Mulch A Presentation By Mr.Allah Dad khan Former DG Agri Extension Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

2. What is Mulch
By
Mr.Allah Dad
Khan

3. What is mulch?
 Mulch is a layer of
material placed on
the soil surface

4. How Much?
 Maintain 3-4
inches of mulch
BUT…
 Allow 1-2 inches of space
between mulch and plant base
 Contact with the plant can result in wood rot due to
fungal and bacterial pathogens
 Citrus trees are particularly sensitive to this
2nd layerAimal manure 2 – 3 inches

5. Types of Mulch
 Organic materials
bark, wood chips,
leaves, pine needles,
grass clippings
 Inorganic materials
gravel, pebbles, or
woven ground cloth
 Benefits not as great

6. Benefits of Mulch
1. Improves Soil
2. Eases Maintenance
3. Improves Plant Performance
4. Adds beauty the Landscapeto
5. Suppresses and slowing weeds
growth
6. Improving Soil Quality/
Restoration

7. 1.Mulch Improves Soil
 Organic materials improve soil structure and
fertility
 Buffers soil temperature
 Prevents soil compaction
 Minimizes erosion
Mulch helps prevent
stormwater runoff.

8. 2.Mulch Eases
Maintenance
1. Improves water
infiltration
2. Prevents water loss
by evaporation
3. Inhibits weed seed
germination
4. Suppresses weed
growth

9. 3.Improves Plant Performanc
 Additional roots form in the
mulch layer,
yielding more roots than an
unmulched plant
Spread mulch around the
base of newly planted
trees and shrubs to help
plants establish.

10. 4. Adds Beauty to the
Landscape1. Uniformity
2. Contrast
3. Variety of colors
4. Interesting textures
5. Gives landscape a finished appearance

11. Chemicals that inhibit plant growth
 Fresh mulches have these chemical properties
 Eucalyptus, Melaleuca and Pine straw may
exhibit long term allelopathic properties
 Both positive and negative effects
 Can inhibit weed growth
 Can inhibit seed germination and growth of
young bedding plants
5. Allelopathy

12. 5. Soil Quality Restoration
Key to restoring soil quality is reducing soil compaction and
increasing organic matter content.

13. Comparing Mulches
1) Criteria for Selection
2) Common Landscape Mulches
3) Alternative Mulch Materials
4) Quality Assurance

14. Criteria For Selecting A
Mulch
 Sources, availability, and price
 Color, scent, and texture
 Durability
 Decomposition rates
 Susceptibility to termites
 Changes to soil chemistry

15. Why Mulch
 Spreading mulch over your garden soil is the
best way to save time and energy in your yard.
Mulch helps the soil hold moisture so you don't
have to water as often. It also suppresses
weeds. And over time, mulches made from
organic materials break down and increase
your soil's structure and fertility.

16. What is mulch?
1. Mulches are loose coverings or sheets of
material placed on the surface of cultivated
soil. Mulches can be applied to bare soil or to
cover the surface of compost in containers.
2. Depending on the type of mulch used, there
are many benefits of mulching including:
3. Help soils retain moisture in summer
4. Suppress weeds

17. What is mulch? contd
1. Improve soil texture
2. Deter some pests
3. Protect plant roots from extreme
temperatures
4. Encourage beneficial soil organisms
5. Provide a barrier for edible crops coming into
contact with soil
6. Give a decorative finish

20. Characteristics of a Good Mulch
1. The ideal mulch is:Economical.
2. Readily available.
3. Easy to apply and remove.
4. Stays in place.
5. Supplies organic matter to the soil.
6. Is free of noxious weeds, insects, and
diseases.

21. Importance of mulches
 Mulch insulates the soil helping to provide a buffer from heat and
cold temperatures.
 Mulch retains water helping to keep the roots moist.
 Mulch keeps weeds out to help prevent root competition.
 Mulch prevents soil compaction.
 Mulch reduces lawn mower damage.

22. Selecting the Right Mulch
 There is not one perfect mulch. But understanding the
attributes of different materials can help you choose the best
mulch for a particular location.
The first choice to make is whether a situation calls for a
summer or a winter mulch.
Winter mulches are used primarily as insulation for woody
plants, laid down in late fall to keep the soil evenly cool
throughout the winter. Straw, shredded leaves, and pine
needles are all effective winter mulches.
Summer or growing mulches are normally applied after the
soil begins to warm in the spring. The primary roles of summer
mulches are to warm the soil, reduce weed growth, and retain
soil moisture.

23. Mulches Groups
 Mulches can be split into two main groups;
biodegradable and non-biodegradable.
 Biodegradable mulches
 These break down gradually to release
nutrients into the soil and help improve its
structure. Layers will need replacing when the
material has fully rotted down. Among the best
materials are leaf mould, garden
compost, wood chippings, processed conifer
bark, well rotted manure, straw (for
strawberries).

24. Non-biodegradable
 Non-biodegradable mulches do not boost the fertility
or structure of the soil, but they do suppress weeds,
conserve moisture and some have the added
advantage of looking decorative. Slate, shingle,
pebbles, gravel, stone chippings and other decorative
aggregates are often used as a mulch across beds.
Crushed CDs, sea shells, tumbled glass and similar
materials can be used on the surface of containers.
 Sheet mulches or woven landscape fabric are ideal for
new beds or borders. After laying, slits can be made in
the fabric, allowing direct planting through it. The
downside is these mulches do not look very attractive,
but they can be camouflaged with gravel, bark or
others materials. To allow rain and irrigation water to
reach the roots it’s best to choose a permeable sheet.

25. Kinds of Mulch
 There are two basic kinds of mulch: organic
and inorganic. Organic mulches include
formerly living material such as chopped
leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, wood
chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles,
and even paper. Inorganic mulches include
gravel, stones, black plastic, and geotextiles
(landscape fabrics).

26. Organic mulch

27. Non-organic mulches

28. How to Mulch
 Remove weeds
 Water
 Spread 2-6” of mulch across soil surface
 Keep 6-12” away from base of shrubs and trees
 Keep mulch on top of soil to avoid nitrogen tie-up

29. When to apply mulch
 Mulches are best applied from mid- to late
spring and autumn, when the soil is moist and
warm. It is best to avoid applying mulches in
winter and early spring as the soil is too cold,
and in summer, when it will be dry. They can
be applied around new plantings or to
established beds and specimen plants.

30. How to apply mulch
 Beds and borders can be mulched entirely, taking
care not to smother low growing plants or to pile
mulches up against the stems of woody plants.
 To be effective, biodegradable mulches need to
be between at least 5cm (2in) and ideally 7.5cm
(3in) thick
 Lay mulches over moist soil, after removing
weeds, including their roots, when the soil is not
frozen
 When creating new beds, planting through mulch
sheets is effective
 Single trees and specimen shrubs are best
mulched to the radius of the canopy

31. Using Organic Mulches
 Such as grass clippings, leaves, manure, and
compost, improve the soil. Stones and plastic
don't. Black plastic, unless it's porous or
perforated, grows a smelly, slimy coating. It
also turns brittle and breaks into little pieces
that escape the garden. Cheap landscape
fabric is not worth it -- weeds and roots will
tangle in it.

32. 1.Bark mulch:
 Choose from shredded, chipped, chunks, or nuggets.
Usually pine, cypress, or hardwood. Attractive and long-
lasting, especially the large nuggets, but might look too
chunky around dainty flowers.

33. 2.Shredded leaves:
 If you have trees on your property, shredding the
fallen leaves creates a nutrient-rich mulch for free.
You can use a leaf-shredding machine, but you don't
really need a special machine to shred leaves—a
lawn mower with a bagger will collect leaves and cut
them into the perfect size for mulching.
 You can spread a wood chip or shredded leaf mulch
anywhere on your property, but it looks especially
attractive in flower beds and shrub borders. Of course,
it's right at home in a woodland or shade garden.
Wood chips aren't a great idea for vegetable and
annual flower beds, though, since you'll be digging
these beds every year and the chips will get in the
way. They do serve well as a mulch for garden
pathways, though.

34. Shredded Leaves

35.  Grass clippings can be left on the lawn to
reclaim nitrogen equivalent to one fertilizer
application per year!
 Apply grass clippings as mulch sparingly…
 Thick layer can inhibit
infiltration of water
 Easily transported via
stormwater runoff
 Rapid decomposition
requires frequent
replenishment
3. Grass Clippings

36. Grass Clippings

37. 4. Compost
 Finished compost improves soil
structure and fertility. Use as:
 Mulch
 Amend
soil in
plant
beds
A layer of compost underneath mulch will help
to reduce the effects of nitrogen robbing.

38. Compost Mulches

39. 5. Pine needles:
 Pine needles are a trim-looking mulch for garden beds.
They allow water to pass through easily and they break
down slowly. Despite what you may have heard, using
pine-needle mulch will not make your soil significantly
more acid.

40. 5A.Pine Straw
 By-Product of the
timber industry
Readily available
 Poor color retention
 Rapid decomposition
 High in nutrients
 Lowers soil pH
 Highest allelopathic effect

41. 5B. Pine Bark Mulch
 By-Product of the timber industry
Readily available
 Retains color
 Slow decomposition
 Eaten by termites
 Low nutrient content
 Slightly acidic

42. 6. Hay:
 Loose layer can be about 6 inches deep, will
settle down. Might contain weed seed.

43. 7. Straw
 Loose layer about 6 inches deep, will settle
down. Lasts one to two seasons. May deplete
soil nitrogen.

44. Mulching
Applying Straw Mulch
Mulching limits soil erosion, lessens the need to contain
sediment and enhances water quality.

45. 8. Wood Chips

Byproduct of timber industry. Quality varies. Recycled
woods from pallets and construction might contain toxins
that kill plants and contaminate soil. Don't use chips if
they smell sour; this indicates the presence of harmful
acids. Rid fresh chips of acids by letting them
decompose in a compost pile or pit before using.

46. 9.Sawdust

Breaks down quickly. Depletes soil nitrogen,
so sprinkle soil with blood meal or other
nitrogen source.

47. 10. Landscape Fabric
 Use at base of flowering shrubs. Cover with thin
layer of attractive mulch. Get good-quality fabric,
or weeds and roots will tangle in it. Best type is
bonded, not woven.

48. 11. Leaf Mold
 Leaves composted two to three years. Turn
under at end of season to improve soil.

49. 12. Plastic
 Use at base of flowering shrubs. Get a kind
that lets water pass through. Top with more
attractive mulch.

50. PLASTIC MULCH
History
Cost
Planting

51. Advantages of plastic mulching
1. It is completely impermeable to water.
2. It prevents the direct evaporation of moisture
form the soil and thus limits the water losses
and conserves moisture.
3. By evaporation suppression, it prevents the
rise of water containing salts.
4. Mulch can facilitate fertilizer placement and
reduce the loss of plant nutrient through
Leaching.

52. Advantages of plastic mulching
contd
5. Mulches can also provide a barrier to soil pathogens
6. Opaque mulches prevent germination of annual
weeds from receiving light
7. Reflective mulches will repel certain insects
8. Mulches maintain a warm temperature even during
nighttime which enables seeds to germinate quickly
and for young plants to rapidly establish a strong root
growth system.
9. Synthetic mulches play a major role in soil solarization
process.
10. Mulches develop a microclimatic underside of the
sheet, which is higher in carbondi-oxide due to the
higher level of microbial activity.

53. Advantages of plastic mulching
contd
11. Under mulch, the soil structure is maintained
during cropping period
12. Early germination almost 2-3 days.
13. Better nodulation in crops like Groundnut.
14. Less nematodes population.
15. Water erosion is completely averted since soil is
completely covered form bearing action of rain
drops.
16. When compared to organic mulches, it serves
for a longer period.

54. Selection of mulch Depends on
1. The selection of mulches depends upon the
ecological situations and primary and
2. secondary aspects of mulching
3. Rainy season - Perforated mulch
4. Orchard and plantation - Thicker mulch
5. Soil solarisation - Thin transparent film
6. Weed control through solarisation -
Transparent film

55. Selection of mulch Depends on
contd
7.Weed control in cropped land - Black film
8.Sandy soil - Black film
9.Saline water use - Black film
10.Summer cropped land - White film
11.Insect repellent - Silver colour film
12.Early germination - Thinner film

56. Methods of mulching
1. Orchard/Fruit/Established trees
2. Mulching area should preferably be
equivalent to the canopy of the plant.
3. Required size of mulch film is cut from the
main roll.
4. Clean the required area by removing the
stones, pebbles, weeds etc.
5. Till the soil well and apply a little quantity of
water before mulching

57. Methods of mulching contd
7.Cover the film to the entire area around the
tree and the end should be buried in the
ground.
8.Semi circular holes could be made at four
corners of the film in order to facilitate
water movement.The position of the
slit/opening should be parallel to the wind
direction

58. Mulch Laying Techniques
i. Mulch should be laid on a non-windy condition
ii. The mulch material should be held tight
without any crease and laid on the bed
iii. The borders (10 cm) should be anchored
inside the soil in about 7-10 cm deep in small
furrows at an angle of 45°.
Pre planting mulch: The mulch material should
be punctured at the required distances as per
crop spacing and laid on the bed. The
seeds/seedlings should be sown/transplanted
in the holes.

59. Plastic mulch is a product used, in a
similar fashion to mulch, to suppress
weeds and conserve water in crop
production and landscaping.
The red color actually increases
stem strength

60. History of Mulch
The idea of using polyethylene film
as mulch in plant production saw
it’s beginnings in the mid 1950’s.

61. Cost of Mulch
These costs include equipment, the
plastic film used as the mulch,
transplanters designed for plastic
beds, and additional labor during
installation and removal of mulch
films.
Hoophouses used for growing of
transplants

62. Planting for Mulch
Planting also requires specialized planting
equipment. The most common planting
equipment is a waterwheel type transplanter. The
waterwheel transplanter utilizes a rotating drum
or drums with spikes at set intervals.
Plastic mulch-layer and cultivation equipment
are important components of the Upper Forty
farm machinery.

63. Potatoes coming up through a black plastic mulch. The plastic keeps
the ground warm, and it keeps the moisture in, and the weeds at bay.

64. What is a High Tunnel
A high tunnel is a solar
heated, manually vented,
plastic-covered cold frame
that is used to lengthen
the traditional growing
season for many
horticulture crops.

65. Plasticulture
Plasticulture is crucial to Indian agriculture in view of the changing
technological
scenario for boosting crop yields and productivity. Introduction of linear low
density
polyethylene (LLDPE) as a mulch film has brought a revolution in agricultural
water
management. It is actually a boon to dryland farmers. This is one of the fastest
growing
plasticultural applications in the world.
1. The cost of LLDPE film is also lesser than one third of LDPE mulch film.
Moreover for mulch activity lower thickness (15 to 20 microns) are highly
suitable.
2. However due to ever increasing cost of raw materials the films are
costlier now. Hence Government should take all possible measures to
produce the film in a mass scale and make it available to the farmers at a
reasonable price.
3. Subsidy may also be given through banks to encourage the farmer to
adoption soil mulching. Low cost machines may be developed for
spreading and rolling down the film in the field. PFDC’s may be geared up
for large scale demonstration in farmer’s field to give a wide publicity

66. Tomatoes are most commonly established in the high tunnel by
transplants.
Staking and stringing
of tomato plants
will improve fruit
quality and early
marketable yield.
Pruning tomato plants

67. Panda plastic mulch clear
top with black sides.
Organic strawberry field: variable
plant vigour due to no fumigation.
Yields less than 1/ 2 conventional.

68. Sweet, sweet potato
success for
northern growers!

69. Plastics used in agriculture can be recycled through:
 Mechanical recycling - for agriculture materials that
are still in relatively good condition

70.  Incineration/ Energy Recovery Processes - because
plastic has a high calorific value (i.e. polyethylene
films from greenhouses) this can be an excellent
option in many communities.

71. To preserve food
for a very long period

72. 13. Gravel,Pebbles,Crushed Stone
 Available in a variety of colors
 Permanent
 Fireproof
 Lawn mowers can pick up and
throw the stones
 Reflect solar radiation,
generating heat

73. 14 .Crushed stone mulches

74. 15. Geotextiles (or Landscape
Fabrics)
 Since the mid-eighties, geotextiles (or
landscape fabrics) have been the big news in
mulches.
These woven and nonwoven fabrics of
polypropylene or polyester are an
improvement over traditional black plastic.
They not only block weed growth and reduce
surface evaporation but also allow water,
fertilizer, and oxygen to penetrate easily
through to the soil.

75. 16. Geo textile

76. 17 .Cedar Mulch
 Cedar mulch also has termite repellant properties.
Studies have shown cedar mulch is detrimental to
termite attack and survival. Naturally occurring resin
found in heartwoods of cedar can be toxic to termites.

77. 18. Eucalyptus Mulch
 Harvested from plantations
 Good color retention
 Low durability
 Settles, decreasing in volume
 Low in nutrients
 Good allelopathic properties