Straw Mulch
by John Yazo
Straw mulch is excellent for helping to retain moisture in soil by stopping the water from evaporating. It can be used to suppress weeds, but needs to be applied in a thick layer about four to six inches thick. Once the straw is applied it has to be soaked so that the wind wont blow it away when applied directly from a bale.
When using straw mulch fresh from a bale it is best when shredded before applied to the garden and should be removed before tilling your soil. A thin layer of straw mulch will slow the spring time warming of the soil. It is best to remove mulch and compost it, then reapply new mulch after soil temperatures have warmed.
Straw mulch can tie up nitrogen at the surface of soil during it's decomposition process. Due to this you should use straw around fruit trees and avoid using it around your annual plants. To avoid this from happening use already rotting straw. Leaving straw bales outdoors over the winter months will allow this rotting process to take place due to the wet and dry conditions of nature. This will also help to kill off any weed seeds that may be in the bales. Make sure when you apply straw you keep it fluffed up instead of it's compacted form that it comes in with a bale.
Straw
can be purchased at your local garden center. When purchasing straw
make sure it is seed and weed free.
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