Mulch suggestions?

green_machine_two9er

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
Title says it all. Looking for suggestions on top layer mulch to use on my TLO soil containers. I used per lite on my first test run with organics but want to do it right Here on out. Any suggestions ? Thanks organic pro's
 
Y

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
coco coir
coco chips
earth worm castings
compost

I like the coco chips. They're bulky enough to stay put and not flow all over the place as you water. They help to water evenly, and to keep the top of the soil moist between watering.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
spaghnum moss, redwood forest moss, ground up old cannabis sunleaves, leaf compost..
You can use almost anything really.
Personally I love using living redwood tree moss (not sure what the actual name of it its)
But I have used ground up and moistened egg cartons, ground newspaper, etc.
 
KLITE

KLITE

Well-Known Member
Ive tried a few different things and my favourite is a good 3 inches of fresh leaves from the previous crop, by the time it dries it will be about inch and a half thick. I have an unfounded and unproven theory that a plants best mulch is the material she sheds at her feet.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
st0wandgrow said:
I plant a cover crop of clover/wheat grass/ vetch/etc. I'm planning on letting it grow a little more this time around and then just do a chop-n-drop which should make for a nice mulch.
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I kinda do the same, all my old containers I grow a bunch of nitrogen fixing legumes while i'm flowering my second set, then I chop all the greens down and use it as a mulch cover, I haven't tried using a cover crop while growing though, just for the three months or so that my second set needs to harvest, then I rotate, repeat.
every other harvest I add nutrients too
 
vitamin_green_inc

vitamin_green_inc

Well-Known Member
So what do you do with the mulch when you get done with the grow? Do you just leave the mulch, take it out, or can you recycle it into your soil if you are reamending?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
vitamin_green_inc said:
So what do you do with the mulch when you get done with the grow? Do you just leave the mulch, take it out, or can you recycle it into your soil if you are reamending?
Click to expand...
I reuse everything, over and over, the mulch disappears as it breaks down, just like in nature, my redwood forest moss I re-use also.
Mulch is your buddy, nobody EVER adds any nutrients to the forest, it's 99.5% compost, its all full of nutrients.
I always say everyone that grows organically should have a compost pile and a couple wormbins.
In fact I think everybody should have those, pot-growers or not, humans make too much garbage... But I digress
 
KLITE

KLITE

Well-Known Member
So what do you do with the mulch when you get done with the grow? Do you just leave the mulch, take it out, or can you recycle it into your soil if you are reamending?
Click to expand...
I leave it in and water with enzymes before rest period to aid in breaking down the material. For me the leaves get so dry by end that they pretty much will crumble/desintegrate with tilling and be eaten by worms etc.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
KLITE said:
I leave it in and water with enzymes before rest period to aid in breaking down the material. For me the leaves get so dry by end that they pretty much will crumble/desintegrate with tilling and be eaten by worms etc.
Click to expand...
I have an electric blower that doubles as a mulcher, and it grinds up the leaves into a nice texture, speeds things up a bit
 
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