Layer of mulch in the fall benefits garden later
Are you a recycler? If so, take the opportunity this fall to recycle your garden's leftovers and turn them into a rich source of organic magic.
No matter what kind of soil or style of garden you have, decomposed organic matter offers substantial benefits at a fraction of the cost of buying commercial compost or mulch.
Making compost: Fall is an ideal time to start a compost pile because of the wealth of basic ingredients: leaves, spent annuals and perennials, and remnants of fruit and vegetable harvests are readily available.
Composting can be as simple as putting all of your garden leftovers in a pile to decompose slowly or as complicated as mixing precise recipes in commercial tumblers that accelerate the process. Regardless of the approach, the goal is allowing the natural process of decomposition to recycle garden refuse in a nutrient-rich mixture with soil-enhancing benefits.
The end product of a compost pile is partially decomposed organic matter called compost.
Compost for amending soil: Using partially decomposed organic matter to improve all types of garden soil is an organic approach for creating healthier gardens that require less work to maintain.
One challenge of clay soil is poor drainage; amending it with compost helps to improve drainage by creating air pockets that allow water to flow through it and by helping to improve soil structure.
Organic matter also provides a food source for earthworms and other soil organisms that work naturally to improve soil fertility.
This eco-magic can reduce or eliminate the need for synthetic fertilizers.
In gardens with light sandy soil, excessive drainage is the challenge. Compost acts like a sponge to help sandy soil capture the moisture from rainfall or irrigation plants need, especially during dry spells that can occur year round. It also helps improve soil structure and improves fertility.
The best time to amend soil with compost is when establishing new beds. If the new area is large, a tiller can reduce the hard work of digging up to 6 inches of compost into the top foot of soil. A large shovel works well for smaller areas or when amending soil before adding plants to existing beds.
Be careful to avoid damaging roots of existing trees or shrubs.
Compost as mulch: The benefits of amending soil continue until all organic matter is completely decomposed, making it important to continually replenish garden soil with fresh compost.
It's easy to routinely amend soil with compost each time beds are replanted with annuals or vegetables, and when perennials are dug and divided every few years.
It's impossible in areas with established trees and shrubs with roots that can't be disturbed.
The solution is applying a layer of compost as mulch, but not just around trees and shrubs. Mulch has tremendous benefits for all garden areas.
Over time rainfall and gravity will pull the chemical results of decomposing mulch into the soil, sustaining the benefits to soil texture and fertility. Mulch also suppresses weeds, moderates soil temperatures and helps preserve soil moisture -- critical benefits for gardens and gardeners.
Fall is an ideal time to apply a layer of mulch. The first application should be 2 to 3 inches deep. In future years, add whatever amount of compost is needed to maintain this depth, being sure to always keep mulch pulled back several inches from the trunks or crowns of plants.
Using rocks or synthetic chips as mulch will not contribute to healthy organically rich soil. If mulch doesn't decompose, it doesn't nourish the soil.