Hi All, Thought I would be able to find something on here, but no luck and the word mulch is to common for the search tool. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions/ideas on what I could grow as a mulch? Appreciate your thoughts.
Re: What can I grow for Mulch Good question... my first thoughts would be something prolific, won't reseed like crazy, not an allelopath, easy to harvest
Re: What can I grow for Mulch A sterile vetiver grass, comfrey, arrowroot... Pigeon pea can also be useful - if your situation lends itslelf to chop and drop or you have a mulcher. In your climate, maybe tree lucerne (tagasaste) might be a better option than pigeon pea.
Re: What can I grow for Mulch Aye, but what kind of weeds Where I live lupin is a weed. Makes great mulch.
Re: What can I grow for Mulch You might also search for 'cover crops'. Here is a useful US site: https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html Almost anything can be used as a mulch, straw, old hay, weeds, leaves, etc. Some of the deliberately sown ones are annual (grow one year and die at the end) and some are perennial (grow year after year). Some reseed freely but can be mowed or tilled just after flowering to avoid that. Some are useful as a growing mulch (clovers are one). Some compete well with weeds, some don't. Here's a forum thread on cover crops in vineyards in Oz: https://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.p ... f3e536a804 And short-term cover crops in the north of Oz: https://www.grdc.com.au/uploads/document ... 061102.pdf Sue
Re: What can I grow for Mulch https://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/living_mulch.html https://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/green_manure.html Clumping grasses like citronella grass or sugar cane are useful too.
Re: What can I grow for Mulch I have been know to say, "if it isn't compost it must be mulch" I have 2 trucks that have become yard monuments, but I call them metal mulch. For best results something woody, but something that breaks down in a reasonable amount of time. I use the "city mulch" it is free and has already been composted to kill the seeds. The term sheet mulching refers to the layering of mulches to kill the weed seeds and provide the best medium for your application. The thing to remember about mulch is that you can't screw it up! If your mulch is too woody and doesn't help you out this year don't worry. Each season you add mulch it will break down quicker as you have established a colony of organisms that feed on your mulch. I hope this helps you out. Let me know. I don't know exactly what your climate and soil is. But this is good general information for sufficiently moist and warm climates.
Re: What can I grow for Mulch I'v found lucern (not tree lucern) and comfrey to be the best quality mulch for growing fruits and vegies, They are noth high in Calcium, Phosphorus and Nitrogen and are vigorous.. Broad beans also produce lots of bulk in a short space of time. These crops have Huge root systems which mine deep into the soil for nutrients. You probably want to grow a combination of greens and browns. The green stuff like lucern and comfrey will help the tougher stuff to break down and feed the soil and plants as it does. For brown mulch material you could try straw. Rhycorn is a vigorous grower throughout winter. Another option is sunflowers or Jerusalem artichokes. With a mulcher you could also use small trees and shrubs. How much space do you have? Are deciduous trees possible?