Too Early for Mulch

The pine needles and other mulches are piling up in the professional landscapes. This is to prevent weeds and enhance the appearance of the beds. At this time it may not be in the best interest of all of the plants. The soil is about 60 degrees in the Charlotte area. For many plants to do well the soil temperature should be higher. Mulch slows this warming.

In our garden, which is mostly in beds, the pathways are being mulched. The beds are not except for cool season plants like cabbage and onions. This weekend the plants in other beds will be side-dressed with compost. The compost is black and will help the soil warm up. It will also provide some feed to fast growing plants.

Compost is a slow release fertilizer and does not supply nutrients fast enough for many plants this time of year. A foliar spray can give fast results and if it is not too strong, will not burn the leaves. Manure or compost tea is great for this purpose. A little fish oil or blood meal could be added as a booster.





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David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/