Mulching:Down With Naked Soil

High Folks, hows everyone doing? I wanted to make a quick post about something Ive been messing around with in the garden and with my plants. The last few years Ive been laying down a couple inches of straw on the soil surface of everything I plant. Ive noticed a HUGE reduction in the amount of water loss due to evap as the soil remains covered from intense sunlight and doesnt heat up. Another benefit Ive found is that roots will grow literally on the surface in between the soil and straw layer thus making every inch of your pot/bag available. Normally roots are a ways down in the soil but not with the addition of straw. If you want to take it one step further you can add a layer of premium compost on top in a nice thick layer and then cover it with the straw. If you dont have access to bales of straw theres other options, leaf matter is the easiest as most yards have this. You will also notice worms making a home at the sub surface as they consume the straw/leaf and the oganic matter in the compost. The only thing you should keep in mind is not to mix the straw into the soil as it will pull nitrogen temporarily while it breaks down, this is a non issue if its at the surface.

Yes this sounds like something to try the only issue is depending on where you live and the humidity levels, covering up the top lair of soil can promote mold growth. I personally don't have a large grow so water evaporation isn't a issue I figure the more I haft to water the more time I spend with the plants making sure they get all the attention they deserve. If there happy I'm happy.

Good point about the mold, I havent found that to be an issue but I could see how it might be. People living in desert climates like Nevada might find this to be an effective option but others in humid areas may not even see the need. I live in Northern Ontario so the humidity is a non issue for me. Your also right about paying close attention to them, without doing so you cant stop issues as soon as they start. I made myself get into the habit of doing at least 2 check ups a day on all my plants and gardens. Once you get into that routine like brushing your teeth you can stay on top of any issues.

Nice Idea! We just added mulch to our outdoor ones.

We keep about a 2 inch dia. circle around the stem of no mulch so it doesnt transfer heat from the sun to the mulch to the main stem.

If not it could cook the base of your main stem and youll be doing more harm then if you had just left it alone.

the only problem is can see from this is that with a layer of straw or leaves or loose organic matter, you can't see the comings and goings of certain insects, like termites, ants, aphids, root gnats, etc... you would have to stir it around a lot to make sure nothing bad is making a home, which adds a lot of work to your daily routine.

This technique is a lot like Fukuoka's "One Straw Revolution" style of gardening. But he was throwing out cheap vegetable and rice seeds by the handful like he was feeding chickens with scruff, not a serious cannabis crop where every single plant is precious and worth a lot of money.

Plusthe straw is organic, and as living organic things breakdown to compost they utilize a lot of soil nitrogen to do so,. I mulched already this year with a very rich compost, which consisted of chicken manure worm castings, bone meal, lime etc.