Correct mulching of tomatoes in the greenhouse

Why mulch

Tomato mulch in the greenhouse sets as its main task to reliably protect the top layer of the earth from the formation of a crust on it, which will interfere with the normal access of air to the crops. Mulching also prevents sunlight from entering, which is especially loved by weeds. A layer of mulch helps to keep the surface of the ground moist for many days, which allows the gardener to water less tomatoes in the greenhouse.Also, frequent loosening of the soil is not required, and very little time is required for weeding - if the covering layer is very dense, and mulching was done after all unwanted weeds were removed. Thus, covering the soil with artificial and natural materials is a modern agrotechnical procedure, during which, due to the action of microorganisms, the loose material decays, and humus appears instead.

The obvious advantages of mulching tomatoes grown in our own greenhouse can be safely called an improvement in the structure of the soil, a decrease in moisture loss, since there is minimal evaporation, saturation with useful substances necessary for the normal growth and development of tomatoes, and maintaining the correct air permeability of the soil.

Mulching also provides an excellent opportunity to protect the lower leaves of crops from the ground, because if it gets into tomatoes, diseases can be observed. Based on the results of its impact, mulching can replace activities such as prophylaxis against diseases and bacteria, protecting tomato roots from the effects of cold temperatures in winter, weeding the soil from the grass on a regular basis and loosening.

How

Experts advise to carry out the mulching procedure in a greenhouse with materials of natural origin, which are often near us. Gradually decomposing, mulch can turn into humus useful for the growth and development of tomatoes in the greenhouse. It depends on the choice of covering material which trace elements can enrich the soil. As materials for mulching, you can use today not only straw or freshly cut grass, but also leaves, needles, tree bark or sawdust, compost, newspapers or cardboard.
Straw is an excellent shelter material for tomatoes in a greenhouse.

Its layer about 15 cm thick can become a good protection against diseases - such dangerous ones as leaf spot, anthracnose, early rot and others. The straw normally lets air through, the main thing is to make sure that rodents or insects do not get in it. Grass or weeds, both freshly cut and slightly dried, can be used to mulch tomatoes. The flooring layer is advised to be made quite thick, because after reduction and tamping it will become no more than 5 cm. Since the grass tends to decompose quickly, it will have to be updated from time to time. In this case, the soil will be saturated with nitrogen and other substances useful for plants.

If you decide to mulch tomatoes using leaves or needles of trees, then you can easily find covering material in the nearest forest or even on your site. A material from a mixed or coniferous forest has proven itself well. Experts consider wood to be more durable in comparison with vegetable, therefore it is advised to make flooring in a greenhouse from sawdust or bark. It is an excellent material for those greenhouses where the ground is rarely dug, while allowing the soil to remain moist. It is important to select the most dry material, and the laid layer of sawdust should be spilled with a urea solution. To prevent the soil from oxidizing, slaked lime or chalk should be poured onto the sawdust.

Mulching tomatoes with compost is also easy. You can prepare it yourself from any type of waste - old papers thrown into the compost pit, household waste, rotten hay, which can decompose. It is best to mix compost with other materials, and then apply it in a layer of about 3 cm.In the attic, you can always find unnecessary newspapers, paper or cardboard that need to be crushed and made from them a flooring in the greenhouse of about 15 cm.To prevent it from scattering, you can apply straw or compost. This mulch can increase the temperature of the soil and will last for several years.

It is also permissible to mulch a tomato using artificial materials. They create an excellent greenhouse effect and can last longer than natural ones. These include colored and black plastic wrap, non-woven fabric, roofing felt and roofing felt. The film must be strong and opaque so that it interferes with the appearance of weeds, adhere tightly to the soil. For tomatoes, it is best to choose red. Non-woven covering material perfectly permeates moisture and air, can serve as mulch for up to five years, will not allow fungi and rot, as well as pests, to appear. Roofing material is a reliable material that does not transmit light, it is not toxic to plants.

How to do it right

It is important to mulch when the soil is already warm enough. This is especially true for unheated greenhouses. For heated rooms, any day after the tomatoes have been planted may work. First, the soil should be normally loosened, get rid of the weeds that have already appeared.

The covering material must be spread out in the area around the plants in such a way that its flooring is from 3 to 8 cm. If the material has a loose structure, it just needs to be scattered. Be sure to leave some space around the stems for easy watering in the future. Natural materials that were decomposed at the beginning of summer are processed by worms at the end of the season. In the event that some of the mulch remains on the site, you do not need to put it in a compost pit. Since it is advised to carry out cleaning only on those beds where you are going to plant seeds of other crops next year.

At the end of each season, the topsoil will need to be removed and the beds formed using special biofuel. It is recommended to remove the layer together with mulch either separately or together with the soil. After that, it can be used in the future at the discretion of the summer resident himself.

Video "Mulching the soil"

By watching the recording, you will learn about the mainadvantages and disadvantages of different materials for soil mulching.