Soil health plays an undeniably critical role in sustainable agriculture. Farmers who focus on keeping their soil healthy get improved farming efficiency, reduced costs, and increased biodiversity in return.
One of the best methods to sustainably keep your soil healthy is by spreading mulch over it.
What is mulch?
Simply put, mulch is any material spread or laid over the soil’s surface. Some mulches are more aesthetically pleasing than others, while other mulches are strictly practical and serve to add nutrients to the ground.
The act of mulching is nothing new, but with modern agriculture, the use of this method began to grow less popular. Recently, the mulching method has made a huge comeback, with the importance of sustainable agriculture being acknowledged by farmers worldwide.
How do you make mulch?
Organic mulches commonly consist of biomass, including wood logs or bark shredded or chipped, grass cuttings, sawdust, leaves, or other plant and animal residues. After being spread on your soil, organic mulch will decompose and will eventually have to be replaced. In the process of decomposing, mulches also help improve the soil’s structure, drainage, and nutrient-holding capacity.
What are the benefits of using mulch for your soil?
Mulch Promotes Nutrients in the Soil
Mulching also releases the nutrients from your mulching biomass back into the soil. This is accomplished through the organic material gradually decomposing on the top of the soil. This process makes fertilizers unnecessary. Improving soil strength and fertility.
Organically Fights Weeds
Mulch evenly distributed over your soil serves as a barrier, reducing the sunlight that enables weed growth.
Retains Moisture
Laying down a mulch layer creates a coating that absorbs water while limiting evaporation. Moisture retention is vital for fostering soil health and preparing your pasture for the more dehydrated months.
Controls soil temperature
Spreading mulch on your soil stabilises extreme soil temperatures, producing temperature conditions that allow more productive plant growth.
Mulching and Sustainable Farming
Mulching aligns directly with the key goals of sustainable agriculture. Promoting biodiversity and soil health, saving water, and diminishing reliance on pesticides and fertilizers are all sustainable benefits.
Our mulch spreader is the most effective method to spread wood chips evenly in new or established orchards or vineyards.
Wood chips are ideal for use as a base to produce compost.
These mulch spreaders, called “BioSpread” can be rented or purchased from Rovic Leers. Reach out to us to discuss our highly efficient mulch spreader and see how you can profit from the use of mulch on your property.
For more information: https://abc.co.za/mulch-spreading/