mulching question

[tim k]

firstly i started today covered a 20x10 patch with about 8"of grass cuttings mixed with leaf mulch (this was an area i had cleared and forked over)
but the question is to you pre dig the area before mulching or just go straight over the top of the soil weeds and all

i was thinking of rotavating this lot in and re-mulching in the spring

any thoughts

tim

[tim k]

[manicscousers]

we took up the nasties before we mulched with about 6" of rotted horse muck, worked great, the only thing we've found that's awkward is creeping grass, won't tell you what ray calls it  :D

[wahaj]

i'm not too experience in this stuff......but i would have thought the worms would find it easier if you dug it and then mulched it? so it'd be easier for the soil to mix before you need to use it in spring?

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you've got perennial weeds to get out, do it first. Otherwise don't waste time on digging.

[supersprout]

even perennial weeds will give up under 8" of mulch, it just takes time :)

[tim k]

thanks for the replies

another question there anything that doesn't do well planting this way and should i leave some ares clear

[supersprout]

I did read to leave areas around fruit trees clear so birdies can peck predators to death
otherwise, mulch away to suppress weeds. When it's planting or sowing time, mulch is movable.
Clear a row by scooching the mulch aside to reveal the earth, and sow or plant as if you'd never heard of mulching. When seedlings are established, scooch the mulch back around them again. I killed a lot of seedlings before working that one out :-[ ;)

[OliveOil]

do you need to remove the weeds before you mulch or can you smother them with say....straw LOL???

[redimp]

I did read to leave areas around fruit trees clear so birdies can peck predators to death
otherwise, mulch away to suppress weeds. When it's planting or sowing time, mulch is movable.
Clear a row by scooching the mulch aside to reveal the earth, and sow or plant as if you'd never heard of mulching. When seedlings are established, scooch the mulch back around them again. I killed a lot of seedlings before working that one out :-[ ;)

My over wintering peas are struggling to get through a covering of leaf mould at the moment  :-[ May have to resow. >:(

[supersprout]

do you need to remove the weeds before you mulch or can you smother them with say....straw LOL???

::) ;)
I hoe or scythe the weeds first to flatten them - just left tops on the ground :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Depends on the weeds and the mulch. I use stodge (slimy half-rotted grass cuttings) to kill weeds if nothing needs to grow just there for a bit, but the real nasties like ground elder will survive the treatment.  A lot more will be able to grow through a couple of inches of a light mulch like fresh grass cuttings or straw.

[Robert_Brenchley]

This is the way to keep the buggers down, but get the nasties out first. I haven't covered it all yet, but I'm getting there steadily.