Hi Duncan. This year I’m using compost on my vege patch. I’ve dug it in and planted and everything looks very happy especially after the recent rain. It’s a bit stinky. So much so that the snails don’t seem to like it 👏. If I were to put another layer down for water retention, how thick would you recommend??
Thanks for your question. Grass clippings are a great choice for mulching the vegetable patch. However that comment (as always) comes with a few caveats:
- Try to avoid using grass clippings from grass that has gone to seed. Doing so will result in more weeds in your vegetable garden than if you'd used horse manure! Therefore grass clippings form early spring are far better than early summer. This all assumes your "lawn" is like mine and not actually a lawn, but a mixture of pasture grasses and broad leafed "weeds". Which brings me to point two...
- If your lawn is predominately couch, kikuyu, buffalo, twitch or any other type of runner grass then perhaps think twice. Using these grasses as mulch is likely to lead to a grass infested vegetable patch.
Grass growth is very seasonal in my part of the world. Most of my mowing is performed now, in spring and early summer. I accumulate a lot of grass clippings in a relatively short amount of time. Instead of using them as mulch, I put them into a hot compost. This kills any seeds or potential weedy plants. I then use the resulting compost as a mulch on the garden bed.
Hi Duncan. This year I’m using compost on my vege patch. I’ve dug it in and planted and everything looks very happy especially after the recent rain. It’s a bit stinky. So much so that the snails don’t seem to like it 👏. If I were to put another layer down for water retention, how thick would you recommend??
Hi Michele,
Thanks for your question. and good on you for embracing the compost in the vegetable patch. The thickness of adding it as a mulch will depend on:
- How much you have. This stuff is as precious as gold and you don't want to waste it.
- What you are mulching. Heavy feeding vegetables such as corn can't get enough, whereas other plants like carrots don't want any.
- How well established the seedlings are: You don't want to bury little plants.
Generally speaking a few centimeters should be fine but adjust according to the guidelines above.
Happy gardening
Duncan
Thanks Duncan.
Hi Duncan. Thanks for the tip on barley straw. Where can we buy smaller amounts for a backyard vege patch?
You could try a pet supplies or stockfeed store. Many independent garden supplies stock them as well.
Thank you Duncan 😊
Hi Duncan,
I am from Melbourne, could you please let me know where to buy barley mulch? I use pea or luchen mulch.
To buy the bigger bales that aren't wrapped in plastic you might need to go to a stockfeeds (pet supplies) store or a garden supplies depot.
Thanks for this information. What do you think of using grass clippings as mulch
Hi Pip,
Thanks for your question. Grass clippings are a great choice for mulching the vegetable patch. However that comment (as always) comes with a few caveats:
- Try to avoid using grass clippings from grass that has gone to seed. Doing so will result in more weeds in your vegetable garden than if you'd used horse manure! Therefore grass clippings form early spring are far better than early summer. This all assumes your "lawn" is like mine and not actually a lawn, but a mixture of pasture grasses and broad leafed "weeds". Which brings me to point two...
- If your lawn is predominately couch, kikuyu, buffalo, twitch or any other type of runner grass then perhaps think twice. Using these grasses as mulch is likely to lead to a grass infested vegetable patch.
Grass growth is very seasonal in my part of the world. Most of my mowing is performed now, in spring and early summer. I accumulate a lot of grass clippings in a relatively short amount of time. Instead of using them as mulch, I put them into a hot compost. This kills any seeds or potential weedy plants. I then use the resulting compost as a mulch on the garden bed.
Check out this post for more on making a hot compost with your lawn clippings: https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/what-is-the-best-compost-method/
Happy gardening
Duncan