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18 | July 20, 2016 | Malibu surfside news Sound Off
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Don’t Panic, It’s Organic
Much ado about mulch: Clearing up misconceptions
Andy Lopez
Contributing Columnist
Invisible Gardener
Today, I would like to
clear up some misconceptions
about
mulch.
First off, mulch is not a
soil amendment. Instead,
its primary job is to protect
the ground. And, there are
different types of mulch
depending on their uses.
Mulch that is meant to
not only protect the soilm
but also to decompose and
add humus, is made up of
finer materials that have a
certain amount of shredded
fine tree bark along
with some compost. My
favorite is called Azalea/
Gardenia mix, made from
earthworm castings and
fine tree cuttings with the
various biologicals added.
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While this is for acid-loving
plants like azaleas and
gardenias, it works great
here in Malibu because
the soil here is so alkaline,
and the acid mulch helps to
bring the pH levels down
to more acceptable quantities
to the plants. The ideal
pH is 6.5-6.8. Malibu soil
is 7.4 or higher.
Then there is decorative
mulch that is meant to be
there not just for sun protection,
but for looks. This
stuff does nothing to add
humus to the soil. So it is
not a good idea to simply
mulch away with this stuff,
thinking that it is good for
the earth. Just applying
wood chips or wood shavings
on top of the ground
does nothing to help the
soil hold water or to assist
the plants. It is, therefore,
important that you apply
rock dust and compost,
then mulch it over with the
chips if you want.
If you do not properly
take care of the soil, it will
harden on you and make
watering down deep, difficult,
if not impossible.
Also, many folks believe
mulching will bring termites
around. This is not
true. Termites do not live
in live wood, and if the
wood is dead and shredded,
that process alone will
kill them. But when wood
is piled up, it will heat up,
and that will finish off any
that are left. Also, termites
need a source of water and
a way to make tunnels to
connect them together.
Wood chips or any mulch
will not support termites or
any other type of insects.
Another thing about
mulch that many folks
believe to be true — but
are totally wrong about —
is the belief that mulch will
burn and is a fire hazard.
Mulch is not burnable once
it starts to decompose.
Wood chips will get wet
from regular watering and
will stay moist. On top of
that, if there is a fire, all
you have to do is to soak
the mulch and it will act as
an additional fire barrier.
I would place a drip
system which would get
buried over by the wood
chips. This would keep
the water below ground
and help the soil to retain
it longer. It is of particular
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importance to apply rock
dust, compost and mulch
around trees as well as the
drip system. I use what I
call “tree vents” (clay drain
pipes available from Bourget
Bros in Santa Monica).
These pipes are about 1.5
feet long and get buried
into the ground at ground
level with a two-gallonper-hour
drip head placed
above it. The whole thing
gets mulched over.
Inside the tree vents
is where you apply the
organic fertilizers and/
or special liquids that not
only fertilize the trees, but
help to establish a microbial
colony around the tree
roots. By providing weekly
deep watering, it will
encourage the tree roots
to be robust and healthy
and allows it to withstand
drought and stress.
Many folks have been
applying a basic mulch
from tree bark without
applying proper nutrients,
nor properly watering, and
therefore are now having
tree problems because the
soil is drying up.
Do you know what you
get when you add water to
clay and then heat it up?
Ceramic. Simple.
This year has already
been one of the hottest years
for Malibu ever. We moved
here in 1984 and have never
seen it get to 100 degrees
here. This year we will see
more days of very high temperatures,
and, if you are not
careful, you will lose your
trees overnight. One day the
tree looks fine, the next day,
it is dead.
So mulching is only one
important aspect of proper
property care. Learn the
different types of mulch
and the different ways you
can use them. Make sure
you have changed over to
a drip system that you bury
under the mulch. Just be
aware that the drip system
will have to be changed in
about five to 10 years. The
newer systems will last
longer than the previous
versions of drip systems
because the newer drip
lines have drip heads built
into them, as well as pressure
regulators.
I would add a fertigation
unit into the drip lines
so that you can then add
various organics to the fertigation
unit and it will automatically
go out through
the drip lines to the property.
Ideal for compost tea
or an organic slow release
fertilizer. Look up fertigation
on Google to find out
more. Try Ezy-Gro units,
as they are the best.
So please, before you
apply mulch, give the soil
a good layer of rock dust
for minerals, compost for
nutrients, microbes, and
then mulch it over. You
should have converted
everything over to drip
except the lawn. Plus, there
is a way to bury the drip
line in the yard, too.
Best to water deeply
once or twice a week, then
to do shallow watering
daily or every other day.
Shallow watering causes
plants and trees to have
roots along the top and not
deeper. Shallow roots will
get burned by the heat.
Also, you need to be careful
of overwatering as well
as underwatering. Can you
tell the difference?
Any questions? Send me
an email at andylopez@
invisiblegardener.com.
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