Mulch advice please

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

I have had my allotment for about a month now and am just about getting there with the digging, weeding and sorting out. Am now wondering if I should put some kind of mulch down over the plot as I dont know what the previous tennants have had planted where.

There is a very old grave yard right next to the allotment that has loads and loads of brown leaves and I have read somewhere that these make a good mulch. Is that true?? If so whats the best thing to do with them?? Or is it to late to put a mulch down now??

Thank you

H x

[Capsid]

The leaves need to rot down for a year for them to be useful. They are very excellent for soil conditioning. So collect them up and make a leaf mould bin for future use. If the leaves do look well rotted (broken down into a compost like consistency) then I recommend using it as either a mulch or digging it in. Now is a good time but you can add a mulch at any time.

[Epsom Gardener]

Dear Wicked Witch,

Whilst everyone around me lays weed mat down (believe it or not, some weeds can make their way through the cheap weed mats anyway) or spends an age and loads of energy digging all the grass/weeds out of their beds (which inevitably grows back!), I put a layer of cardboard or about 10 page thickness of newspaper down then give it a stab with a fork.
Leafmulch is great and it is never the wrong time to mulch – yes, it is good to let it mulch down first – if you don’t want to make a leaf mulch bin, just put them in a pile and cover with black plastic or put in black garbage bags (punch holes in the bags) and leave for about a year. Alternatively, mix in with the soil. When I started my beds (2 years ago), I put a really thick layer of leaves down and horse manure (well rotted & collected for free from the local place where people house their horses – they are glad to be rid of it) on top of that. Then I use bought compost (I love it when it is on special for only £2.50 for 75 litres which it is currently at Chessington Garden Centre) – all I do is make a hole in the rotted manure/leaves, put in a few litres of bought soil and plant my seedling. I find that by the time the plant grows its roots into the manure/leaves, all is good.


Sure, I get the occasional weed making its way through the cardboard and to the surface but it is easy to pull out. Some of the other allotmenteers scoffed at my putting the cardboard down – one old guy said he had never heard of it! I told him to read an organic gardening book! Anyway, once again they are digging over all of their beds because all the weeds they chopped up last time have re sprouted, and I have only the weeds which have self seeded (mostly blown in from their weedy plots!).

Sorry this is all over the place, but I hope it helps.
Dean

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

Oh thank you both for your replies.

Forgot to add earlier that when I went yesterday the man on the plot next to mine looked like he had had the same idea as me and had alot of brown leaves down a dug out patch of the plot (sorry if this had a technical term, like I say I am very new to this). But Epsom you think I should put news paper or card down and water it instead?? Or do I put the paper/card down and the leaves on the top?? I can do a bin aswel as there is loads and loads of leaves going spare in the grave yard.

Thank you

H x

[Capsid]

Only mulch with the leaves if they are well rotted. Otherwise collect as much as you can. The cardboard is only necessary if you need to suppress weeds. Weeds are inevitable and weeding/hoeing is all part and parcel of veg growing.

[SarzWix]

I put cardboard down to prevent weeds as well as suppress them Capsid. It rots down and adds organic matter to the soil. Weeding and hoeing isn't a necessity, and indeed can be avoided altogether in some beds!

W.W. of W., you can put the cardboard down and the leaves/compost/manure are piled on top. If you start your veg seeds off in pots/trays and plant them out when they're a bit bigger, then you can plant them straight through holes in the mulch/cardboard. The only things this won't work with are things like carrots which you have to sow direct, and maybe onions which even if they're sets (tiny part grown onions) are probably better off going into fairly clear soil.

[Beanie]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Allotmenteering, W.W of the W!

I use cardboard as well, & it certainly keeps the weeds down. I cover the cardboard with straw, to make it look nicer & to stop the cardboard blowing away. The mulch also stops the soil beneath from drying out, so you don't need to water your plants so often.
To answer your question on timing, no it's not too late to mulch now, but If it's still frosty & cold in your area then it may be too early - you need to do it when the soil has warmed up a little (otherwise the mulch keep the cold in & stop it warming up), but before it gets too hot & dries out. I'm in Southampton & usually do mine in March, when the 'better' (Hah!) weather is supposedly on its way.

As for your leaves - I would do as suggested above: gather them up & either leave in a bin, to become leaf mould, or perhaps you could spread them on top of the cardboard, like I do with the straw. They are certainly too good a gift to miss!

I've been told it's important to remove mulches over winter though, to allow birds to get at the soil & hoover up any pests lurking there. I take mine off in Oct/Nov & put it on the compost bin, so it's not wasted.

Have fun with your new plot!

[Snadger]

Dear Wicked Witch,

Whilst everyone around me lays weed mat down (believe it or not, some weeds can make their way through the cheap weed mats anyway) or spends an age and loads of energy digging all the grass/weeds out of their beds (which inevitably grows back!), I put a layer of cardboard or about 10 page thickness of newspaper down then give it a stab with a fork.
Leafmulch is great and it is never the wrong time to mulch – yes, it is good to let it mulch down first – if you don’t want to make a leaf mulch bin, just put them in a pile and cover with black plastic or put in black garbage bags (punch holes in the bags) and leave for about a year. Alternatively, mix in with the soil. When I started my beds (2 years ago), I put a really thick layer of leaves down and horse manure (well rotted & collected for free from the local place where people house their horses – they are glad to be rid of it) on top of that. Then I use bought compost (I love it when it is on special for only £2.50 for 75 litres which it is currently at Chessington Garden Centre) – all I do is make a hole in the rotted manure/leaves, put in a few litres of bought soil and plant my seedling. I find that by the time the plant grows its roots into the manure/leaves, all is good.


Sure, I get the occasional weed making its way through the cardboard and to the surface but it is easy to pull out. Some of the other allotmenteers scoffed at my putting the cardboard down – one old guy said he had never heard of it! I told him to read an organic gardening book! Anyway, once again they are digging over all of their beds because all the weeds they chopped up last time have re sprouted, and I have only the weeds which have self seeded (mostly blown in from their weedy plots!).

Sorry this is all over the place, but I hope it helps.
Dean

Another mulch devotee!

[Snadger]

I put cardboard down to prevent weeds as well as suppress them Capsid. It rots down and adds organic matter to the soil. Weeding and hoeing isn't a necessity, and indeed can be avoided altogether in some beds!

W.W. of W., you can put the cardboard down and the leaves/compost/manure are piled on top. If you start your veg seeds off in pots/trays and plant them out when they're a bit bigger, then you can plant them straight through holes in the mulch/cardboard. The only things this won't work with are things like carrots which you have to sow direct, and maybe onions which even if they're sets (tiny part grown onions) are probably better off going into fairly clear soil.

And another!

[Snadger]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Allotmenteering, W.W of the W!

I use cardboard as well, & it certainly keeps the weeds down. I cover the cardboard with straw, to make it look nicer & to stop the cardboard blowing away. The mulch also stops the soil beneath from drying out, so you don't need to water your plants so often.
To answer your question on timing, no it's not too late to mulch now, but If it's still frosty & cold in your area then it may be too early - you need to do it when the soil has warmed up a little (otherwise the mulch keep the cold in & stop it warming up), but before it gets too hot & dries out. I'm in Southampton & usually do mine in March, when the 'better' (Hah!) weather is supposedly on its way.

As for your leaves - I would do as suggested above: gather them up & either leave in a bin, to become leaf mould, or perhaps you could spread them on top of the cardboard, like I do with the straw. They are certainly too good a gift to miss!

I've been told it's important to remove mulches over winter though, to allow birds to get at the soil & hoover up any pests lurking there. I take mine off in Oct/Nov & put it on the compost bin, so it's not wasted.

Have fun with your new plot!

And yet another..............must be something to this mulching lark!

[pebbles]

So after you put the cardboard or papers down how long do you have to wait until you can plant on that patch?

[zazen999]

Pebbles...I mulch with cardboard and as soon as the card is wet enough to plant through - it can be planted through. If you want to make holes yourself, you can plant immediately. I wait until the rain has softened it a bit so that i can make as small a hole for planting as possible.

[snakeshack]

I too am a big cardboard and mulch fan,beats digging.
try looking for a thread on lasagne beds ,same principle but deeper

[oldie]

I used cardboard covered with black plastic last year as the garden had not been cultivated for several years. I have now discovered the beauty of straw. Dirt cheap keeps weed down, can use as a mulch on potatoes instead of earthing up(saves my back I've got R.A.) and eventually can be dug in which will help my heavy clay soil.

[Beanie]

If you look in the 'Growing Techniques' thread, there's a post called "Supersprout's Allotment" which explains all about mulching with black plastic & straw, & some excellent photos - very useful info.