Mulching is the application of organic matter on any exposed soil between plants and shrubs and should be carried out while the soil is warm and moist.

Benefits of Mulching

Retaining moisture

A good layer of garden compost or well-rotted mature will keep the soil below cool and moist and therefore help retain moisture. Never mulch on top of dry soil as it may stop rainwater soaking in.

Suppressing weeds

A layer of mulch will exclude light and therefore stop weed seeds germinating. However, you must ensure that the ground is weed free before you mulch as it does not actually stop the weeds from growing.

Improving the soil

The mulch will eventually be dragged down into the soil by worms thereby adding goodness to the lower levels of the soil. This is sometimes known as the no dig technique for soil improvement.

Types of Mulch

Manure

Fresh manure releases ammonia which can scorch or kill plants, therefore, should be kept for six months before being used so that it rots down sufficiently. Don’t keep it too long though as you will find all the nutrients will have been washed out by the rain.

Leaf Mould

Leaf Mould is just well rotted leaves but it makes a wonderful mulch. Just collect fallen leaves during the Autumn, pack into black plastic bags, make some holes in the bags to allow rain water to escape and leave to rot down for 2-3 years.

Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost tends to be alkaline due to the chalk used in the casing material but if you live in a mushroom growing area it can be a good source of organic matter. It is especially good for acid soils.

Chipped Bark

Chipped Bark is good for mulching but composted bark is excellent for soil improvement.

Garden Compost

Your own garden compost is rich in nutrients and is one of the best soil improvers there is so use it as a mulch every year to get the benefits.

Peat

Peat used to be the main soil improver for gardeners but in recent years more and more people are realising the damage peat-extraction is making to wetland areas so it is best avoided.

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Features

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• Serrated blade slides through compacted roots and earth
• Use back blade ings to pull roots and weed systems

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-07-01
Dandilions, thistle, even clover are no match for this amazing tool. Throw away the standard forked tongue weeder you find everywhere and buy this. You can weed all day and not get sore and tired hands. Just insert the blade along the root and rock back the handle. You will usually hear the root "pop" and most of the time, the whole root will easily pull from the ground intact. Makes quick work of a never-ending chore.

Review date : 2008-05-25
The curved ergonomic grip allows excellent leverage when digging. I could apply much stronger force without stressing out my wrists and forearm as in traditional straight grips.

If you missed the springtime window of opportunity to divide your hardy water lilies, don’t worry, it’s not too late. Although springtime is the best time, you’ve actually got the entire normal growing season to get it done.

The reason for dividing your water lilies is that they eventually run out of room in their existing pots and need more room for the roots to spread out so the plant can flourish. Not only is this relatively easy to do, but you end up with more plants as a bonus!

Step 1

Remove the plant from the pot and gently rinse the dirt from the root system.

Step 2

Cut the older growth from one end of the tuber, and the newer growth from the other. If there are new eyes along the tuber you can snip them off and pot them if you wish.

Step 3

Take a sharp knife and cut the tuber back on the ‘growing’ part. On small plants you can safely cut the tuber down to 2-3 inches. Keep it at around 5-6 inches for larger plants.

You should also cut off new buds and any older leaves so the plant can stay focused on growing a new root system.

Step 4

Plant the tuber in good quality garden soil that has been poured into a pot that is suitable for water gardening. Potting soil is not the best choice so make sure that the package says ‘garden soil’.

Insert the tuber into the soil placing it next to the wall of the pot rather than in the center of the pot.

Insert a couple of aquatic plant food tabs about halfway into the soil and then pack the soil around the tuber so it will stay in place when the pot is submerged.

Finally, pour a layer of pea gravel over the soil to keep it from washing away. This also discourages your fish from digging in the pot. Make sure that you do not cover the crown of the tuber with gravel.

Step 5

Slowly submerge the pot into your garden pond. Don’t be alarmed if some dirt residue mixes in with the water. This is normal and it will soon settle to the bottom and the water will clear.

Keep your new plants in water that is no deeper that 12 until you notice at least five or six new leaves. Once the plant is established you can place it in deeper water if you wish.

There, you’re done. Now your old plants will have more room to grow and you’ll have new plants to keep or share with friends. Wasn’t that easy?

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Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
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