ARTICLES BY MARK AMARA WSU GRANT-ADAMS AREA MASTER GARDENER

Mulches for the garden continued

Many growers and gardeners regularly use crop residues including straw, hay, grass clippings, or leaves as mulches or cover and green manure crops which can be tilled into the soil. These types of mulches biodegrade well and can add valuable nutrients to the soil, assuming they have not been treated …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Mulches for the garden

Conventional plastic rolls for covering the ground in and around plants and crops, of various colors, thicknesses, and manufacturers, have been used as ground covers since the 1960s.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

More on soil testing

Today we backtrack a bit and then continue with soil testing.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lead

Bio-based, plastic or fabric mulches for the garden

Plastic mulches, made from non-renewable petroleum based sources, have been available since the 1960s. These mulches form an impermeable barrier that helps reduce weed competition, conserve water, minimize soil and water erosion, increase yield and crop quality, and helps crops mature earlier. However, these types of mulches do not transmit …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO