What is Alfalfa Tea?

Alfalfa tea, also known as alfalfa meal tea, is a liquid fertilizer made by steeping alfalfa meal in water. It’s much like making herbal tea to drink, but on a larger scale – and for plants! As it soaks, beneficial nutrients from the alfalfa meal are extracted into the water. Yet compared to adding dry alfalfa meal fertilizer directly to soil, the nutrients in alfalfa tea are highly soluble and more readily-available to the plants. 

Benefits of Alfalfa Meal Tea Fertilizer for Plants

Alfalfa meal is a great source of nitrogen. That means alfalfa tea fertilizer is ideal for tomatoes, leafy greens, corn, cannabis, brassicas (e.g. cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts), roses, and other nitrogen-loving plants. In addition to nitrogen, alfalfa tea offers an array of other vitamins and minerals essential for plant growth including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, boron, iron and zinc. Again, all these nutrients are more bio-available to plants when provided in tea form. It also makes a little alfalfa meal go a longer way!

Furthermore, alfalfa meal (and alfalfa tea fertilizer) contains triacontanol: a root-stimulating growth hormone. Large, healthy roots directly equates to larger, healthier plants! Plants with a robust root system are able to better access and uptake nutrients and water in the soil, and are also more resilient to stress, drought and disease. Finally, alfalfa tea is known to enhance photosynthesis and the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil. 

Can alfalfa tea burn plants?

“Nitrogen burn” or fertilizer burn is a common concern when applying high-nitrogen fertilizers such as alfalfa meal or alfalfa tea. Though the nitrogen content in alfalfa meal is much lower than many common fertilizers (alfalfa contains about 3 to 5% nitrogen, while blood meal and feather meal are around 13%), you do still need to be careful with it. Alfalfa-based nitrogen is faster-acting than other forms, so it can be too strong and damage or shock plants when used in excess. 

So in theory, yes, alfalfa tea could potentially burn plants. However, our alfalfa tea recipe already errs on the side of caution. With only 1 cup of alfalfa meal per 5 gallons of water, our recipe is quite mild and dilute compared to some others. (I’ve seen instructions to use as much as 4 cups of alfalfa meal for the same volume of water). Please see the section about using alfalfa tea on seedlings below.

How to Make Alfalfa Tea Fertilizer

Supplies Needed

• 1 cup of alfalfa meal. We love and use this alfalfa meal from Down to Earth.
• 5 gallon bucket full of water 
• Optional: A reusable food strainer bag, cheesecloth, or other porous “tea bag” material. Keeping the alfalfa meal contained in a tea bag is a great option if you intend to disperse the tea through a watering can, which will prevent it from clogging. Or, if you simply don’t want the spent alfalfa meal in your garden soil.
• ¼ cup kelp meal (also optional)

Instructions

• Fill a 5-gallon bucket with water
• Add 1 cup of alfalfa meal directly to the water and stir thoroughly 
• OR, add 1 cup of alfalfa meal to a porous sack (explained above) to create a tea bag to steep in the water instead. Dunk the tea bag up and down several times to get it nice and saturated. We secure it to the bucket handle with twine. 
• We also add ¼ cup of kelp meal to our alfalfa tea. It’s not required, but kelp meal is loaded with over 70 different vitamins and minerals – so it’s a welcome addition! It’s also exceptionally gentle on plants compared to most other fertilizers.

Instructions continued

• Allow the alfalfa meal tea to sit and steep for 24 to 48 hours. Stir occasionally if your schedule allows.
• After 24 to 48 hours of steeping, water your plants with the finished tea! It’s best to use it all right away. See amounts and frequency below.
• If you didn’t use a tea bag, stir the tea as you use it so the alfalfa meal particles are evenly dispersed among your plants.
• If using a tea bag, gently squeeze and ring out the tea bag to extract the maximum goodness before removing it. Repurpose the spent alfalfa meal by adding it to your compost, spread around the base of a tree or shrub, or directly to your garden beds. 

How much alfalfa tea to give plants

Because this alfalfa tea fertilizer recipe and concentration is quite mellow, it’s okay to give each plant a fairly generous serving of tea: as little as a few cups each, or as much as you’d usually water the plant (up to a half gallon each, depending on the size of the plant.) Tea recipes that call for more than 1 cup of alfalfa per 5 gallons of water should be used more sparingly. See notes about further dilution for seedlings below.

How often should I feed my plants alfalfa tea?

In general, once per month is a safe application frequency for alfalfa tea fertilizer. You can use it as often as once every week or two for large, established, vigorous plants like tomatoes or cannabis. Or, it can be applied on occasion only, such as a single mid-season boost for your summer garden. When in doubt, start with a small amount and wait a couple weeks to see how your plants respond before fertilizing them again.

We use alfalfa tea the most as part of our organic cannabis fertilizer routine (once per week), and also give it to our veggie garden as needed a few times throughout the growing season. For instance, our leeks are looking a tad sad right now, so this particular batch will be used to fertilize them as well as our tomatoes and peppers. 

Keep in mind that alfalfa tea is not the primary or only way we fertilize our garden. We also top-dress the garden beds with fresh compost and several slow release organic fertilizers at least twice per year (before planting spring and fall seedlings). Last but not definitely least, we provide aerated compost tea several times per year. Think of alfalfa tea as just one more tool in your garden toolbox!

Using alfalfa tea fertilizer for seedlings

I don’t recommend using alfalfa tea on seedlings within the first month after germination. Young seedlings don’t need many additional nutrients, and are significantly more susceptible to fertilizer burn and shock than mature plants. Once they’re at least a month old, you can use alfalfa tea on seedlings but dilute the recipe to use only ¼ to ½ cup alfalfa per 5 gallons of water. However, we typically use seaweed extract and/or homemade aloe vera fertilizer on our seedlings instead. They’re both far more gentle!

Happy steeping!

All in all, making homemade alfalfa meal tea is a great way to feed your garden. It’s simple, effective, and more gentle than store-bought liquid fertilizers. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below. If you found this information to be useful, please consider sharing or pinning this post!

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• Homemade Aloe Vera Fertilizer Recipe
• How to Make Stinging Nettle Tea Fertilizer

The post How to Make Alfalfa Tea Fertilizer for Garden Plants appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

What is Hugelkultur

Hugelkultur (pronounced hoogle-culture or hoogle-cool-tour) is a permaculture method of making garden beds by layering logs, branches, leaves, and other organic plant debris with compost and soil. In German, hugelkultur literally means “hill culture”. It has been practiced by natural farmers and gardeners around the world for centuries.

Traditionally, hugelkultur was primarily used to create mounded earthen garden beds at ground level, referred to as hugel beds or “hugelbeet”. Yet the concept is rapidly gaining popularity as a cost-effective way to fill raised garden beds, planter boxes, and containers too. Especially deep ones! 

Benefits of Hugelkultur

• Hugelkultur mimics nature by design. Akin to a forest floor, the variety of decomposing natural material creates immense biodiversity in the soil.
  
  
• Rotting wood behaves much like a sponge: it absorbs, retains, and even releases water. Thus, hugelkultur garden beds require less water, ideal to conserve water and offset periods of drought.
  
  
• As wood and other natural materials decay over time, worms, beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes, microbes and other members of the soil food web work to create and release nutrients that feed plants. This type of effective nutrient release can occur for up to 20 years, depending on the density and type of materials used in the hugelkultur bed. The bed improves with time.
  
  
• Decomposing plant materials also generates some heat, which means the soil in hugel beds may warm up more quickly in spring to allow for earlier planting. This can also help extend the growing season come fall or winter, especially when coupled with hoops and row covers.
  
  
• Hugelkultur garden beds are budget-friendly! Filling large raised beds or planter boxes with soil and compost alone can get quite expensive. Filling the beds (at least part way) with collected natural materials is very cost-effective in comparison. Mounded hugel beds may be totally free to make.
  
  
• Hugelkultur garden beds are also eco-friendly. It’s a fantastic way to utilize and up-cycle plant “waste” around your property – rather than burning it or sending it to the landfill! Plus, creating garden beds from collected materials is more self-sufficient and sustainable than bringing outside materials into your garden. For example, bagged soil can create a lot of plastic waste! Whenever possible, get soil and compost delivered in bulk if large volumes are needed.
  

• Hugel beds are excellent at sequestering carbon. They’re also naturally aerated and don’t need turning or tilling. 
  
  
• Hugelkultur is a great way to overcome poor native soil conditions, such as clay or rocky soil.

Potential Drawbacks of Hugelkultur

• Creating or filling garden beds with the hugelkultur method requires access to ample natural materials – a challenge for some urban or suburban gardeners.
  
  
• It requires a good deal of physical labor and effort to make traditional mounded hugel beds compared to standard in-ground garden plots. 
  
  
• Hugelkultur beds may settle or sink down after the first year or so, so topping off with fresh soil and compost may be needed. Add soil and compost within the initial woody layers to reduce settling and air pockets.
  
  
• There is some risk of introducing pests or disease to your hugelkultur beds by using infected materials. For instance, we have abundant oak leaf litter on our property, but the leaves are almost always covered in mealybugs or whitefly, so I avoid using them in hugel beds. Termite-infested material poses a similar concern, especially when filling new wooden raised garden beds hugelkultur-style.
  
  
• Similarly, there is a risk of accidentally adding pesticides or herbicides to a hugelkultur garden – particularly if you’re using materials from an unknown source or not from your own property. Straw is a prime example, which is notoriously sprayed with herbicides and quite difficult to find organic.
  
• Since they’re prone to attract termites, it’s best to keep hugel beds at least 30 feet away from your home.
  
  
• Like other in-ground garden plots, it can be challenging to prevent burrowing pests like gophers or moles in traditional mounded hugelkultur beds. Gophers are a huge problem where we live, which is one of the primary reasons we garden in raised beds instead – and line the bottom of them with hardware cloth so they can’t get in.
  
  
• Tall, mounded hugel beds with sloped sides can be prone to sloughing and sliding around the edges. It may also be difficult to access, harvest, or tend to plants near the top or middle of the mound. Since plants sit higher off the ground, they’re more susceptible to the elements like whipping winds or frost. 
  
  
• Young hugel beds may become nitrogen-deficient, leading to stunted plants. Keep reading below.

Does wood in hugelkultur beds steal nitrogen from the soil?

There is a notion that woody material (including logs, wood chips and branches) can “rob” nitrogen from soil. In reality, it doesn’t actually take any nitrogen away, but instead makes it temporarily unavailable for use by the plants – also referred to as nitrogen lock. Plants may be stunted as a result. Wood chips cause more noticeable nitrogen lock than large logs since wood chips offer significantly more surface area. Nitrogen lock can last for the first couple of years in a hugel bed, but then the nutrient becomes available to the plants again once. 

However, it is easy to compensate by adding adequate soil and compost above the woody material for plants to grow in – explained more to follow. Use mild organic slow-release fertilizers to supplement additional nitrogen if needed. Growing nitrogen-fixing cover crops in the off season (such as fava beans, alfalfa, buckwheat or rye) is another great way to naturally add nitrogen back to the soil. 

Materials to Use in Hugelkultur Garden Beds

• Logs or stumps, including fresh or rotting. Some that are already decaying is ideal! Read more about the pros and cons of different wood types below.
• Branches and sticks
• Wood chips, sawdust, wood ash
• Leaves or leaf mold
• Straw or hay
• Compost and manure
• Other organic yard and garden waste
• Brown paper bags
• Corn husks or stalks
• Fresh grass clippings or dry grass (be cautious of introducing weeds though)
• Chunks of sod, often removed from the site of the new hugel bed and placed grass-side down near the top of the mound after.
• Cardboard, especially as an initial weed-suppressing layer under the bottommost logs. 

What type of wood is best for hugelkultur?

There is definitely some debate about what types of wood to use or avoid in hugelkultur garden beds. There are no hard fast “rules”. And don’t forget: the point is to make use of resources that are readily available to you!

Overall, hardwoods are ideal for hugelkultur. Logs from hardwood trees – including oak, apple, beech, alder, maple, sweetgum, ash, poplar and acacia – will decompose slowly and therefore supply nutrients to your hugel bed over a longer period of time. Yet soft woods such as pine, spruce, or fir will break down and release nutrients more quickly, giving everything a boost from the get-go! So, you can certainly use both. (But we’ll talk more about pine below.)

For the best results, use a variety of tree types and also a combination of fresh and already-rotting wood in a hugelkultur bed. Decaying wood will immediately begin to release nutrients and also inoculate the soil with beneficial microbes and fungi. Meanwhile, fresh wood will be there to support your plants over the long haul. 

Materials to Avoid in Hugel Beds

Have you ever noticed that plants don’t grow well under some trees? Most permaculture resources recommend to avoid wood from allelopathic trees, or those that emit phytochemicals to suppress or even kill competing plant life around them.

Common examples of allelopathic trees include black walnut (the most notorious) as well as eucalyptus, sugar maple, sycamore, red oak, black locust, pepper, manzanita, American elm, and some pine species. However, all of these trees are allelopathic to varying degrees! Even more, they may only emit growth-inhibiting chemicals from certain parts of the tree, such as the roots or leaf litter only. 

This guide from The University of Georgia breaks down various allelopathic trees into “strong”, “moderate” and “slight” categories and also denotes what part of the tree expresses allelopathy. Referencing the guide, it’d be wise to avoid logs and branches from trees that express moderate to strong allelopathy in their “rls” (root, leaf, and stem) pathways. I wouldn’t be as concerned about those that express it in their roots alone. Similarly, avoid using leaf litter from trees where that’s the main pathway.

Don’t use black locust because it will not decompose. Cedar and redwood also aren’t the best choices due to their high levels of tannins and natural rot-resistance. Last but not least, be sure that any species prone to suckering or sprouting (e.g. willow) are fully dead and dry before adding it to your hugel bed.

Can you use pine wood or pine needles in hugelkultur?

Yes, pine is fine to use in hugel beds! Especially in moderation (mixed with other wood types) and/or if it has been thoroughly dried and aged. Certain pine species are mildly to moderately allopathic, though in some instances that’s attributed to their needles rather than the wood itself. 

Pine needles are known to be very acidic (with pH of 3.8) and therefore are often avoided for hugelkultur or compost. However, it’s a rampant garden myth that pine needles make soil more acidic! The University of New Hampshire clarifies that “pine needles themselves are acidic but do not have the capacity to appreciably lower the soil pH”. As pine needles decompose, they’re gradually neutralized by organisms in the soil.

How to Make a Hugel Bed (or Fill Raised Garden Beds Hugelkultur-Style)

Whether you’re creating a traditional mounded hugel bed or filling a raised garden bed (planter box) hugelkultur-style, start with the largest, most dense materials on the bottom. Begin with logs and stumps first, then layer in smaller branches and twigs, followed by leaves or straw. Finally, top it all off with several inches of well-aged compost and soil. Experts recommend incorporating a small amount of soil and compost to fill voids throughout the inner layers as well.

It’s important to provide at least 6 inches of soil (I recommend 10-12 inches) on top of the woody material. This offers adequate space for roots to grow and plants to thrive, especially in early years before the under-layers start to decompose. So, take that into consideration when filling raised garden beds or planter boxes. For instance, if your planter boxes are only a foot tall, add a fairly shallow layer of woody material at the bottom of the bed. The hugelkultur method is most helpful when raised beds are 16 inches or deeper.

In the “soil” layer, combine about 40% topsoil, 40% compost and 20% aeration additives – such as ⅜” lava rock, pumice, perlite, coarse sand, rice hulls, coco coir or peat moss. However, high-quality potting soil already contains plenty of aeration ingredients and perhaps some compost too. In that case, adjust your ratios accordingly (e.g. 70% potting soil plus 30% compost).

To create traditional mounded hugel beds, you can pile materials right at ground-level. Or, dig a shallow depression or trench (the size of the bed) to fill. Add the soil removed from the trench to the top of the mound at the end. To define the bed shape and add dimension, use branches along all sides to make a rough “frame”. Some permaculturists also use large rocks around the edges.

And that concludes this lesson on hugelkultur gardens.

As you can see, hugelkultur offers many benefits in the garden. It’s natural, cost-effective, repurposes waste, and pretty fun to boot! I hope you learned something new today, and feel excited to try hugelkultur in your garden too. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments below. If you found this information to be valuable, please consider pinning or sharing this post! Thank you very much for tuning in. Happy gathering and hilling!

You may also like:

• No-Till Gardening or Farming (aka No Dig): Benefits Explained
• How to Kill or Remove Grass, and Grow Food Not Lawns!
• How to Fill a Raised Garden Bed: Build the Perfect Organic Soil
• Raised Beds vs. In-Ground Gardens: The Pros and Cons Examined
• Companion Planting 101 (with printable companion planting chart)
• Composting 101: Why, What & How to Compost at Home
• Vermicomposting 101: How to Create & Maintain a Simple Worm Compost Bin
• How to Amend & Fertilize Garden Bed Soil Before Planting

The post Hugelkultur: A Natural, Cheap Way to Make or Fill Garden Beds appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

What is Crop Rotation?

Crop rotation is the practice of changing or switching the crops that are grown in a particular location (e.g. a field, plot or garden bed) every season. In other words, it’s when a farmer or gardener makes a concerted effort to avoid growing the same family of vegetables in the same spot year after year. It is an essential component in regenerative and sustainable agriculture systems, alongside good mulch, companion planting, and no-till or no-dig practices. 

Crop rotation can be as simple as switching between two different crop families, or developing a planned sequence of up to a dozen crops. Allowing fields to fallow (go unplanted) or utilizing cover crops between seasons can also be part of a crop rotation routine. 

Why Crop Rotation is Important

There are numerous benefits to crop rotation. First, practicing crop rotation can naturally enhance soil fertility and reduce the demand for chemical fertilizer inputs. Even better, research indicates that harvest yields can be 10 to 25% greater when crop rotation is used in comparison to monoculture cultivation! 

Crop rotation can also help break the cycle of pests, diseases, and weeds, thereby decreasing the need for pesticides. The use of cover crops in crop rotation improves soil health while also minimizing soil erosion and runoff.  

The Rodale Institute explains that crop rotation can improve soil health and organic matter “by increasing biomass from different crops’ root structures” while increasing overall biodiversity among the soil and farm. Below ground, microorganisms and other members of the soil food web naturally thrive with variety – as do the beneficial insects, pollinators, and wildlife above ground!

Now let’s take a deeper look at a couple of these benefits.

How crop rotation improves soil fertility

Each type of plant draws slightly different nutrients from the soil. For example, tomatoes, leafy greens and corn require a good amount of nitrogen. On the other hand, legumes such as peas and beans fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and return nitrogen to the soil as they grow! Continuously planting the same crop (or members of the same plant family) in one location will easily lead to nutrient depletion or imbalance. In contrast, crop rotation allows the soil to rest, rebound, and regain balance between seasons. 

This concept extends beyond macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) to micronutrients, minerals, and even microorganisms as well. The ‘soil food web’ is a dynamic community of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and other critters that live in the soil. They’re all intimately involved in nutrient cycling, decomposition, disease suppression, and overall soil health.

The more diverse plantings we provide (including through crop rotation), the more the soil food web thrives – as do our plants!

How rotating crops reduces pests and disease

Crop rotation can break the cycle of disease or pests by removing the preferred host plant from the area. Once established during the growing season, disease-causing fungal spores or soil-dwelling organisms like cutworms, root-knot nematodes, or curl grubs can overwinter in the soil – ready and waiting to pounce on their favorite victim the following season! Growing a different or less susceptible crop in that location instead can reduce or eliminate the pests/diseases ability to reproduce or survive.

Consider powdery mildew for example (aka PM, a common fungal disease in our garden). If our zucchini plants were significantly infected with powdery mildew during the growing season, I’d try to plant something less susceptible to mildew in that location next. (Such as radishes, peppers, fava beans, onions, cabbage, or cauliflower.) It’d be wise to avoid growing other PM-prone crops like tomatoes, beans, or more squash in that spot for a season or two. They would only encourage the fungal spores to proliferate. 

Is crop rotation necessary in raised beds or home gardens?

Yes and no. Maybe so? Practicing crop rotation is an excellent goal in any setting, including raised garden beds or small plots! Home gardeners can reap many of the same benefits as larger farms. Rotating crops in raised beds can be especially useful for reducing the prevalence of persistent diseases and pests. 

However, us home gardeners already grow far more variety in our gardens than most larger operations. Many of us practice polyculture, or planting a mix of several types of crops in one small growing space or bed. I don’t know many gardeners that grow just one thing in the same bed year after year… do you? That said, crop rotation offers the largest impact and environmental benefits when used as an antidote or alternative to large-scale monoculture (the cultivation of a single crop) – which is commonly practiced in big ag, not at home.   

Furthermore, it is admittedly more difficult for a home gardener to practice “perfect” crop rotation, especially with limited growing space! We often can’t afford to give up an entire bed to fallow or grow cover crops every season. If you have several raised garden beds, it’s ideal if you can rotate crops amongst different beds each season. However, even the simple act of planting crops in alternating ends or sides of one bed is better than nothing!

Just remember: perfection is not the goal. Try your best with the space you have. And don’t forget to add companion plants to boost your crop rotation efforts!

How to Practice Crop Rotation

In the most basic crop rotation practice, simply try to grow different plant families in your beds or rows every other season. More complex rotations may span several years and involve significantly more crops, planning, and strategy. Common crop rotation schedules for large farms include cycling between corn, wheat, legumes, and other crops. 

Small farms and serious home gardeners can consider practicing a four-year crop rotation cycle, alternating between: 

• 1) Legumes such as peas, green beans, soybeans, peanuts, alfalfa and fava beans.
• 2) Greens and Brassicas including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, herbs, lettuce, and other leafy greens.
• 3) Fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, melon, peppers, eggplant, or potatoes. 
• 4) Root veggies such as turnips, radishes, beets, garlic, onion, leeks, parsnips or carrots.

Click on any of the highlighted veggies above to see our corresponding grow guides!

In a four-year crop rotation, when you start the cycle doesn’t matter, but the order does.

The legumes fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, adding to the soil. The greens and brassicas that follow then utilize a lot of nitrogen to support their leafy growth. By using up some nitrogen, the greens are also preparing the soil for the next group. Next, fruiting vegetables need ample phosphorus to develop flowers and fruit (and will focus too much on leafy green growth instead of fruit if they’re provided too much nitrogen). Finally, the root veggies are the least heavy feeders, but perform best with more potassium and phosphorus than nitrogen. Then the cycle starts all over again with nitrogen-fixing legumes.

How to Keep Track of Crop Rotation

The most difficult part of practicing crop rotation can be keeping track! Use a planner, spreadsheet or chart to keep track of what you’re growing in each bed every season. Then you can look back at previous years and also plan ahead for the future. We like to use our Homestead and Chill plot plans to map out our garden each planting season. In addition to serving as a great reference for years to come, they help me plan how many seeds to start and make transplanting day much more smooth and organized!

Some organized gardeners (and serious crop rotators) move their crops from bed to bed in sequence with the four-year crop rotation cycle. See the example below. We’ve never had enough room to follow a model quite like this in the past. But now that we have more raised beds in our new garden, we may give it a try! However there are other variables we need to consider too, such as which beds receive the best sun for the heat-loving crops versus others where more shade-tolerant plants may thrive. 

Do I still need to fertilize if I practice crop rotation?

While it’s great for the soil, you may not be able to rely on crop rotation alone to adequately nourish your plants. We recommend amending garden beds with aged compost and a top-dressing of mild, slow-release, well-balanced organic fertilizer each season. Throughout the growing season, we also like to water our garden beds with aerated compost tea – which provides gentle nutrients and boosts beneficial microorganisms. You can find our full garden bed amendment routine here.

And that’s the 411 on crop rotation.

As you can see, there are numerous benefits to practicing crop rotation. It helps your plants, soil, and the environment! Yet it can also make your head spin a little, and that’s no good. All in all, I hope that this article helped make it much easier to understand – and empowers you to try crop rotation at home if you desire! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. And if you found this information useful, please spread the love by sharing or pinning this post. Catch you on the flip side!

Don’t miss these awesome articles:

• What is No-Till Gardening (aka No-Dig), Benefits Explained
• How to Kill or Remove Your Grass (and Grow Food, Not Lawns!)
• Composting 101: What, Why and How to Compost at Home
• Companion Planting 101 (with printable companion planting chart)
• How to Build Raised Garden Beds

The post How to Practice Crop Rotation (Benefits Explained) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn answers to frequently asked questions about worm castings, including what they are, the benefits they offer soil and plants, how and when to use them in the garden, where to get worm castings, and more. If you’re looking for information on how to start your very own worm compost bin at home, see this step-by-step tutorial, followed by this guide on how to harvest worm castings. 

Homemade or store-bought, I know you’ll want to get your hands on some worm castings after hearing all these poo-tastic facts! So let’s dig in.

What are worm castings?

In the simplest terms, worm castings are worm poop. But keeping it that brief is greatly selling them short, because worm poo is extra-special excrement. As worms digest food or other material they consume, they break down complex nutrients into more bioavailable forms then found within the castings. When worm castings are added to soil, it provides valuable nutrition to plants as well as enhances the overall soil quality and structure. 

Because of the vast array of outstanding benefits they offer (described more to follow), earthworm castings are often called “black gold” in the horticulture world. You may also hear them referred to as vermicast or vermicastings. The prefix “vermi” means worm, so the process of composting with worms is known as vermicomposting.

Where do worm castings come from?

Worm castings used for horticulture either come from commercial compost worm farms, or from a personal worm bin that is maintained at home – like we do! All earthworms generate castings, but these specialized compost systems generally utilize a certain species of worms (Eisenia fetida, aka “reg wigglers”) that have a faster metabolism and larger appetite than common earthworms. This makes them a prized choice for vermicompost systems. They can really pump out the poo! We get our compost worms from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm.

Depending on the size and type of worm farm, compost worms are kept in containers, bins, large beds or windrows. There, the worms are maintained and fed select food waste and/or green waste. After they work their magic to digest and excrete it all, the castings can be harvested and used or sold. Learn how to harvest worm castings from a home-scale worm bin here (video included). 

What do worm castings look like

To the untrained eye, worm castings look a lot like very rich uniform soil. Worm poops are tiny, oblong, dark brown to black dots (almost like coffee grounds, but soft and without sharp edges). A handful of well-maintained finished castings will be moist but not soggy, similar to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge. When clenched together in your hand, the castings should form a clump that holds together but also easily crumbles back apart. 

Sometimes there are leftover bits of food waste, bedding (e.g. shredded newspaper or dry leaves), worms, other insects, or debris mixed in the castings. That is totally okay and normal, though it’s best if the majority of the material is castings when you apply it to the garden. 

Why use worm castings? A breakdown of the benefits for plants and soil 

• Worm castings are a gentle, effective, natural fertilizer that provide essential nutrients to plants. Scientific studies show that using worm castings in the garden can help plants grow significantly larger, stronger, and produce more abundant and better-quality flowers, fruit, and vegetables. It can also increase a plant’s resilience to pests, drought, heat, disease, and other stress. 
  
  
• Because they’re slow-release, it’s incredibly difficult to “overdo it” with earthworm castings. But a little also goes a long way!
  
  
• In addition to nutrients, worm poo is loaded with beneficial bacteria and fungi that support other organisms in the soil food web – a very important component of organic gardening.
  
  
• Worm castings also improve soil structure by increasing aeration, improving drainage, and enhancing moisture retention all at the same time!
  
  
• By supporting worm farms or maintaining a worm compost bin at home, you’re also participating in a sustainable closed-loop system. Vermicomposting reduces the amount of garden and food waste going to the landfill and creates stellar free organic fertilizer instead. Talk about a double whammy of awesome. 

So the better question is, why not use worm castings?

Are worm castings good for all types of plants?

Absolutely! Because worm castings are mild yet nutrient-rich, all types of plants will benefit from a little worm poo lovin’. We use them on flowers, veggies, perrenials, houseplants, fruit trees, cannabis, herbs, for starting seedlings and more. 

Are worm castings considered fertilizer?

Yes, worm castings are an organic and 100% natural form of fertilizer… but that’s not all! They’re also a fantastic soil amendment. According to the University of California, “fertilizers improve the supply of nutrients in the soil, directly affecting plant growth”. This includes both chemical or synthetic fertilizers as well as more eco-friendly derived from natural materials. Related yet different, “soil amendments improve a soil’s physical condition (e.g. soil structure, water infiltration), indirectly affecting plant growth.”

Do they contain nitrogen?

Studies show that earthworm castings are rich in a variety of essential nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) as well as iron, calcium, sulfur, and humic acid. However, because it can be difficult to determine the exact nutrient content of homemade worm castings (and it varies brand-to-brand), we consider them a supplement to our soil amendment routine and also use other natural slow-release fertilizers such as alfalfa meal, kelp meal, neem seed meal – or something like this organic all-purpose fertilizer. And don’t forget the mycorrhizae!

Can worm castings burn seedlings or plants?

Nope! Pure worm castings should not shock or burn seedlings or plants like some high-nitrogen fertilizers can. That’s one of the best things about them: earthworm castings are a gentle, slow-release fertilizer, despite the fact that they contain a higher concentration of nutrients than bulk compost. As food and other material passes through the worm’s digestive system, the castings are coated with a film of mucus that in turn slows the breakdown and release of nutrients in the soil. Like other slow-release fertilizers, you can safely apply a larger volume but less frequently than fast-acting fertilizers. 

When to add worm castings to garden soil 

There are numerous opportunities to use worm castings in the garden: add some to your seedling start mix, when filling a new raised garden bed with soil, directly in the planting hole when transplanting seedlings into the garden, sprinkled on top of soil (lightly scratched in) after planting, or around the base of established plants like a layer of mulch. We do all of the above!

In addition to using worm castings in their fresh natural form, consider turning them into compost tea! If you aren’t familiar with compost tea, it is exactly what it sounds like: a liquid solution or “tea” created by steeping compost in water. It’s a great way to make a small amount of compost go a lot farther. Once the nutrients in the compost seep into the water, you can feed many plants or garden beds with it. We love to make actively aerated compost tea (as opposed to passive steeping) which also boosts the beneficial microbes in the tea. Learn how to brew compost tea here!

How much worm castings do I use?

A small amount of worm castings can make a big impact! Yet again, it won’t harm anyone to add a little extra either, so don’t fret too much about precise measurements. We generally eyeball the following:

• Filling new pots or seedling containers: mix in about ¼ to ⅕ of the total soil volume in worm castings.
• Transplanting plants outside: Add a modest handful (about ¼ to ½ cup) per planting hole when transplanting small vegetable seedlings, a cup or two for larger shrubs (in one to three gallon pots), and several cups when planting trees from 5 to 15 gallon containers.
• Already-potted plants and houseplants: spread one inch of castings on top of the soil. Gently scratch it into the surface and then water it in. Refresh once or twice per year, up to every quarter.  
• Established garden beds (vegetables, flowers, perennials, and/or shrubs): top dress with 1 to 3 inches and gently incorporate into the top layer of the soil. Repeat in spring and fall. 

Which worm castings are best? Where can I buy them?

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for our homemade worm castings. They can’t get any fresher! Plus, we know the exact inputs to our system including the bedding and what the worms are fed. Since it’s all nutrient-dense and organic, the castings will reflect that in their quality.  

However, I realize not everyone has the ability or time to keep their own worm compost bin at home. Good thing there are plenty of other worthy options out there! Wiggle Worm is a great reputable company that sells pure worm castings online and in stores. They have stellar reviews for freshness, quality, and happy plants! Their worm farm is located in Wisconsin.

Last but not least, check around to see if you happen to have a local worm farm near you. We were fortunate enough to live a short drive from one for many years. It makes for a fun family outing to go pick up castings or worms.

Cheers to Black Gold!

Well, if you came to this post because you were curious about earthworm castings, I hope you’re leaving EXCITED about them – and with all of your questions answered! Please drop a comment below if there is something I didn’t cover. All in all, whether you make your own or buy worm casting, your plants and soil will thank you with bountiful growth in return. If you found the information in this article to be useful, please spread the worm poo love by pinning and sharing this post!

You may enjoy these related articles:

• Composting 101: What, Why & How to Compost at Home (6 different methods!)
• How to Create and Maintain a Simple Worm Compost Bin
• How to Make Actively Aerated Compost Tea
• The Benefits of Using Mycorrhizae in the Garden
• How to Amend & Fertilize Garden Soil Before Planting (No-Till Style)

The post Worm Castings 101: Benefits to Plants and Soil appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn how to make homemade fertilizer with aloe vera. We’ll cover the benefits aloe vera provides, and how to use it in your garden as a soil drench or foliar spray. You can even use it on houseplants! Homemade aloe vera fertilizer is quick and easy to make with either fresh aloe vera leaves or aloe vera powder. The result is a gentle but effective superfood-like solution that your plants will love. 

Need tips on growing aloe vera? Check out this guide.

Benefits of Using Aloe Vera as Fertilizer

Improved plant growth

Aloe vera (A. barbadensis) is absolutely loaded with nutrients. Studies show that aloe vera contains over 75 beneficial compounds including amino acids, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E, B-vitamins, and more. When blended into a homemade fertilizer, your plants receive a gentle but potent boost of nutrition. Aloe vera fertilizer can encourage seed germination and rapid root development, improved cell strength, and contribute to overall superior plant health, growth, and vigor!

In fact, aloe is so great at promoting growth that it’s commonly used as a natural rooting hormone, used to help plant cuttings establish new roots. To use aloe vera as a rooting hormone, either: 1) dip a cut stem in pure aloe gel and then plant it, 2) soak the cutting in aloe fertilizer (like we’ll learn to make today) for 6-12 hours before planting, or 3) soak the potting medium/soil in aloe vera fertilizer. We’ve also squeezed fresh aloe vera into a broken fruit tree limb, bandaged it, and it healed!

Enhanced resilience

Aloe vera also contains enzymes and plant hormones that help to reduce transplant shock, and boost the plant’s resilience to drought, stress, and disease. For instance, the high levels of acemannan and saponin found in aloe vera both provide antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. This helps to protect plants from pathogens including harmful microbes, fungus, yeast, mold, or blight.

Last but not least, the high levels of salicylic acid naturally found in aloe vera plays a big role in its healing powers! You’ve probably heard of salicylic acid before; it’s commonly found in skincare products to fight blemishes. In a similar manner, salicylic acid enhances the plant’s version of an immune system (known as the systemic immune response or SAR) that will help them fend off disease. 

The combination of all these things leads to happier, healthier plants that are more resilient to disease, pest pressure, as well as environmental stresses like transplanting, drought, chilling, heat, soil-borne contaminants, and more. Resilient plants require far less fussing and frustration, so you’ll be much happier too!

Using Aloe Vera Fertilizer in the Garden

First, what type of aloe should we use to make fertilizer? It is best to use Aloe barbadensis if possible; the only edible and most medicinal variety of aloe vera. That is what we grow, shown throughout this article. However, while it is not edible, Aloe chinensis has many medicinal properties and is often sold for topical use to treat burns, insect bites, and other skin ailments too. It’s easy to confuse the two, so check out this guide to learn the difference. I suspect it is okay to water plants with an A. chinesis solution, but I would avoid spraying it on the edible portion of your plants.

Now, there are two main ways to feed plants with aloe vera fertilizer: through a soil drench, or applied as a foliar spray. The most simple method is to blend aloe vera in water, dilute it further, and then use the solution to water plants (aka, as a soil drench). The plants then soak up all the goodies through their root system. In contrast, you can spray dilute aloe vera directly on plant leaves. Foliar sprays enable plants to readily absorb nutrients directly into their vascular system, though it takes a little more effort to prepare and apply.

How to Make an Aloe Vera Soil Drench

It’s incredibly simple to make homemade aloe vera fertilizer to use as a soil drench. Essentially, all you have to do is toss some aloe vera in a blender with water! If you’re using fresh aloe vera leaves, you don’t even need to remove the skin or extract the inner gel. 

Use about ¼ cup to ½ cup of fresh aloe vera per gallon of water total. A little goes a long way! (To be honest, we don’t measure but do try to estimate in that ballpark.) We’ll begin by creating a smaller concentrated batch of aloe vera in the blender and then further dilute it before applying it in the garden. So, calculate based on the total volume you plan to make. For example, we blend about 2 large aloe vera leaves (or 4 – 5 small leaves) to make a 5 gallon bucket of finished aloe vera fertilizer. 

Before getting started, keep in mind that it is best to use homemade aloe vera fertilizer within 20 minutes of mixing it. Once cut, processed, and exposed to air, fresh aloe vera quickly ferments and begins to degrade.

Using whole fresh aloe vera leaves:

• Harvest one to several aloe vera leaves, depending on the size batch you’re making. To harvest fresh aloe vera, take the oldest, outermost leaves from the plant. Holding the leaf near the base of the plant, gently pull while rocking back and forth until it peels away. Or, use a knife to cut the leaves off near the base. 
  
  
• Cut the aloe vera leaves into several chunks and add them to a blender half-full of water. (The solution has a tendency to foam up, so leave some space for expansion.) Again, we don’t bother removing the skin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
  
  
• Next, pour the blended aloe vera solution into a larger volume of water to dilute it to the desired concentration. We typically add one blender full of aloe into one or two 5-gallon buckets of water. See the photos below.
  
  
• Finally, give a little love to each plant! Much like compost tea, apply approximately half a cup up to 2 cups of aloe vera fertilizer to each plant, scaling up or down depending on the size of the plant. When planting a new tree, we’ll give it up to a gallon! There is no risk of overdoing it, so “eyeballing it” is perfectly acceptable. Sometimes we add the finished solution into a watering can to apply to the garden. Other times, I use a large beaker or 2-cup measuring cup to scoop portions out of the main bucket.
  
  
• Tip: I find it’s best to water with aloe vera soon after the plants receive their routine water (the same day or next day) so that the soil is moist, readily accepts the aloe drench, and won’t need to be watered again for another couple days – giving the aloe some time to soak in and do it’s thing!

No fresh aloe?

If you don’t have fresh aloe vera leaves on hand, create a similar solution by combining about ⅛ tsp of aloe vera powder per 1 gallon of water. Note that aloe vera powders come in varying concentrations, so when in doubt, follow the instructions provided on the package. (We use this 200x concentrated freeze-dried aloe vera powder.) Theoretically, I suppose you could even follow the same instructions described above (for fresh leaves) using bottled aloe vera gel instead, but ensure it’s 100% pure aloe vera – not something with a bunch of other ingredients and preservatives.

When to use aloe vera soil drench

We use homemade aloe vera fertilizer to water young seedlings, sometimes mixed with a little splash of seaweed extract too. Our indoor-raised seedlings get their first aloe and/or seaweed drink a few weeks after sprouting, repeated once or twice before they’re transplanted outside (about once per month). It’s so gentle and mild that it poses no risk of burning seedlings like other fertilizers can! Additionally, you can pre-moisten seed starting soil with aloe vera solution to aid in germination.

Another ideal time to use aloe vera fertilizer is after transplanting – for new seedlings, shrubs, or even trees! Simply water them with the aloe solution after planting. Mycorrhizae is another fantastic aid for plant growth and transplant shock, which we also use when transplanting seedlings. You can also use aloe vera fertilizer to nourish established plants, especially for any that seem stressed – or those you want to spoil. For example, we water our cannabis plants weekly with aloe vera powder (200x freeze-dried aloe vera) dissolved in water throughout the entire growing season. 

Related articles: Indoor Seed Starting 101 and Tips for Transplanting Seedlings Outside

How to Make and Use Aloe Vera Foliar Spray

Mixing the foliar spray

Just like the soil drench, you can create an aloe vera foliar spray using either fresh aloe vera leaves, pure bottled gel, or powder mixed with water.  Use the same dilution ratios: about ¼ cup of pure aloe vera gel per 1 gallon of water, or 1/8 tsp of dry aloe powder. We mix the powder and water right in the sprayer, shaking vigorously to combine.

As you may imagine, using whole aloe leaves can easily clog your sprayer. Therefore, it’s necessary to remove the skin and use only the inner gel portion of the leaf. Watch the video below to see how to easily extract the gel from an aloe vera leaf. In summary: slice off the ribs along the outer edges of the leaf, carefully peel away the top (flatter) portion of the skin, and then use a spoon to scoop out the inner clear gel. Thoroughly combine the gel with water in a blender first (blend it a lot!), and then dilute it with more water as needed in your sprayer.

Applying aloe vera foliar spray

It’s best to apply foliar sprays (of any kind) in the very early morning hours, or after sunset in the evening. Avoid wetting leaves when the plant is receiving direct sunlight, as it can increase the risk of sunburn or scorched leaves. Give your sprayer full of aloe vera fertilizer a good final shake – and then spray away! Thoroughly wet the leaves until the point of dripping. Make an effort to get the undersides of the leaves as well. Re-apply on a weekly basis for plants you’re giving extra-special attention to (e.g. cannabis) or monthly for general garden care. You can also add a bit of aloe powder to other foliar spray treatments, such as when applying neem oil.

So easy, right? And oh-so good.

Alright folks, I hope you enjoyed this lesson on how to make your own natural, homemade fertilizer using aloe vera. I bet your plants will enjoy it even more! As you can see, it’s a very simple process – minimal effort for maximum results. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. If you found this information to be valuable, please share or pin the article to spread the love. Cheers, to plants feeding plants!

Don’t miss these articles:

• How to Make Actively Aerated Compost Tea
• How to Property Emulsify and Use Neem Oil Spray
• Amending & Fertilizing Garden Soil Before Planting
• How to Make Homemade Stinging Nettle Fertilizer 
• How to Grow Cannabis Organically: Seeds, Soil, Care & More
• Feeding Cannabis Organically: Teas and Foliar Sprays

The post Homemade Fertilizer with Aloe Vera: Soil Drench or Foliar Spray appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn all about mycorrhizae. This article will cover what it is, how to use it in the garden, and most importantly, the benefits mycorrhizae provides plants. Spoiler alert: it will help your plants grow larger and healthier than ever! We’ve been using mycorrhizae in our garden for many years now, ever since Aaron’s dad turned us on to it. Even if you’re not a hardcore soil nerd, I bet you’ll find this information fascinating!

What is Mycorrhizae?

When you break it down, the word “mycor-rhiza” literally means “fungus-root”. Mycorrhizae is a form of beneficial fungus; one that cannot live without being connected to plant roots. Yet the connection isn’t just about helping the fungi survive! Together, they form a symbiotic relationship that offers outstanding benefits to the host plant as well, such as increased nutrient uptake, added resilience to disease or stress, and higher yields. We’ll talk about the benefits of mycorrhizae in more detail below. 

Over 95% of the world’s plants form beneficial associations with mycorrhizal fungi. Some types colonize on the surface of plant roots only, known as ecto-mycorrhizae. These fungi bond with select woody trees like conifers, hazelnuts, and pecans. In contrast, endo-mycorrhizae penetrate the root cells to become a part of the root system itself. They’re also far more prevalent. 80 to 85% of edible garden crops, fruit trees, flowers, herbaceous plants, and ornamentals make associations with endo-mycorrhizae, so that’s the type you’ll find in mycorrhizal products made for home gardens.

What does mycorrhizae do?

After colonizing plant roots, mycorrhizae acts like an extension of the plant’s root system and can increase the absorptive surface area of roots by up to 700 times! Imagine millions of little straws and fingers now available to more deeply and efficiently access valuable resources within the soil – including water, nutrients, and even air.

Furthermore, mycorrhizal fungi release enzymes that help to ‘unlock’ and dissolve essential nutrients within the soil. That reaction makes those nutrients more bioavailable for plants to easily utilize, including phosphorus, iron, and other minerals. Keep in mind that mycorrhizae isn’t a fertilizer however, so it will only help the plant use nutrients that are present in the soil (albeit better) – so you still need to routinely amend soil with compost and organic fertilizers. Last but not least, mycorrhizal fungi form intricate webs that capture and store excess nutrients in the soil for later use. This enhances soil fertility long-term.

So, what do the fungi get out of all this good samaritan work? The answer is food. As mycorrhizae helps plants to better utilize nutrients for growth and photosynthesis above-ground, the plants send sugars back down to their roots to nourish the fungi. Everyone wins! 

Benefits of Using Mycorrhizae

Due to the mutually beneficial exchanges that occur between mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots (e.g. increased nutrient uptake), studies show that mycorrhizae offers plants the following benefits:

• Promotes larger plant growth and healthier, deeper dark green foliage.
• Leads to greater flower and fruit production (more and/or larger). For farmers, higher yields also means higher income. 
• Enhanced resilience to stress, heat, and other environmental changes.
• Improved water uptake, leading to increased drought-resistance and less water demand for the plant. 
• Lessens the risk of transplant shock, such as when planting new trees or moving indoor-raised seedlings outside.
• Increases plant disease resistance by promoting overall improved plant health. Also, when plant roots are colonized or coated with mycorrhizal fungi, it limits access to the roots by other harmful pests, fungi, or diseases. For instance, studies show that plant roots colonized by mycorrhizae have added protection against parasitic root-knot nematodes and root-chewing insects!
• Reduces the need for fertilizer inputs (and associated costs).
• Decreases the accumulation and residual levels of toxic contaminants in crops, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which plants typically readily absorb in their roots and tissues.
• Naturally improves soil structure, fertility, and promotes a healthy living soil food web.

Sound too good to be true? Check out the photos of side-by-side grow trials below. The plants were treated exactly the same, with the exception of one being inoculated with Plant Success mycorrhizae – the larger plant in every photo!

Plants that Benefit from Mycorrhizae

Nearly all plant species benefit from mycorrhizal associations! Mycorrhizae’s ability to make phosphorus more bioavailable is especially valuable for flowering and fruiting horticultural crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, beans, cannabis, berries, fruit trees, and more. It will also help your ornamental flowers and shrubs thrive, including both annuals and perennials. Beyond flowers and fruit, mycorrhizae promotes more vigorous growth in herbs, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, garlic, and onions as well. 

The brassica plant family is among the small number of plants that do not form mycorrhizal associations. Meaning, your broccoli, cabbage, turnips or radishes will not benefit from mycorrhizae – but it also will not harm them!

How to Use Mycorrhizae in the Garden

Mycorrhizae should naturally be present in healthy, organic soil to some degree. Using organic gardening techniques such as compost, compost teas, cover crops, mulch, or no-till methods all foster a rich and diverse living soil food web! Harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides make soil sterile and inhospitable to all living things – including the good guys. 

However, it can take a long time to develop a robust population of mycorrhizal fungi in the average home garden, especially in newly-established gardens. Also, the native populations of fungi can vary drastically from season to season or bed to bed. Therefore, the best way to guarantee your plants reap the rewards of beneficial fungi is to inoculate your garden with mycorrhizae. 

• One option is to sprinkle granular mycorrhizae directly on the root ball or in the planting hole when transplanting new plants into the garden or into a larger container. See the photos below. Water the soil well after application and planting!
• Another awesome way to add mycorrhizae to soil is to mix up a water-soluble mycorrhizae product and water it in. You can do this any time – be it right after transplanting, or to boost established plants later (e.g. fruit trees or shrubs). If you direct-sow seeds right in your garden (such as beans, peas, or garlic), wait to water them with mycorrhizae until they’re at least several weeks old and have developed a couple sets of ‘true leaves’ – which means they’ll have some roots developed by then too!
• No matter which method you choose, keep in mind the fungi need to come in direct contact with living roots as soon as possible in order to survive. For this reason, always apply mycorrhizae immediately around the plant’s root system. They can’t travel in search of roots. 
• Again, remember that mycorrhizae isn’t a fertilizer – it simply helps plants make better use of nutrients in the soil. So, be sure to routinely amend your garden with compost and mild, organic fertilizer too!

Related: Transplanting Seedlings Outside: Tips for Success and How to Amend & Fertilize Garden Beds Between Seasons

Our Favorite Mycorrhizal Inoculants

There are a number of mycorrhizal products available on the market. We personally love and use the granular and water-soluble mycorrhizae inoculants from Plant Success Organics. They’re one of the most established and reputable brands, and offer high-quality, effective products that are OMRI-certified for organic gardening. I also love that they add beneficial bacteria to their products to further support the soil food web. Bacteria play a similarly significant role in plant health. In a nutshell, think of them as pre- and probiotics for roots, and roots as the gastrointestinal system of plants. There is a direct link between the human gut, probiotics, and overall improved health outcomes – and plants are no different! (Use code “DEANNACAT” to save 15% on the Plant Success website)

Can mycorrhizae be harmful to plants?  

There is virtually zero risk of harming plants by using mycorrhizal fungi products in your garden, especially if you follow the application directions provided. Even then, it is difficult to ‘overdo it’. Mycorrhizae is not a fertilizer and therefore cannot “burn” your plants like a high-nitrogen product might. If excess beneficial fungi are added to the soil beyond what can form associations with plant roots, they will simply die. 

Where does mycorrhizal fungi come from? 

The relationship with mycorrhizae and plants can be traced back millions of years. According to genetic studies, prehistoric ocean-dwelling plants began to slowly migrate onto land approximately 700 million years ago. They had very minimal root systems, and the soil was tough and unforgiving. Over time, plants partnered up with the fungi that already ruled the land. They evolved together to improve soil: plants developed more complex root systems, nutrient cycles became established, organic matter grew (and decomposed), and terrestrial life as we know it flourished. 

Modern mycorrhizal products are created at facilities that ‘farm’ or breed select strains of naturally-occurring beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. Mushrooms and fungi reproduce by releasing spores. Those spores are then collected, turned into mycorrhizal inoculant products, and sold with the spores in a dormant state. Later, once they’re added to your soil and come in contact with living plant roots and moisture, the spores will germinate and become one with the roots!

Remember: feed the soil, not the plant!

Organic gardening is all about building and maintaining rich healthy soil as opposed to simply fertilizing plants, and it’s safe to say that mycorrhizae are an essential part of a complete soil ecosystem! I hope you enjoyed this mycorrhizae 101 lesson and learned something new. Are you excited to inoculate your garden with mycorrhizae too? Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below, and share this article if you found it valuable. Last but not least, we want to thank Plant Success Organics for sponsoring this post. And thanks to you all for tuning in!

Don’t miss these related articles:

• What is No-Till Gardening or Farming (aka No-Dig): Benefits Explained
• Composting 101: What, Why and How to Compost at Home
• How to Make Actively Aerated Compost Tea to Feed Your Garden
• Transplanting Seedlings Outside: Tips for Success
• How to Fertilize and Amend Soil Between Seasons

The post The Benefits of Using Mycorrhizae in the Garden appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn when and how to transplant seedlings outside into your garden. We’ll cover how to properly prepare seedlings to be transplanted, steps for planting day, and follow-up care. The process is generally quite straightforward and simple, yet I have several tips to share to help prevent transplant shock – and grow the most healthy and productive plants possible! These tips can be applied to any type of vegetable, herb or flower seedlings that you started from seed, or those you purchased at your local nursery.

At a Glance

This article will cover:

• How to harden off seedlings
• The best time to transplant
• Tips to amend soil
• Best spacing and planting practices
• Benefits of worm castings and mycorrhizae
• Water and mulching tips
• More ways to prevent transplant shock
• How to protect seedlings from pests or harsh weather

BEFORE TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS OUTSIDE

Harden off seedlings

A very important step prior to transplanting seedlings outside is to ensure they’ve gone through a process called “hardening off”. Hardening off is when indoor-raised seedlings are gradually exposed to a wider variety of elements than they’ve otherwise received while protected indoors, such as direct sunlight, cooler temperatures, and wind. The process prepares them for the transition to the great outdoors, and greatly reduces the risk of transplant shock or injury during inclimate weather. (Heads up: store-bought seedlings have already been hardened off for you!)

Start hardening off your seedlings about a week prior to transplanting outside. Begin by bringing the seedlings outdoors (on a calm and mild day) for just a few hours at a time and in a mostly shady location at first. Then over the course of the week, gradually increase the time and direct sunlight they receive. By the end of the week, they should be sufficiently hardened off! However, we start strengthening our seedlings far earlier than a week before transplant day. For instance, the movement created by an oscillating fan nearby (used indoors just a couple weeks after sprouting) helps their stems become nice and strong. We also turn their heat mats down and then off a couple weeks earlier. 

Related: Learn more step-by-step details about hardening off here, and all our of top indoor seed-starting tips here.

When to transplant seedlings outside? Know your zone

Before transplanting seedlings outdoors, it is important to familiarize yourself with your area’s frost dates and ideal planting times. Young seedlings are particularly susceptible to frost damage or even death (including plants that will grow up to be quite cold-hardy once they mature). Even if there is little-to-no risk of frost, transplanting seedlings too early can make them unhappy and more prone to stalling, stunting, or disease. For example, our area is virtually frost-free… but that doesn’t mean we should plant tomatoes outside in February! 

Therefore, plan to transplant seedlings outside at a time that is appropriate both for the plants and your zone. I realize that sounds a bit ambiguous, so check out our Homestead and Chill planting calendars for an easy visual guide! We’ve prepared calendars that illustrate the ideal time to start seeds indoors or out, and when to transplant seedlings outside – for dozens of vegetables and every USDA hardiness zone.

Check the weather forecast

When the target transplant day comes, check your local weather forecast. Avoid transplanting seedlings outside if there is any stormy or extreme weather predicted in the coming days ahead. Check at least 5 to 7 days out for frost, heat waves, high wind, heavy rain, hail, or similar. Even if you’ve already hardened off your seedlings and are otherwise ready to go, it’s best to wait until more favorable conditions are on the horizon. If possible, choose a nice calm, temperate day to transplant seedlings outside. 

Amend or fertilize your soil

Finally, prepare your garden soil before you transplant seedlings outside. Plants need ample and diverse nutrients to successfully grow and produce. As they grow, they use up existing nutrients within the soil, which can leave it relatively depleted at the end of each growing season. So, it is important to replenish nutrients by amending your garden bed soil between crops or seasons. 

In our no-till style garden, we prefer to use natural, mild, slow-release fertilizers like alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and neem meal – OR something all-in-one, like this organic all-purpose fertilizer. All of these dry fertilizers are sprinkled over the soil, lightly scratched into the surface, and watered in. Additionally, we amend the soil with plenty of aged compost! Learn more about our soil amendment routine in this article. 

In preparation for transplant day, it’s best to fertilize soil a week or so in advance (if using dry, meal-type fertilizers). Water it in a couple times to allow the fertilizer to become incorporated into the soil. This helps everything mellow out and prevents ‘burning’ the seedlings. However, we often add fertilizer to our garden soil the same day we transplant seedlings outside! With busy schedules, we can’t always follow best practices. However, we go lighter than the package recommendations to ensure nutrient burn won’t be an issue.  

After that, it’s go time!

HOW TO TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS

How far should I space my seedlings?

Follow the general spacing recommendations for the particular types of plants and varieties you are growing. When plants are overcrowded, they will compete for root space, nutrients, sunlight, and airflow. Crowded plants are also more prone to disease. I’ll admit that I sometimes push the suggested limits a tad, but do my best to give everyone the space they deserve and need. You can also fudge the spacing recommendations a bit by planting seedlings in offset rows, as opposed to a perfectly straight line. Also remember that even if a garden bed full of baby seedlings looks sparse, it WILL fill in.

General plant spacing recommendations:

• Space large bushy plants like tomatoes, summer squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage at least 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Smaller plants such as peppers, eggplant, bush beans, kale and other leafy greens can be planted slightly closer together – around 12 to 18 inches, depending on variety.
• Root crops like radishes, carrots, turnips, or garlic grow only inches apart – yet those are all best to direct-sow and thin in place, rather than transplant. 
• If you haven’t already, thin each seedling down to only one plant per space.

Related: Visit the in-depth grow guides for tomatoes, cauliflower, summer squash, carrots, radishes, kale, green beans, or garlic by clicking on their name here.

Where to plant what

The majority of common vegetables, flowers and herbs prefer full sun – or as much as you can give them! This is especially true for heat-loving summer crops like peppers, tomatoes, corn, squash, beans, cucumbers, and more. Most cool-season crops like leafy greens, radishes, cauliflower, fava beans, green onions, or peas can tolerate partial shade, but may also grow less prolifically.

Also be mindful of the height plants may reach as they mature in relation to your gardens sun exposure. Avoid planting tall crops like tomatoes in a spot that would eventually shade out the shorter plants around them. Here in the northern hemisphere, we keep our tallest plants and trellises along the east and northern sides of our garden beds to maximize the southern sun exposure the rest of the bed receives.

Finally, if you’re wondering “what plants should I plant together?” – that’s a great question, and a subject all of it’s own! Intermixing various plants creates a beautiful aesthetic, and may also provide added benefits like natural pest control. On the other hand, some types of plants don’t particularly care for one another – like peppers and beans. Please visit our Companion Planting 101 article to learn more. It includes a free printable companion planting chart too!

Create Planting Holes

Dig a hole about the same size as the seedling root ball (or just larger). If the seedlings have become leggy (tall and stretched out) and you want to bury a portion of the stem, make the planting hole a tad deeper. Tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, kale, and other brassicas like cabbage, collard greens, or broccoli do not mind their stems being buried a little. That is, as long as the seedlings aren’t super young and tender, and they have been properly hardened off! Otherwise, tiny tender stems have an increased risk of rotting below the soil line. Read more about preventing, fixing, and planting leggy seedlings here. 

Optional: worm castings and/or mycorrhizae

Now, you could plant the seedling as-is. However, we like to spoil our transplants and give them a little extra boost of nutrition and love! First, we mix a small handful of worm castings to the bottom of every planting hole. Worm castings, also known as ‘black gold’, are a wonderful microbially-active fertilizer; gentle but potent. The organic matter in worm castings also improves soil structure to increase moisture retention and aeration. We use worm castings from our compost worm bin, but you can also buy them.  

In addition, I also highly recommend inoculating the planting hole with mycorrhizae.  Mycorrhizae are beneficial fungi that help increase nutrient uptake, root growth, fruit production, and disease-resistance! It can also prevent transplant shock. Mycorrhizae is most beneficial for plants that produce flowers and fruit (tomatoes, peppers, cannabis, squash, eggplant, fruit trees, etc) and it doesn’t make strong associations with the roots of brassicas like cabbage or kale.

Because mycorrhizae need to bind to the plant root system to survive, sprinkle granular mycorrhizae either directly on the root ball itself, or along the inner walls of the planting hole that will soon come in contact with the roots. A little goes a long way! (Follow the instructions on your package.) Don’t have any on hand come transplant day? You can also use a water-soluble mycorrhizae to water the seedlings after planting!

Related: Vermicomposting 101: How to Make and Maintain a Simple Worm Compost Bin

Plant the seedlings

Gently remove the seedling from its container, but avoid pulling on the stem itself. Instead, carefully tip the seedling container on its side and lightly push up from the bottom and/or squeeze the sides of the container to ease the root ball out. Avoid ruffling the roots unless they’re clearly root bound and winding around each other. In that case, gently loosen the roots before planting the seedling.

Place the seedling in the planting hole. Adjust the depth as needed so that the existing root ball will be level or just below the soil surface.

For extra leggy seedlings, it’s okay to bury them up to their first set of branches or leaves, but usually no more than a couple inches deep. An exception is tomatoes. Tomato seedlings (and tomatillos) are known for their tendency to grow fresh roots off of buried stems, so go ahead and plant those suckers up to 6 inches deep if needed. Remove lower side branches that would end up below the soil first. I’ve heard conflicting things about whether or not squash, eggplant, and cucumber seedlings like their stems buried, so play it safe and bury them minimally or not at all. 

Once the seedling root ball is settled in it’s planting hole, gently pack soil around it to fill the hole. Be sure to get around the sides, not leaving any voids. However, don’t press down too firmly and compact the soil! Looser soil is better at absorbing water, and also draining away excess standing water.

Related:

• Growing Organic Tomatoes: How to Plant, Feed, Prune, & Grow Tomato Plants
• How to Prevent and Fix Leggy Seedlings

AFTER TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS OUTSIDE

Water

Once your seedlings are tucked away in their new bed, give them a good water! In the coming weeks, maintain the soil consistently damp (but not soggy). Keep in mind that young seedlings have very small, concentrated root systems – so be sure to water immediately around the base of the plant. Yet don’t neglect the rest of the bed! Watering the soil between small plants (and also watering deeply) will encourage their roots to spread. The more expansive the root system, the more access to nutrients and water the plants have, and the more robust and healthy they will become. 

Related: Garden Irrigation Solutions: DIY, Efficient, and Non-Toxic Watering Options

Mulch

After transplanting seedlings outside, add mulch around them. Mulch is incredibly beneficial, but often overlooked! It reduces evaporation and runoff to keep soil evenly moist, and also buffers soil and plant roots from temperature swings.

Mulch in the spaces between the seedlings, but not directly against the stems. If it’s pressed right against young stems, mulch may increase the risk of rotting or pest issues. Therefore, maintain a few inches of open soil around the base of each plant. We personally love to use compost mixed with a woody ‘soil-building conditioner’ (similar to a very fine bark). Those items double as a slow-release fertilizer and add organic matter to the soil as well! 

Related: Pros and Cons of 8 Popular Types of Mulch including compost, bark, straw, leaves, and more. 

Protection

After you kick them out of the house, your babies may still need a helping hand. After transplanting seedlings outside, keep an eye on the weather forecast and be prepared to offer them protection if needed. Remember, young seedlings will NOT be happy when exposed to a hard frost. Also, consider their vulnerability to wandering pests such as rabbits, squirrels, or deer. You may not find the need to cover or protect your seedlings; it depends on the conditions in your garden.

We heavily rely on our hoops and insect netting to protect young seedlings from the ravenous beaks of wild birds in our garden – which also blocks pest insects like cabbage moths. We keep leafy greens covered for at least a month or two. The birds don’t seem to bother tomato, pepper, and squash seedlings as much. Hoops can also be used to support various row covers like frost blankets or shade cloth if significant temperature swings roll in. Other frost-protection tools include cold frames, individual cloches, or even bed sheets! 

Related: Using Hoops and Row Covers for Pest Control, Shade, and Frost Protection and 7 Ways to Protect Plants from Frost Damage

More ways to reduce transplant shock (and boost growth)

There are a number of very gentle but effective liquid solutions you can ‘feed’ your seedlings with to reduce transplant shock and encourage rapid new root development, including:

• Aloe vera soil drench: We often do this for freshly transplanted seedlings along with new trees or edible shrubs. Essentially, it involves blending up some fresh juicy aloe vera leaves with water, diluting it significantly, and then watering each plant with about a cup of the final solution. Like it does for human skin, aloe vera has potent nourishing and regenerative properties for plants too! Learn how to make homemade aloe vera fertilizer here.
  
  
• Seaweed extract: Dilute seaweed extract is another excellent option to provide young seedlings a boost – especially if you don’t have access to fresh aloe vera leaves! We love and use this seaweed extract. Mix it with water per the instructions on the bottle, and feel free to learn more about its benefits in this article. 
  
  
• Compost Tea: This option is my favorite from this list – and something you can do after transplanting seedlings outside, or any time throughout the growing season! We feed our garden actively aerated compost tea (AACT) several times per year. It’s kind of like our ‘secret sauce’. AACT tea is made by brewing compost in water with the addition of an air source (e.g. an air pump and bubbler) and a small amount of sugar (e.g. molasses). The process dramatically increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the brew, and results in highly bioavailable nutrients for your plants. Did you know that plants cannot take up nutrients without the assistance of bacteria and fungi? Check out our tutorial on how to make AACT here – video included!

Now you know all our secrets to success!

Are you ready to get planting? I hope all of these tips for transplanting seedlings outside will help you grow the most healthy, happy plants possible. Remember, you don’t have to do alllll of these things either! If I had to pick just a few key steps, I’d focus on using a mild organic fertilizer before planting, mycorrhizae on transplant day, and mulching thereafter. But don’t skip the hardening off process!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below. If you found this information valuable, please spread the garden love by pinning or sharing this post. Until next time, happy planting!

The post Transplanting Seedlings Outside: Tips for Success appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

This article will explore the pros and cons of 8 popular types of mulch. We’ll look at factors such as cost, durability, appearance, unique benefits, as well as potential risks or drawbacks. Then, you can make an informed decision about what type of mulch is best suited for your garden space. Or, a combination of many mulch materials – like we use! 

If the concept of mulching is new to you in general, be sure to stop by our Mulch 101 article. It digs deeper into the benefits of mulch, the living soil food web, and best practices of when and how to apply mulch in your garden. 

 Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products for your convenience, such as to items on Amazon. Homestead and Chill gains a small commission from purchases made through those links, at no additional cost to you.

Organic vs. Inorganic Mulch

Garden mulch options can more or less be broken down into two categories: organic or inorganic mulch products. Organic mulch includes natural materials such as leaves, straw, bark, pine needles, and other plant byproducts like cardboard or paper. These things break down over time, and will eventually be incorporated into the soil itself – providing nutrients in the process.

On the other hand, rock, stone, lava rock, and man-made products like plastic sheeting, rubber bark, or geotextile landscape fabric are all examples of inorganic mulch materials. Those types of mulch are usually more durable, and thus need to be replenished less often or not at all. 

Keep in mind that the designation of organic versus inorganic here is only a matter of chemical make up – if the materials contain carbon or not. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all ‘organic’ mulch types are ideal to use in a garden that follows non-toxic organic gardening practices. For instance, some bark products may be dyed with chemicals, or straw sprayed with herbicides. On the flip side, rock is technically ‘inorganic’ but is totally natural.

Types of mulch we’ll explore today:

1. Compost
2. Bark mulch or wood chips (including rubber bark)
3. Straw
4. Gravel, stone or rock
5. Cardboard, paper or burlap
6. Leaves
7. Other plant matter
8. Plastic sheeting or landscape fabric

Distinct areas in your garden may call for different types of mulch. For instance, you may choose to use one material in your vegetable beds, another around trees or in flower beds, and something else in pathways. If you look around our garden, you can quickly see that we utilize at least four or five kinds of mulch throughout our space.

1) Compost

Compost is our favorite type of mulch to use in our raised garden beds. Not familiar with compost? Essentially, compost is any well-decomposed organic matter, including plant material and/or animal manure. Compost may be homemade, or purchased in bags or bulk. Learn about 6 different ways to compost at home here. 

Pros

• Compost works triple-duty to reduce evaporation, insulate plant roots, and nourish the soil food web. In addition to acting as mulch, it is one of the primary natural fertilizers we use in our garden!
• The fluffy, fine texture and high nutrient content makes compost a great choice for vegetable gardens, flower beds, herb gardens, and containers. It is easy to work and plant around.
• Compost is pollinator-friendly, as ground-dwelling bees don’t mind burrowing through it like other more chunky material.
• Made from food, landscape, and animal waste otherwise destined for landfills, compost is incredibly sustainable and environmentally-friendly. 

Cons

• Compost mulch decomposes quickly, and thus needs to be replenished more often than other types of mulch. We top off our raised beds with fresh compost twice per year, during our seasonal crop changeover and amendment routine. 
• It may not suppress weeds as effectively as other mulch options, unless applied in a substantially thick layer.
• Improperly-composted or fresh animal manures may contain excessively high levels of nitrogen and is harmful to plants. Be sure that any animal manure compost you use has been well-aged. Furthermore, manure from dogs, cats, or pigs should be avoided altogether as they can carry pathogens that are harmful to humans. 

2) Bark Mulch or Wood Chips

Bark or wood chips come in many forms, such as large bark nuggets, small bark, wood shavings, or shredded bark – also known as gorilla hair. Bagged bark products are readily available at any garden center. Bulk bark or wood chips should also be easy to find, through your local landscape supply company or tree trimmers.

Rubber bark or shredded rubber is a synthetic bark-size mulch product. I decided to not give it its own designated section in this article because I don’t believe it has a rightful place in a home garden. Made from shredded tires, rubber bark does give a waste product a second life. However, it is known to leach toxic chemicals that are harmful to the soil, plants, and nearby water resources.

Pros 

• Can be fairly inexpensive, especially if you’re able to source bulk bark. Call around! Many municipalities or tree trimming companies even offer freshly ground wood chips to homeowners at no charge – aka “chip drops”.
• Bark mulch is a very natural organic mulch option, as long as you avoid dyed/colored bark.
• Eventually breaks down to provide nutrients to the soil, and improve soil structure.
• When applied in a thick enough layer, bark does a good job at suppressing weeds.
• The variation of wood mulch products in size and styles makes them suitable for a wide range of landscaping applications – such as using fine shredded bark or wood shavings around delicate veggies and flowers, and chunky bark in pathways or borders.

Cons 

• Because it eventually breaks down, bark mulch does have to be replenished every so often. The frequency varies greatly though, depending on your climate and the size or type of bark mulch used.
• Decorative colored bark may have been treated with chemical dyes, making it unsuitable for organic edible gardens. (Though some are colored with non-toxic dyes.) 
• Free local “chip drop” wood chips may be contaminated with tree diseases, pests, or sprays. It’s great for pathways, but proceed with caution directly around trees or other plants.
• Buying bagged bark to mulch large spaces creates unnecessary plastic waste. Most landscape supply companies will deliver and drop off as little as half a yard!
• Pine bark is more acidic and takes longer to break down than hardwood mulch like cedar, fir or redwood, so is better suited for pathways or around trees than directly in veggie or flower beds. It can also be used on top of garden bed soil, but I would avoid mixing it in – unless you need to reduce the pH of alkaline soil. Cedar bark is known to be toxic to chickens, so avoid using it around your flock’s range space or coop.
• Native ground-dwelling bees and bumblebees will not burrow through dense bark. Leave some exposed soil or choose compost mulch to promote pollinator-friendly gardens. 

Does bark mulch leach nitrogen from the soil?

Bark, wood chips, and other wood mulch products get a bad wrap for ‘robbing’ nitrogen from the soil. However, it doesn’t actually take nitrogen away from the soil. What happens is this: when fresh bark material is added to soil, there is a surge of activity in the soil-dwelling bacteria that are part of the nitrogen cycle. They turn their attention to breaking down the bark instead of continuing their work in the soil. The nitrogen is therefore temporarily ‘tied up’.

Yet as the bark is broken down, those bacteria and nutrients are returned to the soil. Furthermore, the nitrogen shift or tie-up is strongest when wood products are mixed into the soil, and especially new soil. There is far less impact when bark mulch is applied on the surface of established soil. In that case, the nitrogen tie up only occurs on the very top layer of the soil (well away from plant roots) and is part of the reason bark mulch is effective at suppressing sprouting weeds. 

In all, there is only a minor and temporary disruption of available nitrogen to your plants. Freshly-ground wood chips cause more nitrogen tie-up than dry/aged bark products, so if you’re concerned about it, stick to applying fresh chips only in pathways or other open areas. 

3) Straw

The most common types of straw mulch are wheat, barley, or oat straw. Don’t confuse straw with hay! Straw is a dry byproduct of grain crops. It usually contains very few seeds, but is possible to have some. On the other hand, hay is grass cultivated as animal fodder and very often contains weed seeds (sometimes quite noxious ones) – which will sprout and create a mess in your garden. No Till Growers has an excellent article about navigating the use of hay as mulch, if you’d like to learn more.

Pros

• Straw is inexpensive and widely available. 
• It is lightweight (once separated from the bale) and easy to work with. 
• Decomposes to provide fresh organic matter and nutrients to the soil. 

Cons

• Straw may have been treated with pesticides or herbicides, which are then introduced to your garden. I have seen established plants wilt and die the day after contaminated straw mulch was applied around them! 
• Some straw may also contain seeds, adding to your weed issues rather than reducing them. Seek out organic (pesticide-free), seed-free straw mulch for your garden. 
• Because it is so light, straw can be messy and easily blow around in the wind. It will also need to be replenished every season.
• Straw provides an excellent hiding space for pest critters and insects near your plants. This is an issue with many types of mulch, but straw is an especially prime habitat. 

4) Gravel, Stone or Rock

Pea gravel, lava rock, river rock, or crushed granite… There are numerous rock and stone options to choose from. I consider gravel more of a landscaping product than a mulch, but it can function as both! We use quite a bit of gravel (3/8″ green rock) in our front yard garden pathways, along with large cobblestones for perennial bed borders.

Pros

• Rock gravel is one of the most durable, long-lasting mulch options. After the initial purchase and installation, gravel should not need to be replenished like other types of mulch.
• Because of its weight, most gravel mulch doesn’t easily get disturbed by wind or rain.
• It can make a space look very clean, sharp, and attractive. 
• Great for pathways, between garden beds, in open spaces, or in xeriscaped gardens. Not suitable for vegetable beds, flower beds, or directly under trees.

Cons 

• Gravel, rock and stone products are often more expensive than other mulch options.
• It is heavy to work with, and fairly permanent in nature. 
• Gravel doesn’t feed the soil like organic mulch materials do, though it can offer some protection.
• While it provides insulation and prevents evaporation, rock can create undesirable or excessive radiant heat – especially in hot climates.
• Without the use of gravel stabilizers below, smooth pea gravel moves and sinks when you walk on it, which is not ideal for some people. Loose rock can make using a wheelbarrow or garden cart challenging in the space.  Other types of gravel (those with more jagged edges) lock in place better, providing for added stability as well as better weed suppression.

5) Cardboard, Newspaper, or Burlap

Natural cardboard (undyed, unwaxed) can be used as ‘sheet mulch’ either on its own, or with heavier organic materials like wood chips on top to hold it down. Simply rip off your shipping labels and tape, and put those delivery or moving boxes to good use! Burlap fabric or several layers of newspaper can also be applied in the same manner. 

Pros

• Cardboard is easily accessible, inexpensive or even free. 
• Repurposing cardboard from shipped items into use as mulch is a superior form of recycling: upcycling! 
• Sheet mulching is incredibly effective at holding moisture in the soil and also smothering weeds – perfect for large open spaces, in pathways, around trees, and under new raised beds.
• Burlap sacks (such as coffee sacks) or burlap fabric make great sheet mulch, and a natural alternative to landscape fabric. You may be able to get used burlap sacks from local coffee roasters for free! For larger projects, consider a roll of natural untreated burlap like this. You could also add a layer of newspaper below burlap for added protection.
• Like other organic types of mulch, natural paper products decompose and release nutrients to the soil over time. Burlap will take longer to decompose than paper, but can also be rolled up and reused as needed.

Cons

• Cardboard is usually too large, thick and awkward to use amongst full vegetable or flower beds, with the exception of their pathway areas. 
• Avoid shiny, colorful newspaper inserts. Those will not degrade easily and may contain toxic dyes. 
• In my experience, woven burlap sacks occasionally contain a combination of natural fibers (jute) along with synthetic plastic-like fibers for added durability. If your intent is to allow the burlap fabric to decompose on the soil surface, steer clear of any that aren’t made from 100% biodegradable materials.
• Burlap and cardboard will decompose over time (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!) but may make them less suitable to use in more permanent installations, such as under gravel.

7) Other Plant Materials

A plethora of other organic mulch materials are out there, if you simply take a look around! Pine needles, dry grass clippings, sawdust, and living (or cut) cover crops are all popular natural mulch options as well. In Australia, shredded cane sugar mulch is readily available and commonly used much like straw – but without the risk of seeds. We love to collect and use miscellaneous nutrient-rich plants like yarrow, borage, comfrey, and fava bean leaves and stalks from our garden. Like leaves, it is best to cut those into smaller pieces before spreading them over the soil surface.

Pros

• With a little creativity, you can likely find many types of natural mulch materials in your yard – for free! Hint: they’re the same types of things you’d collect to add to your compost pile or worm bin; especially those that would fall into the compost “browns” or carbon category. 
• At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here I go: All of these natural materials will feed the soil as they decompose, simultaneously increasing nutrient density along with the activity of worms and beneficial microorganisms. 

Cons

• Avoid using grass clippings if the lawn has been treated with insecticides or herbicides. I personally would not want any synthetic lawn fertilizer residue going into my edible garden either.
• Some plants may readily self-seed and later sprout in your garden, which can be a nuisance. For instance, chopped borage leaves make stellar green mulch, but I suggest avoiding getting their flowers or seeds in the mix! You’ll have borage everywhere. 
• Overly thick layers of plant matter can form a solid mat across the soil and be counterproductive, smothering soil (and the soil food web) instead of gently protecting it.  The general rule of thumb is to spread mulch in a 2 to 4 inch layer. Yet, err on the lighter side to test the performance of any new-to-you material.

8) Plastic Sheeting or Landscape Fabric

Examples of man-made, inorganic mulch products include black plastic sheeting and geotextile landscape fabric, also sometimes referred to as “weed cloth”. They can be used straight on the soil surface alone, or as a liner below other materials – such as under gravel or bark in pathways. It is usually pinned down in place with landscaping staples. While it is true that these types of mulch products are synthetic and don’t offer the same soil-enriching benefits as organic mulch does, they do have notable benefits.

Pros

• Black plastic sheeting and landscape fabric can be incredibly effective at suppressing weeds and reducing evaporation, which saves both effort and water. In fact, they’re often more successful at blocking weeds that other types of mulch.
• The application of black plastic or similar materials on the soil surface as sheet mulch warms the soil and radiates heat to plants overnight, which heat-loving vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants love. 
• This ability to warm the soil also helps those plants get a boost in the early spring, or survive longer into the early fall. (Though all mulch provides insulation for soil and plant roots). 

Cons

• Landscaping plastic or fabrics don’t add nutrients or organic matter to the soil like other mulch does, though they can still help with soil water retention, erosion, runoff, and insulation.
• Some plastic sheet materials aren’t very permeable, and therefore can cause pooling or drainage issues. Seek out products that are breathable and permeable to water. 
• Synthetic groundcover products are not created equal, by any stretch of the imagination! There is some awful thin stuff that readily tears to shreds, thwarting its purpose while also creating a mess and waste. However, there are also high-quality durable materials available that will last for years and years – longer than organic mulch. 

Key Takeaways

I hope that this exploration on various types of garden mulch was informative, interesting, and helps you narrow down your selection. No matter what type of mulch you choose, remember that any mulch is better than none! Barren exposed soil is prone to runoff, erosion, and quick evaporation. Mulch keeps soil protected and healthy – along with your plants!

However, don’t be tempted to go overboard. As a best practice, apply two to four inches of mulch on top of the soil surface. Too deep of a mulch layer can lead to excessive moisture and root rot. Also avoid piling mulch directly up against tree trunks or the stems of tender plants, which can make them susceptible to rot or pest problems.

Thank you so much for tuning in! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below, and spread the mulch love by sharing this post.

Don’t miss these related articles:

• Mulching 101: When, Why & How to Mulch Your Garden
• What is No Till Gardening? The Benefits Explained
• Composting 101: What, Why & How to Compost at Home (6 Ways!)
• How to Amend and Fertilize Garden Soil Between Seasons
• How to Kill or Remove Grass, and Grow Food Not Lawns!

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