In another thread I was asked about my experiences using straw as mulch, well specifically why we use straw and since we use it as a mulch we have this thread. I know, kinda convoluted but that's generally how I bounce through life. For pics or a description of the garden check out the blog. Enough rambling...
We usually use straw as mulch to keep moisture in as well as to help with weeds (they grow long and spindly trying to get through the straw, making them easier to pluck out), in this case we're also hoping against all logic that it'll keep the raised beds mounded until the roots have a chance to give them some stability. Inevitably it's been nothing but rain and thunderstorms since we planted, so far the beds are holding together though. We have a wet and fairly cold spring, hot dry summer followed by a highly variable fall.
We put a thick layer (8"+) of straw down to try and reduce soil erosion until the roots became established, I'd normally only use 1/4-1/2 as much for mulch. So far it's worked to hold everything together, although as I said our soil is quite heavy so I'm sure that's helped. We also put a couple of inches of newspaper under the straw to direct any water into the beds instead of the loose gravel subsoil.
The advantages I find to using straw as mulch are;
-it's cheap, about 7$ a bail and that'll be more then enough for 100ft bed for a year.
-we just turn it into the soil at the end of the year, helping to aerate and break up our dense soil
-makes weeds easier to pluck as they're long and spindly and white from trying to grow through the dense straw.
-easy to pull out of the way if watering, significantly reduces evaporation by creating a dense humid layer close to soil
-never had a problem with bugs of molds
If there's any questions I'm happy to answers, not that they'll be scientific or proven by any means, just my experiences as I'm really quite new to outdoor gardening.
We usually use straw as mulch to keep moisture in as well as to help with weeds (they grow long and spindly trying to get through the straw, making them easier to pluck out), in this case we're also hoping against all logic that it'll keep the raised beds mounded until the roots have a chance to give them some stability. Inevitably it's been nothing but rain and thunderstorms since we planted, so far the beds are holding together though. We have a wet and fairly cold spring, hot dry summer followed by a highly variable fall.
We put a thick layer (8"+) of straw down to try and reduce soil erosion until the roots became established, I'd normally only use 1/4-1/2 as much for mulch. So far it's worked to hold everything together, although as I said our soil is quite heavy so I'm sure that's helped. We also put a couple of inches of newspaper under the straw to direct any water into the beds instead of the loose gravel subsoil.
The advantages I find to using straw as mulch are;
-it's cheap, about 7$ a bail and that'll be more then enough for 100ft bed for a year.
-we just turn it into the soil at the end of the year, helping to aerate and break up our dense soil
-makes weeds easier to pluck as they're long and spindly and white from trying to grow through the dense straw.
-easy to pull out of the way if watering, significantly reduces evaporation by creating a dense humid layer close to soil
-never had a problem with bugs of molds
If there's any questions I'm happy to answers, not that they'll be scientific or proven by any means, just my experiences as I'm really quite new to outdoor gardening.
