The first year I started gardening, my husband and I bought loads and loads of mulch. It’s not necessarily a humongous expense, but as my gardens expand year after year, hauling in mulch felt a little more unrealistic. I also like the idea of “closing the loop” in my garden. Making my own compost and utilizing mulch that already exists on my property are two ways I have been making my garden more self-sufficient and effectively helping to “close the loop.”
Grass Clippings
In the video, you can see me applying a thin layer of dried grass clippings from my lawn. I learned about this from the U of M Extension office:
In general, putting mulch around flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees helps reduce weeds, conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures. Grass clippings are a good mulch option with a few conditions:
Do not apply more than 1 or 2 inches of grass clippings at one time.
Use dry clippings. Wet grass clippings can mat down, reducing reduce oxygen and moisture from getting down into the soil.
When oxygen is limited, anaerobic decomposition of the clippings may take place, leading to the production of offensive odors.
Do not use grass clippings as mulch if the lawn was recently treated with an herbicide for dandelions or other broadleaf weeds as this may harm your plants.
If your lawn has been treated recently, consult the herbicide product label for any concerns related to using clippings as mulch.
Source: https://extension.umn.edu/lawn-care/what-do-lawn-clippings
Pine Needles
Typically, I use pine needle mulch in my flower beds. It’s a beautiful auburn color and stays in place even on windy, stormy days. Don’t use fresh pine needles, as when they are freshly dropped from the tree, they are pH of about 3.2 (neutral is 7). There is a common myth that pine needles will acidify your soil. While it’s true that freshly dropped needles are acidic, as they break down microbes in the soil neutralize them. If you’re any bit concerned, just use brown needles that have already fallen.
One drawback is that pine needles are poky! They’re best used in perennial flower beds where you won’t be digging around in it too often. As the needles break down, the smaller pieces aren’t as sharp. When working in a garden with pine needles, you will need to wear gloves to protect your hands.
Leaf Mulch
Leaf mulch is also an excellent choice. You will want to shred dried leaves - you can just use your lawn mower to do this. Full leaves will result in matting and will take a long time to break down. You only need to mulch a couple inches thick to get good results in the vegetable garden. In perennial gardens, you can mulch 2-3 inches deep.
For me, I like the idea of utilizing what’s already on my property before bringing in any external materials. The cost savings is great (I can budget for more plants!) but I also think it makes our gardens more sustainable and self-sufficient.
Happy mulching - and happy gardening everyone!
