Hi there,

I just happen to have two bags for black mulch, is it a good idea to put it in the ground near tomatoe plants.

CG

I'd give the plant stems a bit of breathing room. If your soil has warmed up, it's a good time to mulch. I'm mulching with shredded oak leaves and pine straw. They're piled up all around and partially under the tomato and melon plants but not touching the stems, just so there's no risk of moisture against them. I want the roots to burrow in the earth below, not make new ones in the mulch! I'll eventually remove the low-growing tomato branches so they don't flop on the mulch.

You said coastal straw, could you mean {{gwi:289387}}? If so, congratulations, it is a fine mulch.

I think that you will be fine with it the way you put it down, it will settle some over time and as it gets rained on. You are also in for a treat after a month or so if you pull some of it back a little and look at the ground underneath it. And it does a very good job of conserving moisture and keeping the ground temperature more consistent.

I just got started today putting down my

. I wanted the ground to be wet and we got an inch of slow, soaking rain yesterday. I had previously put a couple of inches of combined composted horse manure and {{gwi:56494}} down around the plants and covering my soak hoses with a little bit of that. I like the shredded leaves because by late summer / early fall they have just about all broken down and are not in the way of my planting my fall cover crop of greens. Coastal Bermuda is a close second, and can be shredded up with my big mower to be turned under and add back to the soil.

Keep us posted later on about how well it is doing.
Bill P.

Thank you gonefishin, I'm glad I have finally done something right!! I'm really excited about this year as my husband made me CRW cages for mothers day and I am putting enough mulch down to stop the spread of fungus and insects. Lookin forward to a good crop. Theresa

You are welcome Theresa. I would not say that mulch would stop fungus and insects, but it will definitely help by helping to keep the dirt from splashing up on the foliage. Some have posted that they had increased incidence of slugs hiding in the mulch, but I do not have much problems at all with insects. I also think that stressed plants are more susceptible to both insects and disease and a good layer of mulch makes for healthier, happier plants in my opinion. Those cages should help too.

Good luck with growing thing year, I hope that you have a great crop.
Bill P.