Mulch. Just do it.

[guest2012y]

I've been "sorta-kinda-mulching" using EWC and trimmed leaves. They break down well in the EWC. I've noticed less watering,not much to write home about,but less watering by up to half a day.

 

[JerseyJack]

I'm growing outside in pots, and I finally realized I need to start mulching. With the steady heat we have been having(high90's) sometimes I have to water twice in one day. Any thoughts on cedar mulch? I read it works well but takes forever to decompose. I'm thinking like a week or two before harvest I'll scoop it all out.

 

[Dignan]

Cedar mulch is fine. An old grower friend swears that cannabis doesn't like to be anywhere near cedar, but I haven't noticed that. And don't worry about the mulch breaking down in this case... the goal isn't to turn the mulch into soil but to retain moisture content and integrity of the top layer of the soil.

 

[michaeljordan]

Can you use a top layer of polished stone for this? Or does it have to be plant material like some sort of bark?

 

[Tropic]

Mulch is a must in hot weather, also helps to slow evaporation when it is quite windy.
Don't make the same mistake as I did years back (on a huge outdoor bush), and learn the hard way that pine needles DO drop your soil pH after a few weeks of being used as mulch... one of my biggest losses to this day...
Michaeljordan, I guess you could use polished stones but you'd need quite a thick layer. The important part is to create several layers of air between your soil and the ambient air, which is what will help keep the moisture inside your soil and buffer temps.

 

[michaeljordan]

Mulch is a must in hot weather, also helps to slow evaporation when it is quite windy.
Don't make the same mistake as I did years back (on a huge outdoor bush), and learn the hard way that pine needles DO drop your soil pH after a few weeks of being used as mulch... one of my biggest losses to this day...
Michaeljordan, I guess you could use polished stones but you'd need quite a thick layer. The important part is to create several layers of air between your soil and the ambient air, which is what will help keep the moisture inside your soil and buffer temps.

Thanks Tropic - I appreciate it.

MJ

 

[Dignan]

Yeah, the stones let so much air through that it would require a thick layer... and that thick layer of stone would be heavy and compact your soil.

 

[guest2012y]

I mulch on the outties with lawn clippings.....works well.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Outdoors i like the rough (cheap) coco coir or some kind of hay/grass... indoors it has to be perlite for me. I tried various organic ones but didnt like the mould they generate in my grow room

 

[Dorje113]

Seems like a good idea outdoors, but I'm not so sure there will be any benefit indoors, and I have had great success with hand watering in large containers. When I water there is a humidity spike and when the soil crusts over it limits evaporation. If I water too often it makes it easier for pm and rot. I also don't want to water more than every 3rd day because I'm lazy and I won't automate it.

I guess it comes down to: If I mulch will I get bigger and/or better buds, or are there other advantages? I already get 1.4 g/W with a productive strain.... not sure if this is gonna help.... but it sure could destroy a crop if I provide a better environment for pm, which is ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE around here right now... it's got a foothold on many species of plant growing outdoors in the area. I don't wanna be a downer, but NOT letting your soil dry could change conditions in your grow room VERY unfavorably if you are not careful.

 

[Dignan]

Thanks Dorje. Good thinking.

I am in the high desert and have no mold issues at all, so I didn't think of that. But having said that, many of my buddies live in OR/PNW and mulch their soil indoors.

Mulch itself is going to limit the amount of moisture transpired from the soil's surface, so I'm not sure that's a concern.

The benefit is healthier soil, in a holistic sense. Yield is affected by the health of your soil, but so is disease resistance, growth rate, stress reduction, etc.

 

[Dorje113]

Thanks Dorje. Good thinking.


Mulch itself is going to limit the amount of moisture transpired from the soil's surface, so I'm not sure that's a concern.

Interesting.... so if the mulch dries easier than the soil it will dry more quickly than the soil will and limit evaporation....

So in essence you are providing the plant with more USEABLE soil, as the top layer that always dries out does not really support root growth. I use raised beds with 50 gal/plant or more, more recently 20 gal smart pots for a small area, so I have a LOT of surface area.... I also like Silver Surfers idea to use perlite as it won't support growth of mold like organic mulches might.

If this reduces the humidity spike caused by watering and retains water better then I may have to give this a try.

 

[liquidmaco]

very insightful addition to this thread dorje and dignan. when you put it that way it seems more likely to help to me anyway. im itching for a comparison grow here. i dont think i even have room for mulch at the top of my rootpots this round. too messy. perhaps someone who mulches regularly indoors could take one for the team and do one or two without? would the difference be noteworthy in the plant itself im wondering.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Funny you should mention that... i have some that out of some curiosity didnt bother with the layer of perlite. They lose their moisture way more than the plants with few cm of perlite.

The uptake of this is they need watering around twice as much. They are in 2 litre pots. I have quite a few strains and also some in hanging pots with a wick and res. They also need watering quite a bit more without the mulch.

Cant see any difference in overall plant health but they do get sadder faster as the moisture evaporates.

Will take some pics later and show ya's.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Just curious if anyone else uses plain old compost as a mulch?

It not only seems like I water less often with mulch but it seems like I don't have to feed them as often either.

Anyone have any experience using cedar bark? I thought cedar had naturally occuring arsenic in it hence it doesn't break down quickly?

 

[jaykush]

since this thread got bumped, cant beat leaf mold for mulch the best of the best!

how to make

pile old fall leaves in a big bin in the fall( i use metal mesh)
forget about it for a year
after a year has passed it will be fall again, use next spring.

it should be almost compost, full of worms, and fungi.

mulch well with a few inches ( i use 5-8 inches)

 

[Mud Man]

On top i lay a small,fresh, mushy layer of ewc, bit of guano and some compost..i suppose this could be a type of indoor mulch.??
I let it seep through as it wants to... 1st time i have tried and saw instant results after a few days ....hope i aint diverting the thread..

 

[Dignan]

Hey guys-

Just to clarify, regarding the last several posts...

If you read my original post you'll see why I mulch. I do it to keep my soil as healthy as possible AND because it makes watering thoroughly much easier and much faster. I don't mulch because it bestows superpowers upon my plants or turbo charges my yields or anything like that.

I don't need superhero plants... I don't shop for Beastie Dyno Kapow Megabloom or Master YieldBlaster 6000 or any of that... uh, crap. I'm happy with my plants growing at the rate their genetics dictate and yielding at the level Nature wants them to. It's simple that way.

So don't run off and mulch your pots thinking it's going to make your plants grow differently or improve yields. IMO, it won't. It will make your soil and plants healthier. And healthy plants are happy plants. And happy plants are a good thing.

Peace-

Dig

 

[jaykush]

it will improve yields outdoors im sure of it. indirectly of course though.

 

[Dignan]

Because it curtails drought stress? Or because it causes some kinda magic in the soil?

Thanks jay.