I’M not “mulching” around when I say that, seriously mulch is wonderful stuff and makes a huge difference to the survival, health and speed of growth of just about all plants, by protecting and creating soil and keeping moisture in the ground, especially during this hot dry weather.
What are the types of mulch I hear you ask? First up we have bale mulch (straw/sugar cane), this is great for kick starting soil activity.
Next up we have chip mulches of shredded wood, bark or leaf. This is potentially the longest lived mulch (if high in wood), but heavier to move around.
Finally, there are mulch mats. These are light and easy to install, and we stock a great Palm Fibre mat that is by far the best mulch mat we have ever used.
There are issues to be aware of when using mulch, the reflection of light and heat from straw and chip mulches can burn the stems of tender rainforest stock fresh out of the nursery (this can be overcome by using tree guards) and woody mulches can reduce the amount of available nitrogen for plantings and slow them down initially, this can be overcome with use of organic fertilisers and the long-term benefits far outweigh any short term slow growth.
Mulch helps kick start your rainforest ecosystem by creating a forest type soil that is full of all the microbes, fungi, insects and whole host of other micro fauna. All this life can thrive in and below a mulch layer not much deeper than 100mm and can create the perfect conditions for healthy plant growth..
This leads me to one of my favourite planting tips, which is mulching your garden a month or so before you start planting. Why install mulch in advance?
If soil moisture is good, mulch can start improving soil within days of installation and when you install your plants they get off to an even better start.
So time for us to all stop mucking around and get mulching and help make 2025 a greener more abundant year!
