Mulch

Objectives of mulching

to control the Température ground by supporting the maintenance of the Chaleur in the ground with the Printemps and in Automne, and on the contrary by maintaining certain a Fraîcheur and by limiting the variations in temperature during the hot summer season,
to control the development of the Adventice S by intercepting the solar radiation necessary to the Germination,
to slow down the evaporation of the Eau and to maintain the moisture in the ground,
to keep a movable ground, to prevent that the ground does not harden, which decreases work of Sarclage and Hoeing
to enrich the ground out of organic matter and Nutrient S thanks to degradation by material by mulching,
to push back the Insect S,
to gradually improve the conditions of culture by reflecting the solar Radiation towards the plants, and by getting a clean surface and dries with the fruits resting on the ground like the Courge S, the melon S or the strawberry S.

Materials used

organic waste - shearings of Grass, Sheet S died, Hay, Straw, Sawdust, chips of Wood, Newspaper shredded, paperboard, waste of Wool, etc Beaucoup of these materials can also constitute a Compost. The opinions on materials usable are very diverse.
Compost - that supposes a material completely broken up, in which the seeds the adventitious ones were destroyed by composting, if not mulch is likely to be transformed into a carpet of bad grasses.
Mulch out of plastic - they are fine sheets of Plastic, in which slits or openings for the plantation are practiced. This method is largely used in the professional cultures of Légume S with large scales, of the million hectares are cultivated under plastic in the world each year (so that the elimination of the agricultural plastic became a real environmental problem).
biodegradable films - Various biodegradable products were developed like an alternative to mulch out of plastic.

The way in which an organic mulch breaks up and reacts under the action of the moisture brought by the Pluie or the Rosée determines its effectiveness mainly. An organic material can rot quickly rather than to break up gradually, and it can be transformed into a door mat forming barrier which blocks water and the air, with the detriment of the cultures.

The plants of covers can also act as mulch. This technique supposes to sow, at the same time as the principal culture, a plant of cover with rapid growth which will inhibit the development of adventitious and will bring the other advantages of a mulch.

Mulching plays a big role in any system of gardening without digging or culture without ploughing, such as they are recommended within the framework of the Permaculture.

Historically, certain cultures located in semi-desert zones (Easter Island, Negev, Peru, South-western American) used the technique of the " mulch lithique" , which consisted in adding gravels to the surface layer of the cultivated ground. That makes it possible to reduce the water evaporation due to the sun and with the wind, the streaming of the rains decreases and reduces the temperature variations (less hot during the day, hotter the night). Certain stones can even have a fertilizing effect, by slow diffusion of Rock salt. Modern experiments carried out in American south-west starting from the plants used in civilization Anasazi showed that the outputs were clearly improved by this technique.

Implementation

Mulching is usually done at the beginning of the season of culture, and can be renewed if necessary. It contributes to the beginning to heat the ground by facilitating the maintenance of heat. That makes it possible to advance the Semis or the road repair of certain cultures, and supports a faster growth of the plants. Thereafter, mulch stabilizes the temperature and moisture and prevents the germination of bad grasses.

Mulches out of plastic used with large scales for the commercial production are posed mechanically using apparatuses drawn by a tractor or an autonomous uncurler. It is in general a mechanical system complexes which prepares and formats a bed of culture, unrolls and tightens plastic film above, buries the edges and possibly directly establishes seeds or the seedlings through film. A system of localized Irrigation (drip), with goutteurs established under film, is often necessary, because plastic mulch is often impermeable with water.

In the family gardens, and the Truck farming with more small scales, organic mulch is generally extended to the hand around the plants already in place. For materials such as the hay or the straw, a Broyeur can be useful to improve material. Organic mulch is generally very thick (about 10 to 15 cm), even more, and left places from there during all the season.

References

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