Not to mention protecting the microbes and adding organic matter to your soil 😊

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

So very true! It keeps the top of the soil from crusting over from intense UV and it has the benefit of feeding the soil and the microbes! Great comment, thank you!

Dirt under my nails is the best therapy ever. 🌻

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

I completely agree! It’s crazy how when you connect with the ground and these plants that we grow, it gives you a sense of peace. Almost like you’re fulfilling, a purpose you always have. For the rest the world is tough for one crazy things are going on in your daily life, being in the garden is the best therapy I can think of!

It's for people who grow on the ground. Till it in every season add new mulch when bottom mulch starts deteriorating.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

You are so right, and I agree! It just keeps adding back to the soil doing it that way!

Last year I put my containers out in the open like a traditional garden and even with mulch the plants couldn’t take it. This year I moved them all next to my house and fence and did better but still with this heat need to build shade clothes and irrigation to survive this 102 beat down. Like I said my strawberries I have to start over in the fall. My blackberry also can’t take this even with mulching

@TexasGardenDoc

11 ай бұрын

Yes, I lost my strawberries two years ago when the first heatwave came through and drought. I haven’t planted them back since I will say though, since we are on the wealth system, unfortunately, when droughts get really bad, we have to start coming back away from use for things that aren’t critical to survival and health. First it starts with not watering the lawn anymore, and it works all the way down to cutting back on water in the garden and that’s the hardest part. She calls definitely helps, but the water requirement still is pretty high. It’s definitely tough but it’s something you can get through with what you’re trying to do now finding small microclimates they will help sustain better.

Pretty sure this what my husband keeps trying to explain to me every time he puts a layer of ugly shredded leaves on our garden. But I like your video better. Lol Thanks for showing how well mulch actually works! 👍

@TexasGardenDoc

11 ай бұрын

😂 believe me, I’ve had the same discussion with my wife! I used to use shredded leaves, and I still do in a pinch, but they’re not quite as attractive as straw is in the garden. I also really like wood chips, but in my area they can harbor too many things like slugs and things like that so I try to avoid it. I’m glad it helped and if you guys start using it I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks for the demo. Shows the benefits of mulching

@TexasGardenDoc

8 ай бұрын

I’m glad you liked it! Much is definitely one of those things that can make all the difference in the garden sometimes!

Add mycelium to your garden. Pink or blue oyster mushroom or shitake. It helps the soil and the hay helps the bios

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Very good advice, thank you!

@cristiewentz8586

Жыл бұрын

I accidentally grew winecaps (stropharia) in my eggplants a few years back. The neighbor gave me several bags of mulched leaves with a high percentage of oak leaves. I put them on the garden bed that later got planted in eggplant. That's been the only year I had zero stress, zero pests on that kind of plant. And then...up popped the wine caps. Egg plant and mushrooms. It was a great omelette year.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

😂 lol I bet you did! Yes it is quite amazing what nature can do isn’t it!

Thank you for this..would lawn cuttings be ok for mulch in a veggie garden?

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

They certainly are! They are high in nitrogen when they break down and do a really great job at retaining moisture! The only thing I would be cautious about is make sure you know what was put on the lawn. For instance weed killers or pesticides, things like that, and try to stay away from them. Grass is a fantastic mulch!

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

That’s very interesting because here bark mulch attracts slugs. I used almost exclusively grass clippings this last year. The layer was less than 2” thick. Suppressed the weeds, did not turn into a smelly or sludgy mess. It sounds like if you used grass in the past you may have either put it in way too thick or maybe over watered it. Respectfully, everyone has different opinions and techniques. And while I’m certain that your experience with grass was bad and bark mulch was good. I would not say that your advice for bark mulch is bad advice given that depending on many different things it can work. I actually appreciate your comment and thank you for chiming in. Everyone can have different experiences, offering up your own experience can be helpful. After all, that’s what I do here too

@cristiewentz8586

Жыл бұрын

​@After Earth that's dependant on what area of the country you are. Here in the Midwest, grass clippings are the chosen mulch for peas, peppers, and lettuce. Even in heavy rain years, there's no problem with them. I like the "crust" that forms on wet grass clippings. It really keeps weed seedlings down, while the soil critters do the number on the clippings underneath. Just depends.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

You are so correct! I’ve never had an issue with them, but it does wonders for the soil!

Great info thank you

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

It was my pleasure, and I’m glad you liked it!

Seeing is believing. WOW. I'll be sending all guys and gals from hot states to your channel. Always looking for a good teachers we are. I'm in Ct. Don't get your hot days but I'm sure you have more to teach me. Thanks. SORRY. I'M FINDING A COMMENT HERE I MADE ELSWHERE AND CAN'T DELETE IT.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

You are very kind, thank you! One of the things that usually saves our soil from drying out from the heat is the humidity. When it’s gone…it just wicks the water away! Thank you for your kind comment! I found your other comment and removed it for you, no worries!

Grateful for the insight , thank you. Also nice hat where did you get it?

@TexasGardenDoc

9 ай бұрын

It was my pleasure! I’m glad you liked it as well. Actually, one of my favorite hats! I pick this one up at a Bucc-ee’s near me. I as far as I know, it’s very much a southern thing at the moment. If you live in Texas or Louisiana, you’d likely driven by one. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a giant gas station with a grocery store, retail clothing, souvenirs, fresh deli, and cleanest bathroom you’ve ever seen!

As the chemical & energy intensive monoculture operations fail due to climate change (that they have essentially chosen to ignore, btw) these techniques are going to be a literal life saver.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

It is very interesting that big agricultural ignores some of what seem like the most simple things. Everything from alternatives to synthetic fertilizer to weather. Scary thought for sure!

great experiment

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it Melanie! Thanks for taking the time to say so too. I appreciate you!

But make sure the grass didn't get prayed with weed killer

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

100% true! If you use grass from your own yard if you have one you will know obviously, but outside of that it is really hard to know for sure. Great point!

Thank you, itstricky though. I tried to use it, ended up with seeds popping up. Any advise on how to avoid it.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Hi there! Yes, that is one of the downsides to using straw or even hay as mulch. I used to buy bales of pre-shredded straw, the packaging said 99% seed free. Unfortunately tons of little seeds sprouted up all through the garden. The good news is, they’re very easy to spot and fairly easy to pull out as well. Since then I’ve started buying bales of hay from a local grower. He doesn’t use herbicides, and he cuts the day before he goes to seed. I’ve had very few problems with it cents. The only real way to get a product like that and know for sure it won’t have any seed in it, is to get something that is sterilized. It’s very hard to find, and quite expensive if you do. Unfortunately, it’s kind of unavoidable, but you can mitigate it with the methods I mentioned above. The other option is to use something that is not grass based or reed based. Things like finally shredded, bark tree mulch are very good, but they have some inherent issues also. My best suggestion is to try something new and different from what you’ve been using in the past. You’ll always have some problem with seed sprouting from the hay or reeds, but what you find a good source it will be a bare minimum. I hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, let me know I’d love to help you out!

@HshshaHahahaua

Жыл бұрын

If you're growing on the ground you can put brown cardboard underneath it

Would it create mold if it stays wet a long time like that?

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Hi there! I have not experienced any mold on my garden beds this way. However, on my bananas for every winter, I wrap them in a thick layer of hay about 10 inches to 12 inches thick and it’s packed in pretty hard. By spring time when I remove it, I do find some mold in there, it’s usually in the center of the material. It doesn’t do any damage to the plant, but it is kind of gross and I really can’t use that mulch anywhere else. I hope that helps. If you have any other questions just let me know!

@CWorgen5732

7 ай бұрын

Mold is fungus, and fungus is important to the ecosystem of your soil. The mulch will dry out on the very top and keep any mildew from reaching your tomatoes.

@TexasGardenDoc

7 ай бұрын

@CWorgen5732 most soil left unmulched will dry out and form a crusty layer, however that dryness can be hard on soil. Mulch on the other hand promotes dampness and moisture in the soil which encourages the break down of those mulch materials, which in turn feeds the soil. Just like a forest floor, continually breaking down into ‘leaf mold’ to put back the nutrients that have been depleted.

Is that Hay? How do I tell the difference between Hay and Straw?

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Visibly, they look very similar especially depending on where you are in the world. Straw is typically glossier looking than hay and, at least here, a bit lighter in color. But that really depends on the hay you are comparing it to. I know that doesn’t really give you a definitive answer…straw is the empty stalks of grain products, where as hay is some type of grass. The two biggest benefits that people claim of straw over hay is that straw wil very rarely have any seed in it as it’s used for food and hay has the potential for a lot of seed. Where as hay might contain seed depending on how it was grown and when it was harvested. The second advantage most people mention is straw typically does not have herbicides applied to it while growing while hay might. I say all that to say this; straw is very hard to find where I live so I use hay. I typically set my hay out in the elements for several months to ensure there are no herbicides remaining. However, I’ve put it straight on the garden too as the location I buy it from says they don’t use herbicides, which I believe is true. I have on occasion had grass seeds sprout in the garden, but I just pull them up since it’s easy to tell when they start growing, but I’ve had very little. I hope that helps….really the best way to tell is to ask who your buying it from and hope that they know what they are selling.

@iamdjsluggo

Жыл бұрын

@@TexasGardenDoc Wow! Thanks for taking your time on that explanation! It is appreciated good sir. I’m in California btw. Your neighbor. Hope to move Texas sometime in the near future as California has become inhospitable to my kind 😉 ✌🏾

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Lol. I’ve heard this quite a few times over the last year are so. Come on out, we’d love to have you! It’s my pleasure to help where I can. The great news about your zone is you can grow a lot of things that are ore tropical in nature and that are, in my opinion, very tasty! I wish you time of success along the way!

Dude, you're dropping soil right on the ground and getting it all dirty!

@TexasGardenDoc

5 ай бұрын

😂🤣😂

I’m pretty sure that’s not mulched that’s more like hay or straw

@TexasGardenDoc

5 ай бұрын

Hi there! Mulch is anything that covers your growing soil. It can be anything from what people would consider landscape, mulch, shredded wood, wood chips, or even bark. Or it can be hay, straw, grass clippings, and you can even use pure, compost as a mulch. When the soil is exposed to the sun, the top quarter inch to half inch dries out and for crust. So, by placing any kind of cover over the ground, you or creating a mulch. For instance, in my area, I don’t have a need to mulch in the winter and fall very often. We get a lot of rain, and weeds don’t tend to grow easily then. However, in the spring and summer mulch is required to keep the top of the soil bare from competing plants, and to retain moisture. In the UK I’ve seen people use old wool batten, which is also a mulch!

What mulch did you use?

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

In my case, I use the very controversial hay! Strahl can also be used, and it does pretty well. If I had enough grass to mow, I would likely use grass clippings as my primary mulch, but I just don’t have that much. What I do different with the hay is that I have taken every reasonable effort to make sure and research that the supplier is not using any kind of systemic herbicide, I also by the way bales 10 to 12 months in advance of what I need to use them, and then I allow them to sit up off the ground in the elements, both the sun and the rain for almost a year. If there are any latent herbicides in there, most of them should be very for weekend or completely gone by the time I use them. Using hay, can be tricky, and it can have detrimental effects on your garden. If you weren’t careful in your research and how you use it. It’s not for the faint of heart! But it’s all I can get around here for a reasonable price. I hope that helps and just let me know!

@enriquecamarena1679

Жыл бұрын

@@TexasGardenDoc is there a specific place you get it from or a brand of hay that you use?

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

I get mine from our local feed store. I always ask for the hay farmers particular name Shawn I go to pick it up. I used to buy from tractor supply, and I had some success with it the first couple of times. That was before I left them sitting out for so long. Then I got a bale of hay stumps in a bunch of plants, and I started leaving it out for 8 or 9 months and it worked pretty good that way. Although occasionally I’d still have a problem. So that’s when I started calling the local farmers to see where I can get there hay. Most rural areas, have a feed store, so might check Google Maps and see if you can find something close to you. Make sure to ask all the questions you can about the hay you are buying though.

@enriquecamarena1679

Жыл бұрын

@@TexasGardenDoc thank you for the help.

@TexasGardenDoc

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely! It’s my pleasure. If you have any other questions or running, any other problems, just reach out here I’d love to help!

Wonder why STOP Mulching on Title means

@TexasGardenDoc

8 ай бұрын

The title says stop mulching your garden for weeds. Meaning don’t make that the only reason, retaining moisture in the soil is what I like to use it for, weeds are secondary

Umm isnt that called hay?

@TexasGardenDoc

7 ай бұрын

Hay or preferably straw, yes. Which is a great mulch for garden beds.