The entire area was mulched with a 3″ layer of shredded red cedar, with additional 1″ applications the following two springs. After 2 1/2 years, potassium levels were 5 times higher in the mulch-only beds and nitrogen levels were 3 times higher.
The scientists attributed the lower soil fertility under the landscape cloth to the fact that only the smallest particles of organic matter were able to penetrate the fabric and migrate into the soil below. Current advice now is to cover the soil with 3 layers of newspaper and top with 2″ of organic mulch for an entire season of weed control, without compromising plant health. Ok, ok….keep on buying that mulch. Article quoted from May issue of Organic Gardening Magazine.
Here, Jennifer poses in front of my unweeded, but heavily mulched corn. (Bell peppers to the left of her loved being in the shade of that corn produced the healthiest green bells that I harvested this summer).
As one who heard of the many attributes of using newspaper in the garden, I must add one tiny little addendum. Using newspaper outside draws cockroaches who like to use the dampened paper as a bedding. Perhaps your dog would like to mine for the little critters among the mulch…
THAT is really nice to know Jen. It reminds me of another brilliant idea I had about coffee grounds. I know that coffee grounds are good for the garden and repel ants, and was using them regularly around my blueberries (which didn’t live to see the end of summer) to acidify the soil. I had this thought that I should use them in the vegetables growing around my patio outside my back door. I know that Starbucks gives away big bags of used grounds for gardeners. I was well on my way to spreading the grounds around when I read that even though coffee grounds are very good for the soil, they also attract cockroaches, so if you have lots of bird activity AND don’t place them too close to your back door, you should be fine. It was the thought that I use bird netting (which would protect the cockroaches) that stopped me from using the grounds then. However, now I’m at the stage of preparing for the fall garden, I am reconsidering using grounds. I’m thinking if I mix them into my compost and add them into my soil they’ll be useful and not attract the big C’s. My soil tends to compact so I need to add plenty of organic material to help airate it. Think I’m asking for problems? I hate cockroaches.
We all hate them and I think that they know it! If they were liked we would give them a cuddley name instead of the big “C” name!
I like the idea of adding the coffee grounds though. I too use bird netting and would likely end up harboring the “enemy” if I attracted them. I have lots of lizard action and wonder if they would keep the “C’s” in check? NOt sure that I would want to test this out though. My wife would not eat anything from the garden if she knew they had been there!