YukonJack
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Hay Mulch (Ruth Stout) vs. Compost Mulch (Charles Dowding)

I live in Ontario, Canada. Zone 4b. I've been looking into these two methodologies of no-till gardening and my concern with the deep hay mulching (Ruth Stout) is slugs. Which has led me towards using compost as a mulch (Charles Dowding). The soon to be garden plot (for use in spring 2018) is completely surrounded by tall grasses and 'weeds'. I've hacked away and mowed the area that will be used and will be layering on top of it to choke out the grasses and prepare the area.

My question is about using compost as a mulch, I had never heard of this before, thinking of compost only as a soild additive. Are weed seeds blown in from the top not a major concern? wouldn't it be a perfect spot for grass seed to germinate? (which my garden plot will be surrounded by).

Basically anything that anyone can tell me about compost as a mulch would be of great interest to me.

Thanks,
Jack

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!potatoes!
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Not what you're asking for, exactly: I haven't used compost as a mulch. My immediate reservations about the idea are as follows: 1) I make as much compost as I can, but would never have enough to mulch with to any depth (in more than 1 or 2 beds, at any rate). Using pre-packaged compost to increase the amount I have doesn't appeal to me since most of not all isn't actually compost as I understand it, more like a slightly fortified cross between fine mulch and potting soil. 2) many of the beneficial organisms in compost are damaged/killed by drying out or being exposed to too much direct sunlight (why it's recommended to dig it in) 3) yes, blown in (or bird-dropped, or already present in my fairly cold-process compost) seeds would tend to germinate there.

DigDirt
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I thought Ruth Stout used straw, but I only watched a film of her, never read her books. For me at least, straw would have to be bought, so not an option. I am trying out the Charles Dowding compost method for 6 beds, all about 120 cm wide and 4m long, I used my own compost for some, but had to buy certified compost from the recycling depot, as it wasn't enough to start the method with this year. I am stepping up my compost lazy habits, and making more this year to save me having to buy it.

That said, I never really like following rules that don't suit me, so my beds are going to get mulched with my homemade small sized wood chips from fruit tree branches, bamboo and flowering schrubs mixed with dry grass, as I have so much of that stuff in my garden. At the end of the day it is about mulching, feeding the soil, supressing weeds and not having to dig it. If you look at Charles Dowding's compost set up, it's like a production site, and that is the material he has the most of. I will never have that much. So I will use what I have on site and tailor the method to my garden.
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PaulF
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I agree with your initial concern with compost as mulch. Compost is more a soil amendment meant to increase the organic content of your soil. If piled on thickly enough compost could act as mulch. My idea of mulch is to act as a weed barrier, a way to decrease soil temps in summer conditions, a barrier between soil and the pathogens soil contains and the plant and a method of retaining moisture.

The hay I am used to in my area has lots of weed seeds and would defeat the purpose of mulch. Most straw is weed free and would be a better mulch. This is the mulch system I use along with a couple layers of newsprint between soil and straw. At the end of the growing season, straw and paper gets tilled into the soil where it all breaks down to add organics to the garden.

imafan26
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I have used compost as mulch on my established ornamentals (roses). I have a harder time getting hay since I would have to drive to the other side of the isaland to get a bale ( and make room in my car for it). Slugs don't really care what kind of mulch you use, and I still have to use a lot of slug bait. They hide under the plants, pots, rocks, as well as the mulch.

I don't put a thick layer of compost down so it might not even be considered that much mulch. It does block weeds for a short time but it is about as effective as using newspaper. It works for 2-3 months to keep weeds down, less when there is a lot of rain. I put the compost down as I read that earthworms and other critters in the soil would help pull the compost down into the soil since I cannot really dig around the beds without damaging the roots of the roses and and ground cover.

I did use straw years ago as mulch. It really does not stop nutsedge and it was a very good hiding place for slugs and pillbugs. I gets moldy and decomposes over time, probably faster in my sub tropical environment.

I actually like pine needles for mulch when I can get it. The garden cut down all of the pine trees so that is harder to get now. Pine needles did a better job of inhibiting weeds. The needles take a long time to decompose and they stay fluffier longer allowing air and water to get to the soil. When I used wood chips and leaves for mulch, I had weeds grow on top of it and it was hard to water the plants since I had to get the leaf mulch very wet before anything got to the plants. I had to be more careful about mulching too close to the plants since the stems would rot when the mulch got too close or the plants did not get enough water because the mulch absorbed most of it. I had weeds growing right next to the plant stems because the mulch did not cover that area. It is harder to separate the plants when the weeds grow next to the roots and stem. The only things I could not use pine mulch on was anything in the onion family. Pine needles did a good job of killing onions and garlic.

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rainbowgardener
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I like doing a green/brown mulch, which is sort of like composting in place (but without the rotting veggies! :) )

If you make your mulch with mixed "greens" and "browns," it is a much more complete soil food when it breaks down. I have been redoing all my foundation plantings. What I am doing for mulch there, is weeding a section out, watering it, putting a layer of cardboard down and wetting that. Then I pile all the weeds I pulled from there on top of the cardboard. Then I cover the weeds with a good layer of straw raked out of the hen coop. When finished it makes about six inches of mulch, which should help suppress all the weeds and when it breaks down, it will make a super rich soil there.

When it's all done (some day?) I may pile wood chips on top, just to make a more finished look for front yard. I make my own wood chips by running all the cut branches and stuff through a chipper shredder.

DarrenP
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Location: Mid North South Australia; warm temperate climate

I use the compost as a dig in additive between crops, except when planting non edible plants, then as a mulch. For the veggie beds and around the fruit trees I use pea straw, or sugarcane mulch. Under the mulch around the fruit trees I lay some dry aged manure.
Disclaimer: I haven't heard of wither of the two people you mentioned.



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