Content
- Meadow meadows or not? Pro and contra mulching
- Mulching - How does it work?
- What speaks for the mulching?
- What problems can arise from mulching?
- When and on which meadows should be mulched?
- Tips & Tricks
Meadow meadows or not? Pro and contra mulching
Both hobby gardeners and experts have been debating the pros and cons of mulching for years. With regard to meadows, it can be stated that mulching is not sensible for every meadow - but should certainly be carried out depending on the type of meadow and the composition of soil and planting, as well as the intensity of its use.
Mulching - How does it work?
In a nutshell: when mulching, the crop is not left, but left in the meadow. There it is supposed to rot and give the soil the needed nutrients. However, the mulching is not in the course of a conventional mowing, for example, with a scythe or a mower to accomplish. The crop must be chopped as finely as possible so that it rots faster and can be picked up from the ground. For this reason, a special device, the mulcher, should be used for mulching.
What speaks for the mulching?
Mulching offers two major benefits: On the one hand, you do not have to worry about where to put the crop. In addition, by rotting the material, they restore nutrients to the soil, creating a natural cycle. Meadow meadows must be fertilized much less.
What problems can arise from mulching?
However, the method also has a number of serious disadvantages. So there is a risk that the mulch does not rotting quickly enough and lays like a thick layer over the living plants. These in turn no longer receive enough light and air, they suffocate. Instead, under the thick mulch layer, especially mice and snails thrive excellently, causing considerable damage in the meadow. The animals are comfortably warm under the mulch and safely hidden from natural predators, can spend the winter and multiply diligently.
When and on which meadows should be mulched?
Given these advantages and disadvantages, it is important to weigh a possible mulching well. This measure is particularly useful in intensively used meadows (eg horse meadows) as well as in miserable meadows with too acidic soil. If mosses, sorrel, meadow sorrel, plowing arable bream or honorary prize thrive on your meadow, you should definitely take countermeasures - these plants are a sure indicator of too acidic soil. In this case, you should necessarily lime and mulch the meadow.
Tips & Tricks
If mulch does not rot fast enough, it may be due to lack of soil organisms as a result of over-intensive farming. In such a case, the soil balance must be improved only by applying the appropriate organisms (in the trade).
IJA