Good time for a mulch ?

[nickdub]

The ground here is soaked after all the rain we've had, and reasonably warm. So anything like courgettes, raspberries etc will be getting a mulch of whatever is available - in my case probably mostly home made compost but also grass-mowings.

Now if the monsoon conditions persist this will mostly be a waste of effort, but you never know with the weather - we might now get 2 months with hardly any rain at all, and on my light free draining soil unless I do something that will mean a lot of watering will be needed - so the miulching is a kind of insurance :-)

[ameno]

These last couple years I've been using shredded rape straw as a mulch.
I get it for £6 for a 20kg bale at a local farm supply place (it's sold as horse bedding), and a little goes a long way, so a bale usually lasts me two years. If no rain is due, I usually soak it in water for 24h before applying it. It lasts all summer, but by the following spring it's gone, all incorporated into the ground, which makes it perfect for mulching crops.

[Jay-ell]

I've three 120 liter bags of grass clippings to go down tomorrow. Most of the beds have some mulch on already but I'll top some of them up and the sweetcorn /oca bed needs mulching.

[Dynamite]

Mulching....

Great use of Grass clippings.

[Snadger]

...and in answer to the question, any time is a good time to mulch!

[nickdub]

Sorry to be contrary but my advice is never put down a mulch when the ground is either frozen or very dry - the best time for a mulch is when the soil is wet and warm already.