Mulching- Wood chips.

http://audile.notlong.com/ 19 May 2008 Wood chip mulch.

Mulching is relatively simply and practical using wood chips. A few cubic yards can cover a large area, and they are relatively cheap to purchase. I get mine from a City Park free from the city. Advantages are uniform moisture for the growing season, earth worms tend to congregate under the mulch, if thick enough weeds are discouraged. My main reason for using is moisture retention, plus rain water can easily filter through to the plant roots. The soil under the mulch does not get a hard dried out crust, and watering is seldom necessary. Also, rain water doesn't cause dirt to be splashed up onto the plants. Wood chip mulch is easy to move around, I clear a path for the plants until they are large, then move the mulch closer to the main stem.

In the Fall, the mulch is sometime raked to one side for re-use, and often simply rototilled into the soil. I find it mostly disappears in a year, and tends to make the soil more friable. Sometimes I add extra nitrogen in the form of urea pellets (nitrogen) to assist in decaying.

There are other materials that can be used but most have problems, Grass clippings and leaves tend to cluster and prevent moisture from penetrating.