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EVERY morning, while walking in a public park, one wonders if the gardeners have ever heard the word "mulching" — a technique so very important to the basic principles of gardening. Despite the various rulings and directions by the Supreme Court and the protests by environmental NGOs, the "safai karamcharis" and gardeners sweep the fallen leaves from the parks and gardens, collect them under trees and set them on fire with impunity. Thus, they not only interfere with the natural cycle of life by destroying a valuable source of nourishment to the plants but also scorch the healthy trees, polluting the environment in the process. Mulch is a layer of material placed on the soil over the rooting area of the plants. It usually consists of organic material such as well-rotted farmyard manure, leaf mould, old grass mowing, chopped straw or coconut husk, moss or broken bark. Sometimes even pebbles may be used. The object of applying the mulch is, generally, three fold: to supply food for the plant; to conserve soil moisture in the immediate root area by preventing rapid evaporation; and to prevent sudden fluctuations in the soil temperature. By reducing the cost of watering and suppressing weeds, it reduces the gardening chores to almost half. However, it should be ensured that the material used for mulching is loose in texture and contains sufficient structure to prevent it from settling down into a close mass when wet — lest it checks soil aeration. By blocking direct sunlight, mulch prevents weed seeds from sprouting and those weeds that do struggle up will not be well anchored and can thus be easily pulled out. It should be ensured, however, that before applying the mulch, the soil is forked over lightly and is given a level even surface, breaking up any large lumps. The material to be applied as mulch should also be broken up and the layer should be applied evenly to the thickness of 1" to 3" and watered. The mulch forms a useful substitute, in many cases, for hoeing and is most beneficial when applied after a shower. It also encourages decomposition of the organic material by offering a conducive atmosphere for a gardener’s best friend — the earthworms. It may be a good idea to use fine-stone chips mulch in a rock garden and chipped bark for woodland and wildlife areas for a look that is in keeping with its surroundings. On very light soil, mulching is all the more important as it protects the surface roots of many young trees from excessive heat and frost. Taking a lesson from the book of Nature and low upkeep of the forests, the gardener can thus prevent the grown-up trees from scorching; the pollution of environment by burning leaves and also benefit the parks and gardens by the single most valuable technique of "mulching". |
