Mulch for potted tomatoes questions

[nopeda]

I've used cut grass as mulch for the past couple of seasons and had good results with it. But it's not something I can just go get whenever I want and I'm always worried about it bringing blight or somthing with it. All the mulches I've seen available in stores are more tree type products, like different types of bark, or pine straw. I've been led to believe there's a big difference in the acidity of tree type plants and grass type plants, and tomatoes seem like they would do better with a grass type mulch. Can anyone help me understand this better, and maybe suggest a type of mulch that would be as good or better than cut grass?

Also, at this time the pots are only about half full of dirt. I like have plants grow about 5 vines starting them in half a pot of dirt to begin with, and then later fill it to the top after the vines have had a chance to grow over the top of the pot. That way when I fill in the rest of the dirt each vine can grow its own root system. That worked a lot! better last year than before I learned to do it. The question is: If I put mulch in now, is it good to just cover it with dirt later when I fill in the rest, or should it be removed before adding the dirt?

Thank you for any help!
David

[tomc]

Your concern is splashed back soil. Prune lower branches off, and use a thick layer of the mulch of your choice. Its the dirt, not the mulch.

[gixxerific]

I am a grass and hay kind of guy myself. As Tom stated the mulch won't bring disease (I will say normally).

One thing you may want to think about using grass is bringing in pescticides, herbicides and the such.

[applestar]

This isn't the point of the original question, but it doesn't have to be grass. How many containers are we talking about? Any weed can be hoed (skim just below soil level), cut, or pulled, allowed to wilt and dry, and used as mulch as long as there are no seed heads. If there are seed heads, you can behead them first.

In my gardening chore vocabulary, "weeding" = "mulching"

Actually, any vigorously growing plants, even desirables, can become mulch. I use daylily and ostrich fern fronds, excess mint and lemon balm (dried out as strewn herbs on the patio first), honeysuckle trimmings, tree and shrub trimmings....

If you are an apartment dweller and don't have access to safe grass/weed clippings and yard waste, there's no reason you can't grow a low tub of lawn grass or better yet wheatgrass or barley grass, etc. for your container mulch. During the summer, buckwheat is drought tolerant and fast growing. You don't have o give them the best spot. Cut with scissors or invest in a hand sickle.

[imafan26]

I just use newspaper as mulch on top of pots. It is mostly for weed control, but it also helps with splashing and the newspaper lets the water through. Eventually it just breaks down on its own.

[McKinney88]

Is there any advantage to using mulch and grass clippings or what is best? I have to bag my grass So I have plenty of grass clippings if it would help. I was planning to put mulch around them but should I put grass down first or on top or not worry about it?

[imafan26]

Mulch should not affect the plants if they are on top and they do not contain pesticides or are alleopathic like walnut.


The only problems I encounter with mulch is that if it is heavy, then I have to water the mulch before the pot gets any water. You need to leave a space between the stem of the plant and the mulch. I learned that the hard way.


The only other issue I have with any mulch is that the slugs and snail like to hide in it.