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Cottage Gardens

mulch or not?

16 years ago

Okay, I read this forum quite frequently but rarely post. I usually hang out on the butterfly forum, but Edna invited me over one time and I think you guys are so very knowledgable.

My question I feel is kind of stupid, but I'm going to ask it anyway.

I know the benefits of mulch, i.e. it holds in moisture, prevents weeds and such.

But, I cannot seem to figure out how to plant seeds! Right now and last year I really did not have mulch. I planted lots of seeds and then when I thought about mulch, it seemed that it was too hard to mulch around seeds that hadn't come up or little tiny seedlings that were coming up! But, I spent lot of my time pulling out weeds. Same thing this year.

Also, if I had mulched befoe I did seeds, how do I plant seeds through it?

Also, what about reseeders? There are some plants that I want to reseed, but it seems the mulch would prevent it from doing that.

Also, I really like the look of a full garden, not just a few plants with a lot of mulch. I guess I have never been fond of the gardens where I can see lots of mulch between plants.

Could you please give me your thought on mulch. I need a lower-maintenence garden, but haven't figured how to use mulch with seedlings and reseeders.

Thanks,

Elaine

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Comments (4)

memo3
16 years ago
I mulch. I don't have the time to weed excessively. What I do is when I want to plant seeds, I take my little garden fork and pull the mulch away in a circle, then I rough up the soil in that spot. I plant my seeds and wait. I don't push the soil back into the space until I've thinned out the seedlings and they are as big as bedding plants. Then I spread the mulch back in there. I do the same around plants that I want to have re-seed. In the fall I remove the mulch around them so the seeds will drop in the same area. Once I see plenty of seeds there, or I have put them in place, I just cover them back up with some of the mulch. I don't push it all back over because I don't want it so thick that the seeds won't sprout...they need some sun to sprout. Over the winter they plant themselves and in the spring they pop right up through the mulch. Yes it takes some extra planning and time but, for me, it's much more satisfying than dealing with a bed full of weeds in the heat of August. I hope this helps.

MeMo
natvtxn
16 years ago
Two weeks ago I threw a handful of mixed seeds in/over the mulch. They are now coming up. The roots are probably still in the mulch, but as they grow deeper they will reach the soil.
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Personally I would plant mint. Lots of it, in all possible flavours. I understand you don't want to care for that corner much, in which case you need something that looks good all the time, not just two months a year. You can have a mix of winter cyclamen and hellebores, spring lilly of the valley (I have small kids and they are smart enough not to touch anything I tell them is poisonous), summer moss, autumn cyclamens (different than winter ones). However all this requires some maintenance, much more than mint :D Why not place a few aromatics? Like celery, parsley and a few pots of mint? ;) Also spinach, peas and lettuce would love to grow there. Or you could go for a trellis on the wall and let vinca grow on it, one with gorgeous leaves. I have a full north little space and the previous owners had the vinca and trellis. It looked nice but I preffered to reduce it in size and plant small pansies and many types of hellebores. It makes for a gorgeous front autumn and winter garden, less gorgeous in spring and summer.
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triciae
16 years ago
I mulch with 50/50 leaf mould & composted manure about 4" thick. I sprinkle seeds directly on top of the mulch & keep the area moist for spring seeds & I don't worry about watering those I scatter in the fall. The seeds sprout in the natural mulch we use & the roots work their way into the soil very quickly. Same thing for reseeders...only the wind plants them rather than me. Mulching will greatly reduce the work load in your garden leaving you with more time to enjoy.

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fammsimm
16 years ago
Elaine,

I have a lot of re-seeders, and trust me..they find a way to grow. I've seen them come up between the tiny cracks of our sidewalk. I've seen my 2 dogs step on seedlings, and they don't miss a beat! I've seen things root in my compost pile where there was no dirt at all. :-)

In this climate, where weeds grow year round, mulching definitely keeps them at bay and also protects your garden from the blazing sun and inevitable summer drought.

Marilyn

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