|
| I have several garden areas on my property and right now there is just one for which I spread cedar mulch on top. I did this last year and now I don't like that the gardens don't match in this respect and I don't want to buy similar mulch for the rest. I have lots of spare soil and I was thinking of spreading the oil directly on top of the small wood chip mulch rather than first removing and disposing of it. But then I got to thinking that this mulch covered with the topsoil will continue to compost down and possibly tie up much of the nitrogen in the soil making it difficult for plants in this bed to thrive. What do you think? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 7:33
| what are you mulching everything with this spring? Maybe you could just add that to everything and save yourself some work and they would match better. If your spare soil has dormant seeds in as many soils do, then you'd be getting germination of those if you put it on a bed without mulch covering it. |
|
| mustard_seeds wrote: what are you mulching everything with this spring? I realize I like the look of 'dirt' in my gardens rather than bark or something similar. I plan on covering the surface with the product shown below in the link. But if I cover the existing small piece cedar mulch with this product will the now accelerating breakdown of the cedar now just below the surface cause problems for the surrounding plants ie 'tieing' up the nitrogen? (For example I know one shouldn't add straight, uncomposted sawdust to below the soil for this same reason.) |
Here is a link that might be useful: composting mulch
|
- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 9:50
| mulch on TOP of the soil should not affect your available nitrogen in the soil. The product you plan to use, as well as the cedar, will break down over time as all natural mulches do. I would just leave the cedar in place. If you have access to leaves in the fall, you might want to make your own leaf mold since you like the look of "dirt" rather than coarse chips and such. Cheap (free!) and pretty, and you know all the ingredients LOL. Rachel |
|
- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 10:24
| To answer your question, I think you are right to be concerned about burying wood mulch with soil. I would rake it off first. It kind of depends on how much is there. If it's a very thin layer such that you can see the soil peeking through, it probably won't cause much of a problem. If it's an inch or two thick I'd remove it. You could also skip covering it with soil and just add your new mulch to the top to cover. I don't think that would hurt anything and it would save you some work. |
|
- Posted by billums_ms_7b Delta MS 8A (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 11:16
| Instead of wasting the organic matter in the mulch, I would just go ahead and add the soil and then keep an eye on the plants so you can add nitrogen if they look like they need it. You will basically be sheet composting. When sheet composting materials that break down extremely slowly, mixing those materials with soil definitely speeds up the process. I do this with chopped up pine needles, live oak leaves, magnolia leaves, and any fallen tree limbs. Since fungi will break down wood and share the nutrients they liberate with plant roots in a symbiotic relationship, you might try adding one of the products that inoculates your soil with beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. |
|
| I've seen research that came to the conclusion that uncomposted mulch on top of soil does not affect nitrogen in the soil below it. It's only when you dig it in that it can do this, even that has much less effect then most people think. Now putting soil on top of the mulch shouldn't make a difference. Your roots are already in the soil below it where the nitrogen is. |
|
- Posted by novascapes none (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 12:12
| The white wood of the cedar will decompose fairly fast. The red heart wood may be there for the rest of ones life, especially if it is in an anaerobic condition. |
|
- Posted by reedandleaf none (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 14:45
| Others here would know better than I, but perhaps you could add a good, thick layer of coffee grounds before adding the dirt. Would the nitrogen rich grounds then balance the effects? |
|
- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 15:49
| coffee grounds applied in thick layer can cake up and by hydrophobic, repelling water. You don;t want your mulch to repel water, Better to sprinkle UCG lightly, compost, etc. |
|
- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 18:11
| reedandleaf was suggesting to put down coffee grounds before adding the soil layer. Doubtful that would dry out and cake up under a layer of soil. |
|
- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Wed, Apr 11, 12 at 20:22
| oh thanks - I re-read the post by reedandleaf and that is true, under the dirt the coffee grounds would not be as hydrophobic. But shouldn't one's garden soil have mulch on top of it? Not used to thinking about putting soil OVER mulches. |
|
| But shouldn't one's garden soil have mulch on top of it? Not used to thinking about putting soil OVER mulches. Except I no longer like the look of the cedar chips/bark mulch given that our other gardens have only 'dirt' on top. Through the spring and summer I distribute compost throughout. |
|
- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 8:16
| Bare soil is subject to erosion. It will become hard also and get more weeds. If you mulch top dress the soil will be softer and easier to weed. It's not like you won't get any weeds, but the weeds you get will be easier to deal with. If compost and make some compost it will look more like soil then a woody mulch. I have both types of areas in my garden. I do have a bare soil area, that I use as a path, but I don't think it is the most attractive area. I would still like to cover it up, but the mulch I put there just get blown up against the fence. |
|
- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 10:19
| Based on his second post it appears rouge is planning to use a type of mulch that is basically compost, so it looks more like soil and less like mulch, but the soil would not be bare. |
|
| toxcrusadr, you are right, that is I am using compost that looks like dirt...it definitely does not look like bark. |
|
- Posted by blazeaglory 9b/10 Z22 OC Ca (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 23:12
| The only reason I would like to look at my soil is all the little mounds off earth worm poo being pushed up :) Other than that, bleh. Unless its black Marcus, BLACK! As black...as black as my wife's hair! |
|
| I have experimented with this product this summer in a couple of my smaller gardens as an 'extra' healthy mulch which will be absorbed into the soil within a year. And I quote: ....a mulch that turns into earth. Naturally! |
Here is a link that might be useful: nincompoop
|
- Posted by darth_weeder z7 NY (My Page) on Sat, Jul 28, 12 at 15:00
| does anyone know what that nincompoop is made from? |
|
| darth, it is made from horse manure, poultry manure and straw. |
|
| Nincompoop. Hahahahahaha! "does anyone know what that nincompoop is made from?" Why, oomposted twits, idiots and dimwits of course... |
|
| If Nincompoop is sterilized then the microbial life that one should get from compost won't be there. That would appear to me to be a waste of your money then. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.