Unprotected soil warms up to 55-75 degrees in the summer heat. Overheating of the soil is especially dangerous for cabbage, because its large leaves release a lot of moisture, which negatively affects the yield. You can save the soil from overheating by mulching.
Why is mulching between cabbage rows used?
Mulching the soil next to the planted cabbage largely determines the result of the yield, as well as its damage by pests and overgrowing of the beds with weeds. It also helps keep the soil loose.
Mulch enriches the soil with nutrients, which has a beneficial effect on the nutrition of soil microorganisms and earthworms. These organisms, in the process of their life activity, improve the structure of the soil by processing mulch and spreading it both along the surface and in depth.
Remember! Specialized stores sell vermicompost (substances processed by earthworms) for use in growing plants.
Reducing the number of waterings
Areas located on slopes with vegetable crops planted on them suffer from washing out of the top layer of soil during snow melting or heavy summer rains. To reduce the negative consequences of such effects of precipitation, soil mulching is carried out.
First, weeds are removed from the site, then the soil is thoroughly watered and loosened. After the top layer has dried slightly, mulch is laid.
Note! It is contraindicated to lay mulch on cold soil. This causes fungal infection and rot.
For free access of air to the plant, there should be space between it and the mulch being laid. The mulch layer to be laid should be approximately 2-8 cm, depending on the properties of the material used.
Materials used for mulching
Mulching cabbage beds and other vegetable plants is carried out using two types of materials: inorganic and organic material. Each of them has both pros and cons.
Organic mulch is left in the garden bed through the winter.By spring, the microflora in the soil processes it into humus. Mulch made from inorganic materials is removed in the autumn.
Plant remains
The cheapest and easiest mulching is to use plant debris as mulch. This not only saves money, but also provides excellent protection for the soil. As a result of this procedure, one can expect increased yields, as well as a reduction in the number of possible diseases.
Grass clippings or green manure are used to protect cabbage in open ground in the spring, after the soil has thawed. The soil is sown with rye, and after warming up to the required temperature, cabbage seeds are sown. Rye laid on top of the beds will protect young plants from the cold and can also create shade.
Is it possible to mulch cabbage with cut grass?
After the cabbage has grown, the rye must be mowed with a hoe and left to dry in the beds. As the rye straw decomposes, the soil will be saturated with nitrogen compounds and serve as protection. If it is not possible to use green manure, then in abandoned areas they mow nettles, or collect grass after mowing lawns or collected after weeding the garden. One of the options is straw or hay left over from last year.
Sawdust
It is quite comfortable for plants if you mulch the soil with sawdust. This is a natural product. It negatively affects pathogenic flora - snails, some types of insects, slugs. They especially dislike sawdust from trees covered with pine needles. Also, sawdust absorbs a large amount of moisture, preventing it from evaporating, but at the same time, the water inside contributes to their rapid decomposition.
If you buy waste from the wood processing industry, such mulch will be inexpensive. You can also stock up on it if there are forests with a lot of dead wood nearby.
Instead of sawdust, you can mulch with cones, pine needles, wood chips or leaves from the nearest forest. Planted cabbage can also be protected by tree bark. Beds mulched with bark have an interesting decorative appearance. But its most important advantage is that it does not deteriorate for a long time due to weather conditions, and protects the soil from unfriendly microflora.
Peat and compost
Peat mulch and compost are considered reliable soil protection. The positive thing is that if we mulch the soil with these products, they can be left on the beds after harvesting. This is also an inexpensive type of treatment and is suitable for any vegetable garden or garden.
Features of inorganic mulch
To protect the soil, polyethylene film is used. You can cover the soil with either transparent or black film. Dark film is laid on the beds before cabbage is planted in the spring. It covers the soil for 2-4 weeks. In addition to warming the soil, the film prevents weeds from growing. Before planting cabbage seedlings, the film is removed.
The transparent version of the film is used in the summer. The beds are thoroughly watered beforehand, and then they are laid out between the rows and secured. While the film is on the beds, weeds will not appear. The disadvantage is its fragility. After a few weeks it begins to deteriorate.
When using inorganic covering materials, plastic bottles are used to ensure watering. For this purpose, the bottle is dug in with the cork down, next to the plant, and liquid is poured into the cut bottom.
Non-woven materials for soil covering
In addition to film coating materials, other types are also used:
- More durable than regular polyethylene - lutrasil.
- Materials made from propylene threads by gluing by heat treatment (agrospan, spunbel, spunbond). The service life of such materials can last about 2-4 years.
- In some cases, expanded clay, stone or crushed stone are used. Their disadvantage is that they interfere with the cultivation of soil near plants.
- Ordinary cardboard helps well in protecting the soil. It is easy to install, but if it is a rainy summer, it will quickly become limp. You can cover the entire bed with it, and then make holes in it for planting cabbage.
- Regular burlap reliably protects the soil. It prevents soil from being washed away during watering and also protects it from compaction. The disadvantage is that it dries out quickly and requires additional irrigation.
Mulching the soil with film materials requires the organization of watering. To do this, perforated pipes with holes made in them are dug into the soil in the beds.
Pest and weed control
Some types of weeds can grow through film covers, such as horsetail. Therefore, the soil in the beds is treated with herbicides, or the plants are pulled out manually.
Depending on the type of mulch chosen, insect pests may also appear on the beds. This especially happens when covering cabbage beds with sawdust, straw, hay or freshly mown grass. Depending on the type of pest, suitable chemicals are used.
