Many people ask, why should I use mulch in the garden?
Mulch will save you time by controlling the proliferation of weeds, plus it keeps the soil fresh and moist. Most mulches decompose quickly and at the same time nourish the soil. A winning solution in every way.
However, not all mulch is recommended for the garden. Cedar mulch is not the best mulch for the vegetable garden because it decomposes slowly and poses a problem for young plants if large particles mix with the soil. I have used different techniques over the years to find an effective and low cost solution.
Rameal mulch, also called BRF, is a mulch composed of coarsely chopped hardwood branches. It is known to activate the biological life of the soil. It will delight the decomposer mushrooms and microorganisms in your garden. It decomposes quickly, which helps enrich the soil and improve its structure. On the other hand, during the summer you will see several mushrooms all over your plants.
Photo: greenastic.com
Straw or hay is an excellent choice for your garden. It is a material available in quantity and very easy to find. It has the same advantages as rameal mulch, but has other disadvantages. Straw is relatively light, during a good wind or storm, you could lose all or part of your mulch, to the great misfortune of your neighbors (sorry again). Depending on the source, your straw could germinate, which is exactly the opposite of why we want to use mulch…. Weed control.
Photo: chezgabypailletfoin.fr
For using raméal wood mulch and straw. For its extremely low price compared to raméal wood mulch, I choose straw by far. Despite the inconveniences with the wind and sometimes the germination of certain branches of hay, all in all localized.