ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

WHY MULCH AND WHICH MULCH DO I USE?

AUBURN, NOV. 5---There are four good reasons to mulch. It smothers weeds, conserves moisture, maintains even soil temperature in summer and winter, and covers up ugly spots making the garden more attractive.

Probably the most popular mulch in Alabama is pine straw but there are many other types of mulch that do well in Alabama gardens, says Dr. Dave Williams, an Extension horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Other mulches include:

* Gravel--Lasts forever, but must be raked or blown regularly to keep tidy. Also, it does nothing to improve the soil.

* Bark--Attractive and a good soil improvement as it decomposes. Steals nitrogen from the soil during decomposition so add a slow release nitrogen fertilizer periodically.

* Hay--Decomposes rapidly adding nitrogen to the soil, and is inexpensive. However it looks messy and adds lots of weed seeds to the soil.

* Straw--Has less weed seeds than hay, but the coarse appearance makes it better for vegetable gardens than for ornamentals.

* Grass clippings--Decomposes quickly adding nitrogen to the soil. Wait one week after applying weed killers to the lawn before gathering the clippings. If layered too thickly, the clippings may smell bad or heat up the soil enough to damage plants. If you're mowing regularly, however, the best place for lawn clippings to go is back to the lawn.

* Leaves--An excellent soil additive. Shred them with a mower or chipper/shredder to keep them from matting down or blowing away. Composting for one year may improve the look and usefulness.

* Wood chips--Attractive and decompose slowly. As with bark add a fertilizer periodically. May attract termites and carpenter ants to a structure.

* Compost--Attractive and an excellent source of nutrients. Can be expensive if you don't make your own.

* Pine straw--Has a slight acidifying effect on the soil.

Most mulches can be spread to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Any mulch that has a tendency to mat together, such as grass clippings or wet leaves, should be applied less than 1 inch deep. Mulches that decompose rapidly, such as hay, chopped leaves, or compost, can be applied up to 4 inches deep. Concentrate the mulch under the drip line of the plant

SOURCE: DR. DAVE WILLIAMS, Extension Horticulturist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-3032