Gardening Articles: Landscaping :: Yard & Garden Planning
Building Great Soil (page 4 of 5) by Warren Schultz By April in
Texas, the soil has been worked, and the first crop is growing.
But it's not too late to improve the soil with organic matter.
"The best way to do that is with mulch," says John Dromgoole.
"What's most important here is to make sure that the garden will
perform well going into the extreme heat of the summer. A 4-inch
layer of mulch drops our soil temperature from 105°F to 80°F--
just like that." At the same time, it contributes organic matter
and nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Regardless of where
you garden, you can still improve soil even once you're growing
in it. "For a mulch, we want something that lies flat and stays
tight on the soil," Dromgoole says. "If it's loose, it creates a
good habitat for pillbugs and slugs and other pests." Coastal
Bermuda grass hay has always been a popular choice for mulch in
Texas, "but we don't recommend it anymore," Dromgoole says,
"because we f