I am sure every gardener knows about mulching, but perhaps not everyone is aware of the benefits of a good mulch over a cheaper but less effective one. There are a number of pitfalls people should be aware of.
There are three main reasons to mulch – the most obvious is to reduce moisture loss from the soil, the second is to keep the roots cool in summer and warm in winter, and the third is to reduce weeds. Providing you have the right type of material, mulching can also feed your plants, however some mulches are high in carbon but low in nitrogen, which can lead to nitrogen deficiency in your soil.
To reduce water loss and to insulate your soil, a mulch that’s not too fine is better, so that when you apply it to your soil it still has some air spaces, which results in an insulating layer of air. On the flip side, if the mulch is too dense then rain can’t penetrate, which you obviously don’t want.
For maximum weed suppression, you really need a mulch with some fine material to form a denser mat, so it makes it harder for weeds to come through. Neutrog have developed a super mulch that contains a combination of both fine and denser material. It has been trialled successfully by commercial and professional rose growers, the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and the Adelaide City Council to name a few.
So what makes Whoflungdung a super mulch?
Whoflungdung is derived from semi composted chicken litter, and as such, contains some wood chips, straw and chook poo, and because it has been partially composted, it readily absorbs water so you don’t get the water repellence problems that you see with some products.
Whoflungdung also shows good moisture retention and great weed suppression, and for some unknown reason, most users happily report that blackbirds don’t flick it around. It is a biologically activated mulch that has been filled with nutrients, so that when added to soil it introduces a wide diversity of beneficial bacteria. These beneficial bacteria readily proliferate through the soil acting as a barrier/deterrent to pathogenic bacteria, providing a safe environment for healthy plant growth. Another huge benefit is its fantastic nitrogen to carbon ratio, so your soil won’t suffer from nitrogen deficiency, which is often reflected in plants after mulch has been applied.
Before it was released, we did some trials examining the performance of Whoflungdung in returning nutrients to the soil as well as stimulating the soil microbiology, and the results showed that it was significantly better than mulches based on pea straw or similar products. As an added bonus, it’s also organically certified by the ACO, which means you can use it on your organic fruit or veggies.