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Mulch. Just do it.

jaykush

dirty black hands
ICMag Donor
Veteran
less water evaporation + more biological activity = more yield in my book.
 

Mud Man

Sumthink Stinks
Veteran
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


Loud and clear!!

I saw my plants looked happier with my 1st attempt at indoor noob mulching.., this led to a visible happier plant within a week IMO.
I was not stating that my mulching boosted yield 'superman' style....

I agree that it helps keep everything happy an extra blanket of goodness..

On my learning curve,,, kool thread :)
 
Where can I find some of this Mega Dyno Bio-Buds 89DX?


Seriously though I have never really multched my plants but I do top dress with compost/castings, lime, minerals and this and that several times/cycle. I do this for some of the same reasons mentioned here like preventing the roots near the surface from drying.

My question is would I have more to gain by adding another layer on top of my compost/mineral top dress? I am currently using 3gal Smart pots indoors and I feel they are a little short. I don't want to give up any soil space as it is limited.
 

Mud Man

Sumthink Stinks
Veteran
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


i hear you man, you aint saying mulch and get the stakes out, you are simply saying a healthy, happy plant will max its own yield potential within the constraints of its genetic potential.

all good mang
 

Mud Man

Sumthink Stinks
Veteran
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....

AND

Seriously though I have never really multched my plants but I do top dress with compost/castings, lime, minerals and this and that several times/cycle. I do this for some of the same reasons mentioned here like preventing the roots near the surface from drying.


Is what we do Mulching or just top dressing??
 

Dignan

The Soapmaker!
Veteran
Top dressing with nutrients will be more effective when you mulch. The fertilizers you topdress with rely on microbes to break them down and carry the nutrients to the rootzone. Microbes are only active where the soil is moist and mulching keeps the top layer of soil moist.

And Mud Man, my last post wasn't directed at you in any way. I kinda skipped over your post before that anyway. Not on purpose, was just in a hurry. So hope you don't feel like I was responding to you. Peace.
 
Cool thread! I am using hydroton as a top layer and I see the results as far as the limiting of evaporation goes...got the idea from a thread here...can't remember which; but do you think that mulching would be better or more beneficial than this?
 

Natagonnaworrie

If you love life, don't waste time. For time is wh
Veteran
Has anyone noticed if the munch (depending on what yo use) effects the PH of your soil in anyway. I was thinking of adding some cedar chips or something like that from home depot but then i was thinking that my feed water could have its PH altered as it run through the chips down to the soil....

anyone?


and thank you in advance. This idea plus some defoliating will allow me to go on a 5 day vacation without having to worry about watering my ladies.
 

Mud Man

Sumthink Stinks
Veteran
Top dressing with nutrients will be more effective when you mulch. The fertilizers you topdress with rely on microbes to break them down and carry the nutrients to the rootzone. Microbes are only active where the soil is moist and mulching keeps the top layer of soil moist.

And Mud Man, my last post wasn't directed at you in any way. I kinda skipped over your post before that anyway. Not on purpose, was just in a hurry. So hope you don't feel like I was responding to you. Peace.

schweeeeeet Homie, no probs... I was stoned, i knew it wasn't aimed at me, i just overstood what you had said :)
Dignan,, i really am feeling this thread, simple as it is.,. i am a Organic noob and i love it!
Mulching is anything you do to the top of the soil to help keep moisture and goodness in..
Hydroton,Compost,bark etc..

I am with you that it is a must in indoor/outdoor organics..
 
Yeah..the evaporation has been cut dramatically with hydroton; just make sure and rinse the stuff thoroughly before putting it on your soil because it willaffect your ph.
 

Natagonnaworrie

If you love life, don't waste time. For time is wh
Veteran
Right on. I have a 55 gallon drum to rinse it all in but i don't think i will need all that for mulch. anyway, thanks REP.

But if i wanted to go with the ceder chips or something similar does anyone have any idea / experience?

>> i just think they would do a better job insulating temps and improving water retention then the hydroton.

much appreciated.
 

Mud Man

Sumthink Stinks
Veteran
nice work JAY,, had to WIKI that one :) Couldn't remember...

Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial (positive allelopathy) or detrimental (negative allelopathy) effects on the target organisms. Allelochemicals are a subset of secondary metabolites[1], which are not required for metabolism (i.e. growth, development and reproduction) of the allelopathic organism. Allelochemicals with negative allelopathic effects are an important part of plant defense against herbivory.[2][1] Allelopathy is characteristic of certain plants, algae, bacteria, coral, and fungi. Allelopathic interactions are an important factor in determining species distribution and abundance within plant communities, and are also thought to be important in the success of many invasive plants. For specific examples, see Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), and Nutsedge. The process by which a plant acquires more of the available resources (such as nutrients, water or light) from the environment without any chemical action on the surrounding plants is called resource competition. This process is not negative allelopathy, although both processes can act together to enhance the survival rate of the plant species.
 

Puffster

Member
today I added organic nutrition pellets, 25liters of cow manure compost plus a top layer off mulched cuttings from my lawnmower to my holes filled with 250liters airy soil mix, I outdoor sog in two of these holes..anyways, If you round up this stuff in a pile it only takes a few hours to heat up, the amount of activity in mower mulched grass is quite amazing. I added the top layer in this order: 1:Organic Nutrition pellets (for roses originally, all I could get my hands on). 2:10centrimetres layer of 25liters cow manure compost (quality stuff). 3: 15cm layer of lawnmower mulched grass

gonna be rain tomorrow and that will do wonders for them with this topfeeding\mulching, they are about 2weeks into flowering. My first outdoor grow and Im just testing various things.
 

Dkgrower

Active member
Veteran
Many leaves have to much acid and littel N in there leafs, bad C/N ratio and not that great fore topdressing or mulching

Grasses, Nettels Comfey have good C/N ratios.
 

jaykush

dirty black hands
ICMag Donor
Veteran
leaves are best turned into leaf mold before mulching, and imo its the best mulch you can make. nothing beats it. simply pile leaves and let them rot away for a year.
 
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