Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-06-29

Inc ChOlce OF mulChlng materl
most available. Formerly it was a
O bale of peat moss. Now that the il
able and the domestic peats are ne
1t is well to consider other materials.
The seasoned gardener, no doubt,
has a compost pile where a useful
and effective material is always at
hand. Partially decayed compost
makes a very good mulch and one
that may be spaded into the soil in
the fall or early spring, thereby add
ing humus to enrich the soil.
Weathered Sawdust
Is Effective.
Another unusued but oftentimes
available source of mulching mate
rial is weathered hardwood sawdust,
not pine sawdust. This is especially
useful for rhododendrons and
azaleas, although it also may be
used around many perennials and
roses if lime is added to counteract
the acidity. Fresh sawdust may be
harmful and certainly it is too
conspicuous.
Many gardeners will Immediately
think of well-rotted COW manure as
mulching material, and it is often
used. Weed Seeds and odors and
the cost are the disadvantages. If
one can stand the odor it does not
need to be well-rotted A few years
ago the American Rose Annual car
ried description of how a rose
garden in Kansas survived the 1886
drought and produced many fine
flowers Water at that time was
too precious to be used on mere flow
ers and so the owner of the rose
garden applied very deep mulch
of COW manure. The roses not only
survived the drought, but produced
many splendid flowers throughout
the summer. Some of our local
gardeners advocate summer mulches
of COW manure instead of the tradi-
tlonal winter mulch.
Oftentimes one sees the remnants
of old straWstackS. If such materl-
al can be obtained it is very effec-
tive, although it may be bit course
and conspicuous. However, it has
the advantages of being relatively
free from weed seeds and odorlesS.
The disadvantages over manure are
that it is relatively low in fertility,
ard tends to pack.
Grass clippings are often recon-
mended for use as mulching ma
terial, but they are needed on the
lawn, Grass clippings tend to pack
heat. especially if they are applied
in thick layer. To be an effective
mulching material they should be
composted for a short time. If
treated with lime and ammonium
sulphate during the composing
period they make very good mulch
and are a very good source of humus
for spading under.
Other sources of mulching materi-
ais are: Buckwheat hulls crushed
peanut shells, tanbark, Spaghnum
moss, salt hay, and chopped hay.
In fact any material that acts as an
insulator may be used if it is in
expensive, not too conspicuous, free
from weed seed, and does not con-
tain harmful substance, such as
disinfectants Tin manure) and pitch
in pine sawdust. Materials light in
weight and in small particles may
blow away
Usually Removed
In The Fall.
Many mulches are removed from
the beds in the fall, although the
gardener should incorporate them in
the soil as part of his soil improve
ment program. Mulches left on usu-
ally harbor insects and mice. A
winter mulch, if needed, and there
Is some doubt. should not be applied
until after the ground is frozen
In applying a mulch it is well to
cultivate the beds first. This, how
ever, should follow a thorough soak
Ing. With the soil moistened to a
good depth g inches or more)
and the surface then stirred, a
layer of 2 inches of the mulching
material is applied. Such a method
should effectually prevent further
weed troubles, and will keep the
soil moist and cool Where the
layer is less than an inch thick it
seldom does much good either in
keeping down weeds or in con-
serving moisture. A mulch of more
than 2 inches is, of course, effec-
tive, but unless the materials are
available at relatively low cost is
hardly justified.
So far we have considered only
the use of supplemental materials
as mulches. Some gardeners, how
ever, still favor the dust mulch.
No doubt it is good and where one
has the time and perseverance it can
be made to do the work. The soil
should be frequently cultivated
with a rake or light hoe to the
depth OF an inch, so that the top
layer is reduced to a dust. This
seems to be rather paradoxical
statement. 1t can be easily proved
however, If one will try it for but
week or two. Select two small
plots in your garden, keep a dust
mulch on one and give the other
no cultivation or just about as much
as Is necessary to control the weeds
The soil under the dust mulch will
contain much more moisture than
In the plot which is left uncultf-
waited.
The use of paper mulches was
omitted from the above discussion
since they are too difficult to apply
in established perennial and rose
beds. Where plants are set out in
rows, however, paper mulch may
be used with good results, although
the paper sheds the rainfall and
the hose must be depended upon