Why Mulch?

Agriculture with mulch in the tropics promotes plant health

and vigor. Mulching improves nutrient and water retention in
the soil, encourages favorable soil microbial activity and
worms, and suppresses weed growth. When properly
executed, mulching can significantly improve the well-being
of plants and reduce maintenance as compared to bare soil
culture. Mulched plants have better vigor and, consequently
have improved resistance to pests and diseases.

"Mulch" is a layer of decaying organic matter on the ground.

Mulch occurs naturally in all forests; it is a nutrient rich,
moisture absorbent bed of decaying forest leaves, twigs and
branches, teeming with fungal, microbial and insect life.
Natural mulch serves as a "nutrient bank," storing the
nutrients contained in organic matter and slowly making these
nutrients available to plants. All forms of plant life from the
ground layer to shrubs and trees thrive, grow, shed organic
matter, die and decay, in a complicated cycle of nutrients.

Mulch forms a necessary link in nutrient cycling vital for our

soils. When mulch is absent for whatever reason, the living
soil is robbed of its natural nutrient stores, becomes leached
and often desiccates. Natural environments without a litter
layer are usually deserts. Non-desert plants grown in bare soil
require constant fertilization, nutrient amendment and water,
not to mention the work required to keep the soil bare.

Sheet mulching as described here is a suggested method for

controlling weeds and improving soil and plant health with
mulch. The process mimics the litter layer of a forest floor.

Basic Techniques of Sheet Mulching

Once you get the hang of it, sheet mulching can be used
anywhere plants are grown in the ground. Sheet mulching
may be used either in establishing a new garden or tree
planting, or to enrich existing plantings. In both cases, mulch
is applied to bare soil or on top of weeds. New plantings are
planted through the mulch, and a small area is left open to
accommodate established plants and trees.

The benefits of mulching justify putting the energy into doing

the job right, using ample materials. Collect all of the
materials (as outlined below), and complete the mulching
process in a day. A reduction in maintenance and increase in
plant vigor will reward the initial effort.

Sheet mulch is put down in layers to mimic natural forest

mulch: well decayed compost, weed barrier, partly decayed
compost and raw organic matter.

How to sheet mulch

Step 1: The Concentrated Compost Layer

To prepare the site, knock down tall weeds and woody plants
with a brush cutter, scythe, or simply by trampling the area.
Then proceed to lay down the sheet mulch.

Whether you are mulching bare soil or weeds, the first step is
to "jump start" microbial activity by adding enriched
compost, poultry or stock manure, worm castings or the like
at the rate of about 50 lbs/100 square feet. This high nitrogen
matter stimulates soil life and gets things going. If the soil is
acid, which it likely is if the area has been disturbed recently
and treated with conventional fertilizers, add a layer of lime
or crushed coral. A soil analysis will indicate the need for
adjustment of pH or mineral amendments. This is the
appropriate time to add the recommended doses of
amendments such as rock phosphate and K mag.

Soak the area well with water when the amendments are
dispersed.

Step 2: The Weed Barrier

Most cultivated areas today harbor untold numbers of weed

seeds. There are also weed seeds carried around by wind,
animals and people. Soil borne seeds are lying dormant and
waiting for the right conditions to sprout. Simply pulling or
killing growing weeds will not erase the weed problem: more
seeds will sprout almost as soon as the soil is exposed to
moisture and light. Therefore the next step in mulching is to
put down an organic weed barrier. This barrier prevents the
germination and eventual emergence of weeds through your
mulch.

Underneath this weed barrier grasses and weeds die and

quickly become food for earthworms. From now on, the
worms turn and aerate the soil, as they do naturally when in
the right environment.

Of the four sheet mulch layers, the weed barrier has no natural
counterpart on the forest floor. In the forest, weeds do not
sprout because there is "no room for them," which simply
means a lack of space above and below the ground, and a lack
of light. By planting an area properly, there will eventually be
no room for weeds. The weed barrier is needed only for
establishment of the mulch, and disappears with time. If your
area is planted appropriately, weeds will not emerge after the
decomposition of the weed barrier.

Materials for the weed barrier that work well are: 4-6 sheets
of newspaper, cardboard, burlap bags, old rugs of natural
fiber, worn-out jeans, gypsum board, or whatever you can
find around. Banana, ape and ti leaves also work if laid down
in several layers. Overlap the pieces of the material so as to
completely cover the ground without any breaks, except
where there are plants you want to save. Around these leave a
generous opening for air circulation around the root crown.
Care in laying down the weed barrier will save you the
headache of emerging weeds later on.

Step 3: The Compost Layer

This layer is on top of the weed barrier - it must be weed seed

free. Well conditioned compost, grass clippings, seaweed and
leaves are ideal materials to spread over the weed barrier. Any
weed-free material mixture at the right moisture level for a
good compost will do. This should form a fairly dense layer
about 3 inches thick.

Step 4: The Top Layer

The top dressing mimics the newly fallen organic matter of

the forest. It also must be weed-free. Good materials for this
include leaves, twigs and small branches, fern or palm fronds,
straw, coffee chaff, macadamia nut shells, wood chips,
sawdust, bark, etc.. The top layer will slowly decompose into
lower layers, and therefore must be replaced periodically; it
represents reserves of compost. This layer should be about 3-5
inches deep. Many materials suitable for the top layer often
have a pleasant cosmetic appearance. What luck! For this
reason, there should be no hesitation in using sheet mulch in
all cultivation from landscaping to gardening to permanent
orchard crops. In fact, as you use mulch, bare soil will begin
to seem ugly and undesirable.

When the soil is amended and sheet mulch applied properly,

there will never be a need to turn the soil. Earthworms do the
tilling. The only task left will be to keep the soil covered by
replenishing the mulch.
Warning: Feral pigs love good, moist soil, and will grub in
sheet mulch if they have access to it. Do not use sheet
mulch if pigs have access to the area; they will be
attracted to it and will destroy both your work and your
plantings.
Mulching Around Trees
1) Plant tree.

2) Amend soil around tree in a wide ring shape from a few

centimeters from trunk out to 1 meter (3 feet) with a light
layer of nitrogen fertilizer, such as chicken manure, and other
amendments if necessary. Rake or water in.

3) Spread a layer of permeable weed barrier around the tree in

a ring shape, leaving about 15 cm (6 inches) diameter around
the trunk of the tree for it to "breathe." Make certain there are
no gaps in the ring shape through which weeds can emerge.
Water the weed barrier layer thoroughly before the next step.

4) Spread compost and/or mulch about 15 cm (6 inches) thick

over the weed barrier, again making sure it is several
centimeters away from the trunk of the plant.

The Ongoing Process

To make mulching as efficient and easy as possible, use
mulch materials which are readily available. With good
planning, mulching of gardens and orchards can become a
regular part of maintenance-just mulch with handy materials
such as grass clippings, plant prunings (chipped or roughly
chopped), animal bedding, etc.. Eventually, other tasks such
as watering, fertilization and weeding will be reduced. The
overall maintenance burden in mulched conditions, when
properly executed, is far less than in conventional systems.

Once a plant is properly mulched, its own leaf drop will

constantly add to that mulch. But is natural leaf drop enough
to maintain the mulch? The answer to this depends on the
plant species and also how the plant is growing in relation to
other plants. Certain trees produce tremendous amounts of
leaf matter which decomposes rather slowly; examples are:
avocado, macadamia, lychee, as well as many others. These
trees can be expected to generate sufficient mulch for
themselves once vigorous growth is attained. Unfortunately,
under most conditions many trees do not create enough long
lasting mulch for maintenance of their needs. To explain this
apparent deficiency, look once again at the forest. Here, plants
are "stacked" in the vertical direction in ground-level, middle,
and tall vegetation. This means that the ground under each
plant receives organic matter from several plants.

There are many ways to produce sufficient mulch at your site.

Grass clippings, for example, represent nutrient rich mulch
material. Deep rooted, vigorous growing plants that readily
come back from hard pruning or coppicing will also work.
There are several nitrogen fixing trees which produce copious
amounts of green matter. Each should be evaluated for the
specific site before planting. Other plants that work well are
kukui, hau, desmodium,, various bunch grasses (such as
Guinea grass), lemon grass, comfrey, etc.. Also, many water
plants such as water hyacinth are good mulch materials. Since
plants that produce heavy amounts of organic matter are by
their nature nearly irrepressible, extreme caution should be
taken not to let these plants escape your management and
become weedy.

Sheet mulching should not be confused with composting,

artificial weed barriers, or green manuring. Sheet mulching as
described here is quite different from these in that it seeks to
recreate the organic mulch layer of the forest with a minimum
of effort from people. Properly planned, a backyard or
orchard system will produce its own raw mulch in sufficient
amounts and people are involved only in putting this material
back onto the ground where it belongs.