MULCHING
This guide refers to mulching newly planted or already established food forest trees and shrubs (woody perennials).
For soil preparation using sheet mulching see: Sheet Mulching
For soil preparation using living mulches/cover crops see: Summer Cover Cropping or Winter Cover Cropping
For soil preparation using soil solarisation see: Soil Solarization
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Once you’ve planted your trees and shrubs, mulching will be your ongoing maintenance task for weed control and soil improvement. With the mulch we’re trying to emulate forest floor conditions; shady, moist environments rich in organic matter and foods for the microbes that are living in the soil beneath.
Eventually, as your fruit tree canopies start shading the ground, your ground cover takes over the weed control and your food forest starts generating its own leaf litter, the need for additional mulch declines.
Until then, mulching is paramount for all of your newly planted or established trees and shrubs, as it:
- Reduces or eliminates weed competition (this is critical in the early years, trees and shrubs without competition can grow up to twice as fast as those with no weed control).
- Helps slow the loss of soil moisture during summer and maintains better soil conditions for tree roots.
- Increases organic matter and improves soil fertility while simultaneously serving as a food source for microbes.
What you’ll need for top-up mulching?
Estimated cost: variable
- Woody mulch: chipped bark, wood chips, ramial wood chips (preferred option, fungal food)
- Straw
- Leaf mould
- Grass mowings: depth 3-4 cm (1.2-1.6 in)
- Spoiled hay
- Fungal dominated compost (preferred option)
What you’ll need for sheet mulching?
Estimated cost: variable
The bottom layer (weedy mulches)
- Garden compost
- Hay
- Seedy straw
- Uncomposted manures/barn muck
Biodegradable sheet layer
- Flax or hemp matting
- Cardboard
- Newspapers
- Wool
The top layer (weed-free mulches)
- Woody mulch: chipped bark, wood chips,
ramial wood chips (preferred option, fungal food) - Straw
- Leaf
mould - Grass mowings: depth 3-4 cm (1.2-1.6′ in)
- Spoiled hay
- Fungal dominated compost,
preferred option
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Sheet Mulching Recipies:
From the vault – working docs:
Books:
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