Types of soil mulching. What is mulch and where can I get it? The positive effects of mulch

Proper mulching helps conserve water, protect plant roots from high temperatures, enrich the soil with nutrients and discourage weed growth. Decorative mulch adds color and surface texture between plants. Mulching is enough simple process, but you need to know some details to take full advantage of it.

Steps

Select the appropriate mulch material. Here are some factors to consider:

Prepare the surface. If there is anything you want to do before mulching, do it.

Buy mulch.

Transport the mulch to your site. Many nurseries and garden centers will be happy to help you load the mulch into the machine. If you plan to deliver the mulch by bicycle or on foot, get a small trailer or cart to carry the mulch in. In the area, use a wheelbarrow to move the mulch to where it will be applied. If you don't have a wheelbarrow, try transporting mulch using a wheeled trash can or dolly. For small quantities, a bucket or empty flower pot will do.

Add thick layer mulch. The thickness of the mulch layer is really important if you want to retain moisture and prevent weed growth. In this case, the thickness of the mulch layer should be at least 5-10 cm.

Do not mulch around the stems and trunks of trees. Leave at least a small distance (10-15 cm) to allow the plant to breathe and to prevent lack of moisture or waterlogging.
Depending on your garden, you can use mulch to create depressions for water.

Spread the mulch evenly using a rake.

Pull back the mulch where you want to plant something new.

Renew the organic mulch every few years as it decomposes and turns into soil. You can bury the old mulch in the soil to allow it to break down completely, or simply add new mulch on top of the old one.
In the winter, prune some plants and cover them completely with mulch. Mulch provides thermal insulation. Be sure to remove the mulch in the spring.
- Instead of cutting off the end of the bag and pouring out the mulch like grain, lay the bag out on a flat surface, cut along the long side down the middle, then turn it over and lift the bag up. This is a quick and easy way to remove mulch from large, heavy bags.
- Mulch left in bags or piles may begin to decompose or turn sour without air, especially if it is wet. If this happens, open the bag, spread the mulch, and let it air dry for a few days or weeks before adding it to the soil. Its color may vary slightly, but it will not harm your plants. To avoid this problem, apply mulch immediately rather than leaving it in bags.
- If you place a layer of plastic under the mulch, be sure to apply a layer of mulch thick enough to block light penetration. Most plastics degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light. Plastic is waterproof, so it can change the drainage in the areas where you apply it.
Warnings
- Be careful when using plants that spread easily as mulch. Dry them thoroughly before use. Mint and ivy are some such plants that quickly take over available space. Weeds and other plants that may produce seeds are also best removed.
- Plants with thorns become prickly when they dry out. Unless you have a goal to protect your plantings from animals (and everyone else), do not use rose stems or berry bushes as mulch.
- Lift and move loads in a safe way. Use a cart or wheelbarrow and ask for help if you need it.
- Discard diseased plants and do not use them as mulch or compost. You can create new problem or aggravate an existing one.

In the process of growing garden and garden crops It is extremely important to protect plants from possible natural troubles. In particular, mulch helps with this - a material layer covering the surface of the earth near growing vegetables and melons, berry bushes, fruit trees or flowers. Those wishing to learn more about what mulch is and how to prepare it should read the proposed text.

Soil mulching: what is it?

Figuratively speaking, mulching the soil is the path to a rich harvest. In agricultural technical language, mulching means a simple and effective soil protection technology that promotes successful cultivation plants But first, you should define the concept of “mulch” more precisely: what is it? Mulch is understood as a homogeneous material or a mixture of substances of various origins, which, in their totality, quality characteristics suitable for protecting the soil used for growing cultivated plants. Now you can move on to the term “soil mulching” to better understand what it is. Without really knowing what it means to mulch the soil or, more simply, what mulching is, you cannot proceed to practical actions, since there is a danger of causing irreparable harm to already growing or future plants.

What are the benefits of mulching the soil in a summer cottage?

If we neglect the fact that sometimes mulch is used as decorative decoration, then its remaining properties come down mainly to protective functions:

- protection of plant root system by maintaining the required level of moisture in the soil (mulching the soil means retaining moisture in it) and acidity, temperature conditions and nutrient medium (including for earthworms that loosen the soil);

- protection of grown plants from hypothermia at low temperatures and from weeds (by preventing their growth).

In addition, the soil covered with mulch does not harden into a crust that is difficult to break through, and the growing berry or vegetable crop is protected from contamination.

Types of soil mulching, what materials to use for the procedure (organic and inorganic)

The classic classification of mulch according to its composition is organic and inorganic. Although compost is also of organic origin, it is sometimes separated into separate category mulch. Being extremely nutritious for vegetation, compost also helps loosen the soil and prevents its surface from turning into crust. A number of experts, not without reason, believe that mulching can also be called sodding the soil.

Did you know? You can even use shells for mulching walnuts and sunflower seed husks.

Organic mulching is almost always considered as the main option, since its result is, in particular, an increase in soil fertility.

Important! Before mulching with sawdust, shavings and bark, the soil must be treated with manure, feces or urea to avoid a lack of nitrogen.

A few words about turf, which in this context means regular grass lawn. Having no less usefulness than specially prepared mulch, lawn plants, saving nutrients, at the same time they act as a barrier to soil erosion.

Using sawdust

Sawdust perfectly protects plants from attacks by slug pests, making it difficult for them to move. Among the undoubted advantages of this material, we note its versatility for use on any soil, excellent aeropermeability, which allows the soil to “breathe” freely, and the density of the coating, as a result of which microorganisms intensively developing in the upper layer of soil gradually transform the sawdust itself into a fertile earth mass. Tomatoes and potatoes, which always suffer from overheating of the soil, cannot do without sawdust in a dry summer.

Important! Damping off of plants during sawdust mulching of the soil is prevented by ensuring that the sawdust does not caking.

Hay and straw

Slugs and straw do not like, which is very good as mulch. garden beds. The original 15cm thick straw mulch then naturally reduces by two thirds. Straw is a beneficial material for mulching garden rows, as well as for covering the soil where trees grow. For those running a fairly large farm, there is no particular problem with where to get straw or hay for mulching. The rest will have to be purchased - fortunately, large agricultural production is able to sell the surplus.

You can use mulching with hay and green mass in the form of mown grass and weeded weeds (preferably freed from seeds). Features of mulching the soil around trees suggest that protective layer will leave the root collar, which requires dryness, open. In general, the surface microflora will not cause damage to tree roots deeply buried in the ground. In this regard, plants covering the ground (mulching with turf), planted in the form of a lawn and able to easily tolerate the natural darkening created by the crowns of trees, will be very appropriate here.

Did you know? Having mulched with sod using white clover, you can simultaneously get rid of weeds and cockchafer larvae.

Using peat for mulching

The main function of peat as a mulching layer is to protect the soil from wind erosion, from deterioration of its fertile qualities through the leaching of elements that determine these qualities, and from unfavorable pathogenic flora. Peat mulch does not require artificial harvesting; when it goes into the soil, it improves its composition. It is considered optimal to use peat mulch for good development raspberry bushes, constantly requiring moisture, which peat retains so well. About half a month after rooting in open ground The soil of tomato seedlings planted there is also mulched with peat. Finally, they use the decorative qualities of a homogeneous peat structure, which makes it possible to create a very attractive backfill.

Mulching technology with green manure and mowed grass

Garden grass, including specially grown green manure, due to its location in the sun heated outdoors quickly gets rid of most of the moisture it contains. This significantly slows down the decomposition process. Under the pressure of autumn rains, it intensifies in an already deserted area. harvested vegetable garden As a result of winter-autumn rotting, the owner of the plot receives new natural organic fertilizer for the beds by spring.

Having figured out how easy it is to prepare mulch from grass in the summer-autumn period, it must be said that the so-called early spring (immediately after the disappearance of the snow cover) green manure with plants capable of very rapid growth is also used. Mulching before May planting cucumbers, zucchini or other warm-loving garden crops in the open ground are produced using, for example, mustard (or other green manure), which manages to gain large volume greenery, which is mowed and used as mulch (can also be added to compost). Having left the roots in the soil and given the opportunity for soil microorganisms to “work” with them, a couple of weeks after mowing the green manure, you can begin planting the intended crop. Mulching cucumbers, late cabbage and other vegetables with green manure will be successful if:

The soil for planting seeds will be moist and loose, and the seeds themselves will touch it for the most part surfaces (need to be rolled a little);

It will be possible to protect the planted seed material from birds (garden scarecrows are still effective);

Mowing will be done before the green manure blooms and hard, poorly decomposing stems are formed;

During the mulching process, the soil with beneficial microflora will not be damaged.

Important! Not using green manure from the same plant family as the main crop will protect the latter from related diseases.

Features of mulching with film and textiles

Inorganic mulching successfully copes with protective functions if they are not related to plant nutrition. The inorganics used could be roughly classified as follows:

Black (sometimes colored) film and textile materials, as well as paper and cardboard;

Stones (crushed stone, gravel, pebbles, etc.);

Expanded clay.

The last two types have decorative value, since they can perfectly decorate a garden or landscape composition, but are also capable of interfering with periodically necessary earthworks related to soil cultivation for growing garden and vegetable crops. Expanded clay also has a weak structure and is subject to decay into smaller and smaller particles over time.

Black film is often used due to the lack of a mulch preparation process. Its ability to perfectly retain moisture and prevent the development of weeds is attractive. It must be remembered that it is, in fact, a disposable material, becoming unusable under the sun's rays in just a season. When deciding to use film mulching, you need to consider:- the scheme according to which the cultivated vegetation will be watered (drip or through holes in the coating);

Measures to combat slugs that collect under the film;

The ability of plants to withstand overheating inevitably enhanced by film mulch in particularly hot weather.

Important! By covering the film from the sun with a thin layer of straw (or hay), you can extend its use for several seasons.

Covered with stones, so as not to distort the aesthetic perception, the film is also used to mulch the soil in rock gardens, where it prevents the development of weeds.

Textile materials made from polypropylene fiber are becoming increasingly common among land users who use mulching. Due to the relative cheapness and excellent quality, including such as absorption sun rays, became widely known geotextiles, not giving any chance to the weeds caught under its cover to survive.

Mulching with bark and wood chips

Chips and bark, especially from birch or oak, have certain limitations in their use for mulching related to their chemical composition. Their transfer of tannins into the soil can slow down plant growth. Therefore, other materials are needed in garden beds, but coniferous plantings (spruce, cypress, etc.), which are not afraid of the tannic influence, noticeably increase their development due to the acidification of the soil on which they grow by the bark. For coniferous plants In the interests of improving their nutrition, it is quite possible to mulch the soil with compost annually.

A serious argument in favor of mulching with bark is its combination of good thickness in comparison with almost weightless lightness and a high content of phytoncides that cleanse environment from unwanted microorganisms and insects. Makes bark mulch natural look trunk circle near the tree.

When choosing wood chips you need to take a closer look at the proposed sizes. Like sawdust, wood waste in the form of chips naturally turns into the state of humus, having previously successfully coped with the functions of maintaining the necessary looseness and moisture of the soil and stimulating an increase in the microflora necessary for the plant.

Mulching with leaf humus

Fallen leaves, even without additional processing, can be used to protect the soil. But a prerequisite for this is that the trees from which it fell have no diseases caused by the fungus, otherwise the entire area may be affected by the spores. To avoid this possibility, they prefer to use foliage as a component of compost, especially since its nutritional value is beyond doubt. An additional safety precaution will be the antifungal treatment of leaves immediately before they are put into compost. Leaf humus, which is slightly acidic and is not a fertilizer, perfectly conditions the soil, helping to improve its structure. In addition to mature leaf humus, both dry and half-rotted leaves are used for mulching.

Using needles for mulching

Flower beds are well protected pine needles. In general, people tend to use pine needles as mulch to protect crops that are occasionally attacked by pests en masse (garlic is a well-known representative of such plants). The freeness and naturalness of pine needles (along with it, cones, twigs, and pieces of bark are added to the mulch), its ability to make the earth saturated with moisture, well breathable, and moderately loose attracts increased attention to it. This attention should be combined with some caution, since such mulch can also lead to agronomic disaster, acidifying the soil in the garden beyond all measure or having a depressing effect on the development of certain crops.

Excellent results are obtained when strawberries are mulched with a covering material such as needles. In this case, they are saved from acidification by annual feeding of the strawberry plot with wood ash. By the way, during fruiting, strawberries are mulched using clean straw so that the berries do not come into contact with the ground. Producers take great care to ensure that there is always something to mulch strawberries, since they are not only tasty, but also increasing their yield leads to a good income.

Features of soil mulching, what you need to know about the agrotechnical procedure

Mulching agricultural technology is based on the requirement that the soil be sufficiently warmed. An artificial blanket over cold soil (organic or inorganic) will lead to a negative result - a delay in the development of plants. This rule does not apply to potatoes, over which mulch (organic only) is applied immediately after planting in the ground. Two seasons are considered optimal for mulching the soil:

1) the main purpose of spring mulching of warmed soil is to protect the plant from overheating and drying out, that is, after the end of the cold season you need to wait a little;

2) in the middle or at the final stage of autumn, mulching of soil that has not had time to overcool is done mainly to avoid damage or death of the plant from winter cold. Creation protective coating should be preceded by cleaning the soil from weeds (perennial and large) and enriching it with ash, bone meal or other slowly decomposing fertilizers.

The mulch layer is not laid down forever - it is replaced as its functions are exhausted, which, in turn, is associated with the characteristics of the materials used. The soil covered with mulch requires more significant watering, aimed at ensuring that the completely wet protective layer appears on the moistened soil. Some of the individualized features of mulching include:

The area of mulch covering the ground under bushes and trees is limited by the diameter of their crown (not counting the gap between the shelter and the trunk);

Garden beds with vegetables and flower beds are completely mulched with a 10-centimeter (or 3 cm less) layer;

Vegetable seedlings are planted in the soil when it is already covered with film or textiles.

Did you know? The use of mulching is not limited to open spaces - it is also used indoors and even for plants grown in pots.

Having found out what mulch is and where to get it, learned in practice how to prepare mulch, carried out the entire process of preparing mulch with your own hands, and spent time mulching the soil, the land user can significantly save time on watering and weeding. And the result is in the form good harvest will remind him of efforts well spent.

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Mulching the soil

If you have a personal plot, every gardener or gardener knows that in order to maintain the growth and health of plants, it is necessary to mulch the soil. Let's figure out what it is mulch and where can I get it?

What is mulch?

Mulching involves the use of organic and inorganic materials to protect the soil in severe frosts and winds. It can be done DIY mulch using old sawdust for this, various leaves or weeds, straw, husks or composts. The prepared mixture should be rich in nutrients that are important for the growth of flowers, potatoes or vegetables.

Ordinary manure is excellent as mulch. In the fall, it needs to be removed to a specially designated place. And already in the spring, rich useful substances, it is perfect for mulching.

How to use mulch? Manure needs to be spread on beds, flower beds or around trees; after a while, with the help of ordinary worms, it will fall deep into the ground, feeding the roots of plants.

In addition to the main function of nutrition, mulch has a number of positive aspects for use:

Types of mulch

Amateur and professional gardeners divide the mulch into two large groups:

Inorganic mulch not only protective functions, but also decorative. Most often, gravel, ceramic chips, crushed stone, sand, shells, plastic or films are used for mulching.

Stone, marble or ceramic chips are a durable material that is used to decorate gardens and in areas with strong winds. The main advantage decorative mulch protection of the top layer of soil from weathering and crust formation is considered.

But with strong heating in the sun, stones can harm not only plant roots. Therefore, it is very important to carry out additional watering of the surface in the summer.

The photo shows soil mulching with gravel

Another method of inorganic mulching is the use of special mulch films. The non-woven material can be left under the plants throughout the growing season. Main function agrotex or agril - preventing the appearance of weeds.

After conducting research and experiments, experts came to the conclusion that as a mulch film black suits better than colored. It warms the soil well, retains moisture, and prevents weeds from growing.

Before use, you need to make small holes in it for convenient watering and fertilizing. The only downside is the possibility of rotting roots under mulch.

Mulching the soil with film

When organic mulch rots, it turns into nutrients that increase soil fertility. Currently exists a large number of varieties of mulch, but among them the most popular can be identified.

On every personal plot weeds grow, which quickly rot in hot weather. Before mulching, it must be slightly dried, and before laying the beds, it must be watered.

Grass mulch is laid in the spring: during this period, plants need nitrogen, which is released during decay. Suitable herbal mulch for strawberries, tomatoes.

Mulching the soil with grass

Pine mulch is able to absorb excess moisture and, when there is a lack of it, give it to the roots of plants, which prevents the process of rotting and dryness of the soil. IN winter period needles protect the soil and roots from frost and weathering.

Mulching needs to be done in early spring, mulch is poured in a small layer of seven centimeters. Pine needles are used to nourish and protect the roots of trees, fruit and berry crops, and as a landscape decoration.

Mulching the soil with pine needles

Bark mulch coniferous trees able to regulate temperature regime soil, when watering, filter the water. The bark is safe for plants, as it does not promote the proliferation of pests. Appearance allows you to use the bark when decorating flower beds and gardens.

Bark mulching is suitable for all types of trees and plants, except tomatoes. This is due to the release of toxins that cause great harm to growth.

The photo shows soil mulching with tree bark

Coconut mulch in specialized stores it costs a decent amount. But durability, attractiveness and high ability to retain moisture have contributed to its widespread use.

Processed from coconut husks, the product has bactericidal properties. Mulch is used when decorating flower beds, flower beds, when planting vegetables, and even indoor plants.

Pictured is coconut husk mulch.

Almost every summer cottage or homestead farms use manure mulch for potatoes. During the decay process, animal waste releases a large amount of substances useful for plant growth.

Potatoes over mulch reliably protected from exposure to sunlight and weathering, gaining growth and strength. But when high temperature and lack of moisture, the tubers may begin to rot.

In the photo there are potatoes under mulch

How to make mulch yourself?

Mulch Can buy in specialized stores of any kind. When purchasing, the sales consultant will give advice on use and suggest what is best to purchase. The price of mulch depends on the manufacturer and product.

For example, film will cost you about 50 rubles per square meter, and a bag of pine bark, coconut flakes or decorative wood chips costs 350 rubles.

But you can make organic and inorganic mulch yourself without spending money on it. family budget. Use whatever you find on the property: grass clippings, sawdust, old hay, leaves, chicken droppings or manure.

The photo shows decorative wood mulch

For strawberry roots or very useful eggshell. Many gardeners even use paper, cardboard and newspaper, which can be found in every home, as mulch. A special film for mulching can be replaced with thick fabric.

Mulch reviews

Tatyana from Kaliningrad: - “I learned about mulching the soil several years ago and decided to try it. In the first year, I noted a number of positive aspects: there were practically no weeds, even in hot weather the soil under the mulch was moist, and in the fall I reaped a large harvest.”

Sergey from Anapa: “Before using mulch, you need to know which one is best suited for a certain plant. For example, when mulching strawberries, it is better to use film, and last year’s manure for potatoes and tomatoes.”

It is very bad, dear gardeners, if you tied the trunks of your apple trees, cherries and other fruit trees for the winter, and left the trunk circles bare, not covered. What if there is little snow and frost? How will your pets' roots survive frost? Have you ever walked barefoot in the cold? No? Try it! This will strengthen your immunity, and at the same time you will understand what discomfort an unprotected person experiences root system fruit trees. To protect it from freezing, use a simple but effective agrotechnical technique– mulching. That is, covering the soil surface with mulch. Mulch is any material used by a gardener or gardener to protect the soil.

It should be noted that mulching is especially in demand in cases of frosty and snowless winters to preserve the root system, but not only. It performs many other useful functions, including in the summer.

Protects plant roots from freezing in winter.
In summer, it prevents overheating of the soil by retaining moisture.
Reduces the number of weeds, slowing their growth several times.
Protects the soil from erosion and washing away by rain.
Keeps the soil loose.
Stimulates the activity of earthworms, which improve soil quality.
Mulching promotes the development of the root system.
Rotting mulch improves the quality and structure of the soil.
Gives the garden an attractive look.

Mulch can be organic (preferred) or inorganic. As organic mulch, grass clippings, pine needles, straw, hay, sawdust, shavings, bark, cut cardboard and paper are used. Peat, humus, etc. are very useful for mulching. In the case of compost, it must be completely decomposed and free of weed seeds. The disadvantage of organic mulch is that it attracts small rodents, insects, and slugs. Over time, such mulch needs to be replaced.

For inorganic mulching, sand, gravel, pebbles, stone, plastic, and cut rubber are used. Black polyethylene is widely used in planting strawberries and garden strawberries. Inorganic mulch is durable, does not decompose and does not attract pests. Its disadvantage is that it does not nourish the soil.
When to mulch?
It all depends on the goal that the gardener sets for himself. Best time for mulching - autumn. Mulch will retain heat in the soil in winter, helping plants overwinter, and in spring it will protect the soil from erosion and weathering. In spring, it is sometimes useful to move the mulch to better warm the soil. But planted trees and shrubs must be mulched immediately to prevent moisture loss.

How to mulch the soil?
The simplest method of mulching, when for some reason there is no mulch at hand, is to take a hoe and manually loosen the soil around the tree. Not deep. To a depth of 5-7 centimeters, so as not to damage the roots. The radius is the size of the tree crown. In this way, a layer of mulch is created from small lumps of earth, protecting the underlying layer from drying out in summer, and to some extent from freezing of the roots in winter. But this is not the best way.

The easiest way is to buy mulch at a specialty store and use it according to the instructions. On sale there is mulch made from pine and larch bark and some others. But if the garden is large, then this method is costly from a financial point of view.
Experienced farmers will prefer to use fallen leaves, humus, and compost. In the fall, you can add half-ripe manure. Before mulching, you need to free the soil from weeds. Add fertilizer if necessary. It is advisable to keep the soil moist.
Renew the mulch layer annually or every few years, depending on the material being mulched. Vegetable beds and flower beds are mulched 7-10 centimeters thick. Fruit trees and shrubs along the crown radius. From 5 cm at the edges of the tree trunk to 10-15 cm at the tree trunk.

Mulching the soil is carried out not only in the garden, but also in the greenhouse, greenhouse, and also for potted plants, including indoor flowers.

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Experienced gardeners They often use one simple but very effective agricultural technique that helps preserve soil moisture, improves plant nutrition, protects against soil crusts, suppresses the development of weeds, protects tree roots from freezing during snowless frosty periods of winter, restrains soil washout in gardens on slopes, and much more. .

This agricultural practice is called mulching.

Mulching is used for all fruit and berry plants , and first of all in young garden. After watering, the holes near the plants are sprinkled with dry soil and then mulch is applied with a layer of 4-5 cm. In gardens, tree trunk circles or tree trunk strips are most often mulched.

The most used as mulch different materials: peat crumbs, straw, sawdust, manure, manure composts, humus, plant residues, pine needles, reeds, fallen leaves. If the garden is turfed, then the role of mulch is played by the mown grass, which is left in place or moved to the tree trunk strips.

Combined mulch is also used, consisting of two or three materials. Some gardeners cover the soil around the trunks of fruit trees and shrubs with old linoleum, stones, and broken bricks.

Supporters of organic farming They try never to leave the soil bare - it should always be covered, they believe, if not with plants, then with mulch. After all, it's open upper layer soil, the most needed by plants, is constantly exposed to the adverse effects of rain, wind and temperature.

But also themselves mulch materials have a certain effect on the soil- thus, straw and sawdust, containing a lot of carbohydrates, enhance the absorption of nitrogen from the soil by microorganisms, actually taking it away from plants. In this case, you have to apply a double dose of nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea (20 g per 1 m2), or pre-compost the straw and sawdust.

Mulch all soils, except excessively moist ones., but this technique is especially effective on light sandy and sandy loam soils, as well as in areas of insufficient moisture.

Mulch can be used during one season over several years. In the first case, peat crumbs, manure or humus are placed on the tree trunk in a layer of 3-5 cm in the spring, immediately after planting, to retain moisture in the soil and improve the survival rate of the plant.

In summer when loosening and weeding The mulch is mixed with the soil, and during autumn digging it is embedded in the soil. At the same time, the water and nutrient regimes of the soil are improved, the crust is eliminated, but the protective role of mulch materials in winter is almost not used.

With long-term use of mulch, which is most often used on light soils and high places, it also serves to protect the roots from frost in winter. To do this, they most often take peat chips, sawdust, pine needles and other materials, which are laid in a layer of 10-12 cm within a radius of 1 m.

When weeding in summer, they try to preserve the mulch and the soil under the trees is not dug up. After 2-3 years, when the coating layer decreases to 4-5 cm, it is again increased to its original height.

Good results are obtained from use as mulch organic fertilizers- rotted manure and manure composts with peat chips, sawdust, leaves, grass.

Under such mulch the soil becomes especially fertile, loose, moist, a large number of earthworms multiply in it, which process organic matter into humus and thereby improve plant nutrition. This mulch is placed in the fall before the onset of frost and kept on the tree trunk for a year or two, and then incorporated into the soil.

Also used for mulching black PVC or polyethylene film. It is used to line tree trunk circles within a radius of 1 m near the tree trunk, and the edges are laid in grooves 10-12 cm deep and covered with soil.

There is no need to make any holes; moisture gets under the film from the adjacent layer of soil and is well preserved there. The disadvantage of such a shelter is that the film does not protect plant roots well in snowless, frosty winters and early spring.

IN Lately new non-woven black materials have appeared from synthetic fiber(lutrasil 60 UV, agril-P-5 S-60, spunbond), which have many advantages compared to film - they allow water and air to pass through well.

There are also special tree trunk circles on sale. The package contains 12 circles cut from black lutrasil, ready for laying on tree trunk (or bite) circles (made in Germany).

Of interest use in gardens of combined perennial mulch from a layer of organic material (sawdust, straw, reeds, etc.) and light plastic film.

Mulch is really needed in a strawberry bed. After planting and watering, the rows there are mulched with manure, compost or peat chips with a layer of 4-5 cm. Dark film, as well as nonwovens on this crop it is most often used in this way.

For single-line landing cut strips 30 cm wide are spread along the line of rows before planting, placing the edges of the film in small grooves 10-12 cm deep and lightly sprinkling with soil so that a strip of 15-18 cm remains uncovered. Sometimes the film is secured with wire hooks. Before planting, cross-shaped cuts of 10X10 cm are made on the film, and plants are planted in them.

On fruiting garden strawberries to protect berries from contamination and damage by gray rot or powdery mildew the soil under the bushes immediately after flowering is covered with dark film, cardboard, thick paper or dry straw, grass, sawdust, scraps of plywood, boards or combined mulch (first spread the film, and on it - a layer of straw 7-10 cm thick).

Closer to winter, the soil under the bushes and between the rows is mulched with peat crumbs, humus or half-rotted manure in a layer of about 5 cm to facilitate the overwintering of plants.

L. Yurina, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences