Mulch A Basic Idea for The Beginners

In my past blogs I kept mentioning about Mulches. I know many of the gardeners are  totally aware of this term, but I can feel the confusion a beginner will face while others keep mentioning about mulching. So I have decided to demystify the whole term and make the word much more easy to understand and most importantly easy to apply.

Technically mulch refers to a layer of organic or inorganic material which is applied to the surface of any soil. The word mulch is very catchy and we can see a variety of things like straw, grass crippling, leaves are being used. Sometimes recycled rubbers or plastic sheets are also been used as mulch. Though there are variety of materials used in mulching the basic purpose more or less remains the same. 

1. Applying mulch can help the soil to retain its moisture. This are particularly helpful in dry climate like a summer season.
2. A considerable amount of mulch make a thick layer on the soil and make the air almost impossible to reach the soil layer. This principle is used in controlling weeds. Weeds die with the lack of oxygen.
3. In case you are using organic matters for mulching this in later stages decomposes and mixes with the soil thus helps in increasing the nutrient content of the soil. If applied properly it can increase the soil productivity many folds.
4. It also keeps the soil temperature fixed and not fluctuate according to the climate temperature. Thus leaving lesser stress on the plant to adopt to the outer climate.

There are two ways you can apply mulch. You can add the mulch directly to the soil or you can apply mulch around the existing plant. As per the content mulch can be of two types: Organic Mulch and Inorganic Mulch.

Organic Mulch:

When you use material such as leaves, straw, grass crippling, wood chips etc the mulch is called organic mulch. The best part of using organic mulch is that it decomposes slowly and release nutrient into the soil. It encourages earthworm activities and keep the weed seeds from germinating. Just remember two basic formula. Lay down the mulch where there are weeds already. And secondly make sure the layer is thick enough to prevent new weeds from coming up. A general recommendation is to apply a layer of 4-6 inches of mulch in the most weeded areas and 2-3 inches in case the area is shady and not much of weed is present. One word of caution is that organic mulch is generally acidic in nature. So add little bit of lime with the mulch to neutralize its acidic impact, in case the plant is more comfortable in neutral of slightly alkaline soil.

Inorganic Mulch:

Inorganic mulching product can include plastic sheets, rubber chips etc. I personally do not recommend any inorganic substance to use in mulch due to its negative impact on the environment. But in some cases you can use it if you are not that much comfortable using organic mulches. Applying a plastic sheet as a mulch can prevent the water for entering to soil from outside also. So in case you are having drip watering system which is embedded before applying the plastic sheets it can be used.

The best way to use the mulch is to keep the base of the plant mulch-free. It will help the plant to breath freely. If you are using cedar chips and other aesthetically superior products just stay away from coloring. Normal colors contains chemicals which can dampen the whole purpose of doing organic gardening.

Just keep one thing in mind whatever is your material and whatever is your reason, try to apply mulch. It is easy and it will make your garden look very beautiful and professional.

Did you liked the article. Please feel free to share with your fellow gardeners.

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Landscaping for Beginners

Landscaping and Gardening fit one another like hand in gloves. If you are a gardener, you will enjoy the the process of landscaping. Believe it or not we are one way or the other doing our own landscaping in our backyards. To make it look much more like a professional we just need to follow some simple steps. I hope this article will give you enough motivation to start of your own landscaping project.

For a landscaping project planning is the key. You need to plan in advance. Consider your needs and customize accordingly. Beauty and functionality are generally the main reason people do landscaping. Do you want to grow vegetables or will it be a strictly flowery thing? Make a rough sketch of the things you have planned, like how you want the space to be utilized.

First select the area which you want to use for landscaping. Plan your lawn, Fence, Vegetable growing area in advance. Now the next thing you want to do is weeding. You can use various techniques of weeding which we have discussed earlier.

Next, separate the different areas and mark the edges. Though it may sound cumbersome it is also the step when you can use your creativity and can make different patterns.

After weeding is done your area is ready for planting. Which type of plants should you choose? Well, It is always better to start with perennials. It will be much of a permanent design with little bit of tuning from time to time. A list of perennials will help you decide the plants. Generally plants like shrubs do well in landscaping. Wild flowers can be a great inclusion to your landscaping project. They are colourful, vibrant and also inexpensive.

To avoid getting monotonous add a few seasonal plants that will add different flavour in different season and also keep you interested in the process. If you are adding annuals to your design, remember the seasonality before choosing the plants.

Study sun and wind pattern in your area. It is critical for your success. Most of the plants you planned might require more than six hours of direct sunlight (Know more about impact of sunlight in gardening in this article) so plan accordingly. Also not every plant is self supportive you might need to provide support in the form of cage or sticks.

Start small. Landscaping is a continuous process you can keep adding your ideas and see how it goes. Dont plant too tightly. At first it might look lush and green but as the time goes on some of plant will grow faster and will look clumsy.

It is not only about growing grass or trees add some creativity by adding extra elements such as wooden or metal structures that suits with the surroundings. It is all about creating your unique signature. You can always take advice from professionals in case things go little out of hand.


If you really want to get serious about landscaping I will recommend you get Helen Whitfields Ideas 4 Landscaping. It is one of the best resources for landscaping ideas available over the internet.

Do you have any suggestion? Please feel free to share with us.

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Easiest Vegetables to Grow for the Beginners

As a beginner, most of us are worried about the success of our gardening endeavor. Will we get our desired results? Or will our effort will turn out to be a fruitless labor? As I always emphasis on the point to start small and gradually increase the level of difficulty as you gain experience with gardening. In this article I have mentioned few of the plants which are easy to start. Though these are not totally full-proof, you can definitely try your luck with these plants than to attempt the plants which need much more sophisticated approach, particularly at the beginning.

Tomato:

When we talk about starting your own kitchen garden, may be 80% of us first think about fresh, homegrown tomatoes into our garden. Growing tomatoes are not difficult either. With fertile soil, Little bit of watering from time to time(see watering guide) and lot of sun light, your tomato plant will grow and give you fruits all year long(depending on the variety). Just look out for blight signs and little caterpillars which can hamper the growth of your tomato plant.

Tomatoes are packed with plenty of iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, B6, and C and last but not the least Lycopene(antioxidant) which prevents cancer. you can check tomato growing tips for more in detail.

Pea:

The tender sweetness of pea just plucked from you kitchen garden, is so much better when you compare it with the pea from the store. Most of the varieties can be grown very easily from the seeds. You can grow peas in the containers that is at about 10’’ deep. Peas are easy to care and much fun for kids to harvest them. Just try not to harvest peas in the hot environment(ideal range 40-85 degrees Fahrenheit).

Peas are high in fiber, iron and various vitamins.

Radish:

Radish is another vegetable which is ideal for the starters. The seeds can be sown outdoors, indoors or in the containers. In case you have fertile soil extra feeding are rarely necessary. They can mature withing 25-50days (depending on the variety). They can add a peppery addition to our favorite salads. Want to know more about growing radish? Check out this article.

Carrots:

They are the sweetest, crunchiest and in best condition when taken out from your own garden. Carrots are easy to grow. They need only water,sunlight and careful weeding. Carrots are the tastiest when harvested small. If you leave them in the ground for too long it can result in overly large and woody carrots. Make sure to keep the soil moist. Dry soil can result in bitter and more fibrous carrots. Make sure that the soil is free from rocks and deep enough to handle root growth. Presence of rocks can result in crooked carrots which though are taste wise perfect but aesthetically not soothing. Want to know more about growing carrots. Check out this article.

Spinach:

Leafy green plants such as spinach can be grown very easily from seeds. Cool and moist weather are better for spinach. It is better to sow the seeds 4-5 weeks before the winter. In fertile soil, it can grow very rapidly. It takes one and a half month to mature. Once the the leaves are of reasonable size you can pick them to encourage new growth.

Spinach is high in iron and can be a wonderful addition to salads and soups. want to know more about growing spinach? check out this article.

Cucumber:

Cucumber can be sown in containers, garden, hills almost anywhere. Warm weather, regular sunlight and watering is enough to yield high quality cucumber. You need to provide the plants with ample space to stretch their roots as the plants sprawl. Avoid planting cucumber at the time of frost.

It is a must addition to our salads. For details on  how to grow cucumber click here

Beans:

Almost any type of beans are easy to grow from seed. Plant directly into the soil or the container when the soil is warm. It requires plenty of water, ample sunlight and some cage to provide the support for the vines to grow.

Beans are the powerhouse in terms of nutritional value. They are high in iron, fiber, protein, manganese and phosphorous.

I hope you got some idea about what to plant as a beginner. There might be plenty of other such plants which you have experience as easy to grow and maintain. I will be really happy if you can share some more.

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