mustard_seeds wrote:

what are you mulching everything with this spring?

I realize I like the look of 'dirt' in my gardens rather than bark or something similar.

I plan on covering the surface with the product shown below in the link.

But if I cover the existing small piece cedar mulch with this product will the now accelerating breakdown of the cedar now just below the surface cause problems for the surrounding plants ie 'tieing' up the nitrogen?

(For example I know one shouldn't add straight, uncomposted sawdust to below the soil for this same reason.)

Here is a link that might be useful: composting mulch

mulch on TOP of the soil should not affect your available nitrogen in the soil. The product you plan to use, as well as the cedar, will break down over time as all natural mulches do. I would just leave the cedar in place.

If you have access to leaves in the fall, you might want to make your own leaf mold since you like the look of "dirt" rather than coarse chips and such. Cheap (free!) and pretty, and you know all the ingredients LOL.

Rachel

To answer your question, I think you are right to be concerned about burying wood mulch with soil. I would rake it off first. It kind of depends on how much is there. If it's a very thin layer such that you can see the soil peeking through, it probably won't cause much of a problem. If it's an inch or two thick I'd remove it.

You could also skip covering it with soil and just add your new mulch to the top to cover. I don't think that would hurt anything and it would save you some work.

Instead of wasting the organic matter in the mulch, I would just go ahead and add the soil and then keep an eye on the plants so you can add nitrogen if they look like they need it.

You will basically be sheet composting. When sheet composting materials that break down extremely slowly, mixing those materials with soil definitely speeds up the process. I do this with chopped up pine needles, live oak leaves, magnolia leaves, and any fallen tree limbs.

Since fungi will break down wood and share the nutrients they liberate with plant roots in a symbiotic relationship, you might try adding one of the products that inoculates your soil with beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.

I've seen research that came to the conclusion that uncomposted mulch on top of soil does not affect nitrogen in the soil below it. It's only when you dig it in that it can do this, even that has much less effect then most people think. Now putting soil on top of the mulch shouldn't make a difference. Your roots are already in the soil below it where the nitrogen is.

The white wood of the cedar will decompose fairly fast. The red heart wood may be there for the rest of ones life, especially if it is in an anaerobic condition.

Others here would know better than I, but perhaps you could add a good, thick layer of coffee grounds before adding the dirt. Would the nitrogen rich grounds then balance the effects?

coffee grounds applied in thick layer can cake up and by hydrophobic, repelling water. You don;t want your mulch to repel water, Better to sprinkle UCG lightly, compost, etc.

reedandleaf was suggesting to put down coffee grounds before adding the soil layer. Doubtful that would dry out and cake up under a layer of soil.

oh thanks - I re-read the post by reedandleaf and that is true, under the dirt the coffee grounds would not be as hydrophobic. But shouldn't one's garden soil have mulch on top of it? Not used to thinking about putting soil OVER mulches.

But shouldn't one's garden soil have mulch on top of it? Not used to thinking about putting soil OVER mulches.

Except I no longer like the look of the cedar chips/bark mulch given that our other gardens have only 'dirt' on top.

Through the spring and summer I distribute compost throughout.

Bare soil is subject to erosion. It will become hard also and get more weeds. If you mulch top dress the soil will be softer and easier to weed. It's not like you won't get any weeds, but the weeds you get will be easier to deal with. If compost and make some compost it will look more like soil then a woody mulch. I have both types of areas in my garden.
I do have a bare soil area, that I use as a path, but I don't think it is the most attractive area. I would still like to cover it up, but the mulch I put there just get blown up against the fence.

Based on his second post it appears rouge is planning to use a type of mulch that is basically compost, so it looks more like soil and less like mulch, but the soil would not be bare.

toxcrusadr, you are right, that is I am using compost that looks like dirt...it definitely does not look like bark.

The only reason I would like to look at my soil is all the little mounds off earth worm poo being pushed up :) Other than that, bleh. Unless its black Marcus, BLACK! As black...as black as my wife's hair!

I have experimented with this product this summer in a couple of my smaller gardens as an 'extra' healthy mulch which will be absorbed into the soil within a year.

And I quote:

....a mulch that turns into earth. Naturally!
Nincompoop Mulch is weed resistant and organic made from farm by-products, NO WOOD! This organic matter is sterilized horse and poultry manure with straw, which continuously breaks down and will maintain good earth structure. It's everything your garden needs, Mulch, Manure and Compost....

Here is a link that might be useful: nincompoop

does anyone know what that nincompoop is made from?

darth, it is made from horse manure, poultry manure and straw.

Nincompoop. Hahahahahaha!
"does anyone know what that nincompoop is made from?"
Why, oomposted twits, idiots and dimwits of course...

If Nincompoop is sterilized then the microbial life that one should get from compost won't be there. That would appear to me to be a waste of your money then.