As we loose mulching and soil?

Mulch is a very interesting innovation that only comes to our gardens.

It is best to mulch the beds with organic matter – hay, straw, fresh grass, leaves. Organic matter eventually decomposes, recycled soil inhabitants, and thus, the soil is saturated with food. That is to say, making compost right on the spot! Under the mulch is diluted many worms who loosen the soil.

Noticed that it is best to mulch of freshly cut grass from under the trimmers. It is easy to put in between the tomatoes. Out of the grass when it begins to fade, release carbon dioxide. It is known that carbon dioxide (CO2) absorb living plants for normal growth. (Carbon dioxide is formed as well in herbal infusions.)

Mulch makes the soil more friable. If watering bare soil, then over time the top layer will be eroded and form a crust, which will need to break and loosen. Without oxygen to the roots of the plants do not grow. But with a good layer of mulch (5-7 cm) on the soil crust is not formed. If you lift the mulch layer, the soil there is moist and loose.

If enough mulch on some garden beds, the ground it is desirable to loosen. After watering may still peel. Enough to walk a hoe or cultivator 'scratching' the ground on top.

Mulch also inhibits weed growth. Weeds grow in the presence of light. If using mulch and will break some sow Thistle or amaranth, they are very easy to pull out of the beds.

The benefits of mulch:

— soft and cool to the touch soil;

— moisture from evaporation;

— protection from fungal diseases;

— the earthworms and other soil animals;

— introduction of organic matter into the soil.

But the mulch also has the cons! It's the slugs. Not always infest slugs under the mulch. But year on year is not necessary, and it happens that in a period of dramatically increasing population of slugs and snails. Then you need to try to keep the soil slightly dry in bernerslee. Especially near the trunks of plants. Tomatoes slugs we did not bring much harm, but sweet peppers are eaten instantly. If the tomatoes are not far from the ground, slugs can begin to spoil them too.

If the slug threatens to damage the entire crop, we remove the mulch on the paths, good loose topsoil and sprinkling drugs against slugs (containing metaldehyde).

There is need to choose – or to take advantage of this, according to many, the ill-fated 'chemistry' and be with the harvest. Or share with the slugs, eventually to breed more of them. When we treat each plant as individualnomu the body, and raise them starting from a small seed, then questions about the dangers of chemicals disappear by themselves. Drugs against slugs are not dangerous to human health, if not to eat the drug with a spoon. And make, following the instructions.

And after all the mulch has a lot of advantages. We will continue to deal with slugs a variety of ways, but the mulch will not give up.

Loosening the soil near the tomatoes.

Tilling is very important for the normal growth of tomatoes. Sometimes prihoditsya the soil when the mulch layer is already decreased, and the new grass was not growing. Then, and more weeds may appear, and after a rain crust on the ground. Loose soil, a triangular hoe or cultivator. Not deep! Not to touch the roots of the tomatoes.

The fact that in the upper layer of soil is inhabited by aerobic bacteria that interact with the roots of tomato (positively), and so the tomato roots need oxygen. Then normally pass the process of metabolism and air cracks facilitate root growth in the soil.