WHAT IS MULCHING?

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3485, 7 September 1882, Page 4

WHAT IS MULCHING?

Having used the term ' mulch ' for these many years we were desirous of learning its origin, and after much search through cyclopaedias and dictionaries find it is derived from the Hebrew word for partly rotten straw. Louden says : ' Mulching consists in laying a circle of litter around newly-planfced trees to retain the natural humidity of the soil.' Really, mulching is whatever will prevent evaporation from the soil, and in American practice is even extended to mellow earth, keeping the surface of the soil light by constant stirring, so that ifc will be a poor conductor of heat. Still, by mulching is generally understood the placing of some material upon the soil that will prevent evaporation, and it is of little consequence what this material may be. Chips, sticks, tan bark, sawdust, straw, litter from the stables, leaves, grass, or small stones—whatever will cover the ground and prevent evaporation may be used as a mulch. We have known coal ashes to be used, and much virtue ascribed to the ashes, while they only prevented too rapid evaporation. We once visited a place upon which there were many fine evergreens ; the owner claimed that his success in planting was due to placing flat stones from a neighbouring quarry around the newly set trees. The stones, no doubt, did excellent service, as any other stones would have done —they simply served to keep the ground beneath them moist—as a mulch. The action of a mulch being merely mechanical, it makes no difference as to the material. The natural mulch is leaves, which not only prevent evaporation from below, but allow the rain to pass between them to add to the moisture of the soil. Ifc is no doubt within the experience of every one that earth beneath a stone, a board, or whatever has been laid upon the surface, is always moist. This condition may be produced over a large surface, by merely covering ifc with any material that will prevent evaporation. With all newly set plants, whether trees or small plants in the garden, a little littei*, or whatever may be at hand will be of great benefit. Let any one who doubts its value mulch a part of his straw-berry-bed, and leave a part of it uncovered ; we are sure that he will be convinced of the value of mulching.—Otago Witness.