I was able to plant all my flowers and vegetables last weekend and they are looking great. I remember you talking about mulch quite a bit, but I have never used it. Is it really worth the effort? GJ

Like you, I was able to get all my new plants in the ground or in pots over the weekend. It’s a lot of work but it’s also very rewarding to look around and take it all in when you get finished. So, congratulations!

Yes, we do talk about mulch quite a bit here because mulch is one of the best things you can do for your garden. Let’s talk about why.

First of all, mulch helps conserve moisture in your soil primarily because it shields the soil from the sun’s heat and in Oklahoma, that afternoon sun can be brutal. Research has shown that on a hot summer day, your non-mulched soil temperature might rise as much as 30 to 40 degrees during the day. That is a pretty dramatic increase and can result in unnecessary evaporation of your water resources. On the other hand, mulched soil tends to only rise about 10 degrees on the same day. This reduction in in soil temperature helps your soil retain water rather than losing it to evaporation. Also, this reduction in soil temperature helps keep your plant’s roots happier as well.

Many of the fungal diseases plants deal with (especially tomatoes) are soil borne, meaning these diseases begin in the soil and migrate to your plants. This migration is accomplished primarily through soil splashing up onto the leaves of the plant from watering or rain. Mulch creates a barrier between the soil surface and your plants which can greatly reduce the likelihood of these fungal diseases in your plants. In addition to using mulch to discourage fungal diseases, it’s a good idea to prune out those lower tomato branches up about a foot or so. The combination of mulch and tomato plants with “bare legs” if you will, can contribute to greatly reducing problems with fungal diseases.

Another reason mulch is great for your garden is that a good layer of mulch around your flowers or vegetables can greatly reduce the amount of time you spend on your knees weeding your garden. Let’s admit it; weeding is not much fun. So, anything that reduces the amount of time in the garden removing weeds is a win-win in my book.

When talking to people about mulch, they usually want to know what kind of mulch they should get. The reality is that just about any mulch is better than no mulch, but some choices are better than others.

We recommend organic mulches for a variety of reason. First of all, most soils in Oklahoma are low in organic matter, typically around 1%. If you’ve ever driven across Illinois through miles and miles and miles of corn plants, there’s a reason for that; their soil has about 5 or 6 percent organic content. Organic mulches will break down over the year and can be tilled into the soil at the start of the next garden season thus adding organic content and improving the quality of your soil. But, even in the organic mulch category, there are lots for choices.

In the fall I usually talk about mulching and bagging your leaves to save for the next year to use as mulch. Hopefully some of you have taken advantage of this free source of mulch for this year. If you haven’t, you still have access to free mulch at Tulsa’s Green Waste Site. This facility is located at 2100 N. 145th E. Ave. They are open seven days a week: Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and on Sundays from Noon to 5:00 p.m. During these times, everyone with a driver’s license or utility bill showing they are a resident of Tulsa can pick up an unlimited amount of free wood chips. It’s hard to beat a deal like that. If you are not able to take advantage of either of these strategies, garden mulch is available at almost any garden center and will do a good job for you.

I would caution you to stay away from the black mulch because, one of our prime motivators for using mulch is to keep soil temperatures cooler and black is a color that absorbs heat. Yes, you will have mulch, but in a sense you will be defeating at least one of the purposes.

When sawdust is available, it makes a good mulch with this precaution. Fresh sawdust will need some nitrogen added because without it, decaying sawdust can leach nitrogen from your soil, depriving your plants of this essential nutrient. To counter this when using sawdust as a mulch, add about 1 pound of nitrogen to the sawdust per 5 bushels of sawdust.

Straw also makes a good mulch and can be found at garden centers or farm supply stores. Just spread out a thick layer and you are good to go.

For more information of different types of mulch and best practices, just go to the Hot Topics button on our website homepage (www.tulsamastergardeners.org) and click on the Mulching Garden Soil link. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701 or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Oklahoma State University Agricultural Communications Services