crop is planted, and on top of last crops mulch which is pretty much broken down. ever since i started using about 10% of my mulch with aged wood chips the fungi have been going nuts after it gets buried before the next crop. them fungi love breaking down wood.

 

[MrFista]

I've got an offer of truckloads of wood mulch but it is from many different properties around the city so will undoubtedly have pesticides ferts fungicides etc in it.

Question CT Guy - If you had a ton of mulch you know has traces of undesirables in it, how would you go about cleaning it up?

I'm thinking of using p.cyanescens mycelium, a large handful, in a brew with worm castings and hand ground oats. This to make a fungal tea to innoculate the pile and hopefully knock back the residues.

I can get other mycelium but the cyanescens is readily available and it will be a hoot seeing it all over my veggie patch.

Should I pull the pile (wood chip) out so it's a uniform depth, if so, what depth.

Any ideas or suggestions (here's where Toodles can tell me where to get off hehe) welcome.