skip to main content

Vegetable Gardening

Straw mulch, how thick?

15 years ago

For the first year I'm going to try to use straw on top of sheets of cardboard for mulch. For those of you who use straw, how thick do you put it on? 2", 3" , 6"? I would think too much would prevent water from getting to the roots, yet too little and weeds will be able to get through?

Thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

stephen_albert
15 years ago
Straw to 6 inches on a carboard base should discourage and stop weeds. Are you mulching around the planting beds--such as paths--or in the beds? In the planting beds a straw mulch of a couple of inches once plants are established and the ground has warmed (but don't mulch right up to the stems). Or, you could "lasagna" garden: lay down the cardboard, then one or two inches of straw, then an inch of topsoil, then an inch or two of straw topped with aged manure, then another layer of topsoil and then plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com
gardenlen
15 years ago
is this using straw on top of cadboard as mulch around the plants in the garden?

if so with perennial type gardens it may be fine, thugh the cardboard itself will act as a water shed in this case. for around vege's i think i'd leave the cardboard out (use that before mulching around your fruit trees say or when building a new garden.

mulch for us means at least 6"s and up to around 8"s, we regularly use green type mulches instead of straw though straw does last longer it is also more expensive. the hay type mulches we use also add many nutrients as they break down.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
Related Discussions
straw mulch and flea beetles
Q
Comments (2)
After my post I went out and looked at the bale of straw, just covered with the beasts. I'm guessing they were in the cool interior and I opened Pandora's box. The whole thing went in the city yard debris for compost. My pile will never kill them. Interestingly, last year I grew tomatoes in a straw bale with reasonable success and never had a flea beetle problem. Go figure! Time will determine how bad they get. Now if I could just get my carrots going. Pat
...See More
How to weed grass that sprouted from straw mulch?
Q
Comments (7)
It's not unusual at all for older combines to leave grain that is later picked up by the baler collecting the straw. If you have weird weather in the spring, it's also not unusual for a crop to sprout at different times, leaving the farmer with half a crop in the bin and half left in the field, no matter when he chooses to harvest or how new and efficient his equipment. Sometimes grain is left in the straw and there's nothing you can do about it. The good news is that if it is wheat, oats or barley, it's an annual crop - not a perennial weed that's going to haunt your dreams for years to come. All you have to do is chop it off low down with some hedge trimmers (or something similar). It won't grow back. Just don't let it go to seed. I really, really doubt it's grass. You said when you try to weed it, it's brittle and breaks easily. That sounds like young grain plants to me. You're probably thinking it's grass because all of the grains Dave mentioned do indeed look like grass when they're young. I personally wouldn't add more of the same straw because you're just adding more seeds. Just pull or chop.
...See More
How to plant seeds in thick straw mulch
Q
Comments (15)
Wow, I thought this thread would have died out and so hadn't checked back for a little bit. I've been having some troubles with slugs where there's sparsely planted lettuce/spinach/beets, and I do not particularly like to hand kill them (though if I had fish, that sounds like a great idea for food). I have had good success with all my transplants into the garden, but would definitely like to direct sow a lot more. I was looking into Masanobu Fukuoka's seed ball method, but I'm not sure what kind of clay to use or where to get it. Since my last post I've pulled back the mulch around my beds to sow seeds, which I actually like a lot. Now there's a nice border of mulch matter around my beds that are still steadily decomposing, and the soil is good and warm. It was also a nice chance to peek at all the different bugs under the mulch layer. Now I'm considering finally investing in some diatomaceous earth for slug control. Thanks for reminding me of its existence.
...See More
lg scale potatoes with straw mulch
Q
Comments (7)
Heres how I did them. Yes its small scale but can be done larger. You can set the potato on the ground and straw over them. They make potatoes above the root. This year I just covered them with a little dirt. I did not straw right away as I want the ground to heat up a little. Strawing them this weekend about 2 weeks after planting. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg082026318092.html
...See More

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES New Ways to Think About All That Mulch in the Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you go making a mountain out of a mulch hill, learn the facts about what your plants and soil really want

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Things to Know About Weeding and Mulching Your Native Garden

By Oakley Gardens

What’s the best time to pull weeds? How thick should the mulch be? Here’s the scoop for a healthy landscape

GARDENING GUIDES How to Pick a Mulch — and Why Your Soil Wants It

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

There's more to topdressing than shredded wood. Learn about mulch types, costs and design considerations here

GARDENING GUIDES The Art of Green Mulch

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You can design a natural garden that doesn’t rely on covering your soil with wood and bark mulch

GREEN BUILDING Why You Might Want to Build a House of Straw

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Straw bales are cheap, easy to find and DIY-friendly. Get the basics on building with this renewable, ecofriendly material

GREEN BUILDING 11 Reasons to Live in a House of Straw

Don’t be fooled by the old folk tale. Straw bales are a strong, functional and good-looking building material

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A Straw-Bale Getaway With Sweeping Views

By Nora Burba Trulsson

Using passive solar and other green building methods, this Colorado home creates an energy-conscious vacation spot for a family of 5

GROUND COVERS Ground Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Native Ground Covers for Tough, Dry Spots

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Sun beating down on your sandy gravel? Thick shade darkening your clay soil? There’s a ground cover here for you

FURNITURE Origins Revealed: The Orkney Chair Goes From Humble to Haute

By Becky Harris

Straw and driftwood made up the original versions, but Orkney chairs have come a long way from their modest island beginnings

Sponsored

More Discussions

Tiny leaf bite marks

15

Veggie Tales >>> May 2024

28

Does sevin work on bare dirt?

14

More bite marks

2

What are easy-to-grow veggies for pots, and that won't need trellises?

4