What mulch for my vegetable garden?

While mulch materials are numerous, they can only have three origins: plant, mineral, or synthetic. Since the vegetable garden is not an appropriate place to recycle petrochemical industry waste in any form, we will not present this last category, without recognizing some of its qualities and real effectiveness. There remains mineral mulches of plant origin, the widest range. The latter is divided into two categories: films or felts and bulk materials. Felts Only needled plant felts can be entirely natural. All other fiber assembly techniques using chemical, thermal, or hydraulic bonding require either chemicals or synthetic fibers. Although their quantity varies depending on the manufacturing process, bonded felts are not completely degraded after 3 years, the average lifespan for this type of cover. Made from various plant fibers - cotton, linen, hemp, kenaf, coconut, cisal, etc. - they too often contain a high quantity of chemical fibers, added to extend their lifespan. Films While the technique of thin plastic mulching, often in pre-perforated sheets, is common among many market gardeners, their use poses a problem: in fact, they must be torn off afterwards. Films relatively similar to these appear, but they are generally made from corn. These mulches, often heat-sealed, are 100% biodegradable. Be careful, this does not mean that during their degradation there are no chemical elements that will be degraded or bio-fragmented in the soil. It just means that these materials meet ecological and phytotoxicity standards. They are therefore authorized to be buried after cultivation. 100% biodegradable does not mean 100% natural: the long-term or even medium-term use of these films remains to be studied. Long-life loose mulches Their lifespan - 3 years and more - can vary depending on the climate, the thicknesses spread and their calibers. They are mostly made from woody plants. Like felts, they are used for perennial crops (herbs or small fruits, for example). Otherwise, they would need to be raked and then removed in short-cycle crops to start a new one. These mulches mainly include pine bark (beware of the risk of progressive soil acidification), hardwood chips and shredded "green" hardwood clippings (the best for their carbon/nitrogen ratio). Mineral mulches also fall into this category. Crushed slates, tiles and crushed bricks have a strong heat storage capacity but are inconvenient for any work on the ground. Loose mulches with a short lifespan They have a lifespan of between 1 and 2 years. Compost It is a shame to use it only for mulching, but it is valuable for its black color which captures heat and, of course, for its ability to enrich and improve the structure of the soil. Cocoa bean hulls With their beautiful deep red color, they have an undeniable aesthetic side. Often used because they are rich in potash and nitrogen, they remain expensive. They can give off an unpleasant odor, particularly in regions with high humidity. Buckwheat hulls Very fine and fluid, they limit the development of grass and have a strong water retention power. Watered after being spread, they hold well to the ground and take on a magnificent color which changes from gray to purple. This mulch also seems to displease slugs. Easy to bury, buckwheat hulls are a good amendment that degrades easily. Grass clippings Contrary to popular belief, they don't smell bad and don't overheat, releasing a questionable green juice. It's all a question of proportions. Spread in successive thin layers, they even take on a pretty straw-yellow color. While they aren't the most effective, they at least have the merit of avoiding long and unnecessary trips to the dump. Dead leaves They can also be spread with a shovel! Don't hesitate to use this wonderful reservoir of nutrients for your soil by spreading them directly in the vegetable garden in the fall or storing them for spring. Keep a little for your compost anyway! Chaff (flax and hemp) Very easy to mix into the soil at the end of the season, they also have very strong thermal protection properties. This quality is particularly interesting for root vegetables at the end of the season. Their only drawback remains their often high cost. Cereal strawThe origin of the word mulch, of course, is the word straw, a "historic" material for soil cover. Composed mainly of cellulose, cereal straw does not play a major role as an amendment. On the contrary, nitrogen being the essential fuel for its decomposition, it would even tend to consume it and cause nitrogen needs in the first months of cultivation following its decomposition. Don't worry, however, a well-fed vegetable garden is generally sufficiently supplied with nitrogen and ultimately quite often in excess. Straw can therefore play a rebalancing role. Without forgetting, of course, that such a feast will not go unnoticed by the "eyes" of earthworms and other elements of the decomposing fauna of the soil. It then flocks and settles permanently. OthersAnything is allowed for mulching, provided of course that wild seed plants are avoided, which constitute a reserve of weeds. Nettle, comfrey, burdock, and rhubarb make inexpensive mulches. Ferns are also effective and dry to a beautiful light brown. They look great in a garden and evoke rich, fertile forest soils. Discover our mulching products