Folks, the industry has us a bit duped on wood mulch. Here are some thoughts seeing as we constantly get bombarded with the benefits / necessity of wood mulch:
The article seems to assume it’s use as a weed killer. In some countries (e.g. Australia) it is used to prevent soil evaporation. Is that no longer recommended?
Protecting soil from drying out. Exposed to the sun in summer, the soil gets so dry it becomes hydrophobic and refuses to take up water. A layer of woodchip prevents the soil bactreria from being killed and creates a thin water-catching environment that retains water way longer.
The point made in the article: Except wood mulch soaks up the water itself and then it evaporates from the wood chips and lots of water never makes it to the soil.
Maybe that works if you live in an area that gets so much rain it can still soak through to soil after soaking the mulch, but in a lot of the world during summer, that won’t be the case.
I can’t speak to soil bacteria, but I’m pretty sure ecosystems have evolved to have healthy soil without requiring wood chip mulch (leaf cover in the winter is a different story, of course, so don’t rake/blow your leaves!)
The point in the article assumes you are solely reliant on rain for watering your plants. Where I live it doesn’t rain for like three or four months in the summer, so that argument is invalid. I use irrigation in my orchard every couple of weeks to deeply soak the area around a tree. The wood chips around the trees do help prevent the soil from drying out because they keep it cool. It takes heat energy to evaporate water. And since the mulch blanket keeps the soil cool I only have to water the orchard once every two or three weeks.
Well, I didn’t mention tomatoes. And I’m slowly replacing my grass with a sort of food forest. It may not be native wildflowers, but I don’t think I’m lost.
The article seems to assume it’s use as a weed killer. In some countries (e.g. Australia) it is used to prevent soil evaporation. Is that no longer recommended?
Soil evaporation? You mean to keep soil from drying out? Or do you mean to prevent soil eroding?
The article discusses how it can actually contribute to soil drying out.
I would think it would be worse for erosion as well, given that it prevents roots from growing and roots are the best erosion prevention there is.
Protecting soil from drying out. Exposed to the sun in summer, the soil gets so dry it becomes hydrophobic and refuses to take up water. A layer of woodchip prevents the soil bactreria from being killed and creates a thin water-catching environment that retains water way longer.
The point made in the article: Except wood mulch soaks up the water itself and then it evaporates from the wood chips and lots of water never makes it to the soil.
Maybe that works if you live in an area that gets so much rain it can still soak through to soil after soaking the mulch, but in a lot of the world during summer, that won’t be the case.
I can’t speak to soil bacteria, but I’m pretty sure ecosystems have evolved to have healthy soil without requiring wood chip mulch (leaf cover in the winter is a different story, of course, so don’t rake/blow your leaves!)
The point in the article assumes you are solely reliant on rain for watering your plants. Where I live it doesn’t rain for like three or four months in the summer, so that argument is invalid. I use irrigation in my orchard every couple of weeks to deeply soak the area around a tree. The wood chips around the trees do help prevent the soil from drying out because they keep it cool. It takes heat energy to evaporate water. And since the mulch blanket keeps the soil cool I only have to water the orchard once every two or three weeks.
You’re also talking about orchards and tomatoes in a “no lawns” community. I think you’re a little lost
Well, I didn’t mention tomatoes. And I’m slowly replacing my grass with a sort of food forest. It may not be native wildflowers, but I don’t think I’m lost.
Sorry it was someone else who mentioned tomatoes
I just know that my tomatoes started doing much better after I covered the surrounding soil in mulch.
I’m pretty sure it’s written by someone not in your climate. I mostly posted cause I figured it would give a good discussion and it sure has!