Vegetable Garden Mulch

Plastic Garden Mulch – Just imagine – higher yields, less time pulling weeds, watering less often. What else could be a better description of your garden? If that is what you are looking for, plastic garden mulch is for you. With the use of plastic mulches earlier and higher yields are obtained. Some of this is due to the light which is reflected from certain colors of the garden mulch. Also, we have personally found that for the home gardener this is the easiest form of weed control available. Evaporation of the soil moisture is reduced, causing less frequent and shorter amount of times watering. Water will not permeate the plastic, so we suggest using this with a drip irrigation system underneath the mulch to simplify your gardening requirements.  Also, we suggest putting a timer on your drip irrigation for a truly maintenance free garden.

Features of Plastic Garden Mulch

Some of our plastic mulches are embossed. Generally, embossed mulch has greater stretch ability than smooth. It is highly recommended for raised beds where the plastic mulch should fit snug and firm over the bed, but works just as well on a mounded garden bed. Be sure to check out the different colors of plastic garden mulch available. Each of them has a different benefit to your garden. Just don’t tell your neighbors about the secret of plastic garden mulch, or they will have as beautiful a garden as you have, with just as high of yields!!!

Installation Tips
*Prepare soil well. It should be smooth and pliable.
*Do not lay plastic on dry soil.
*Plastic should be in close contact with the soil for maximum heat transfer into the soil.
*Be sure the edges of the plastic are well secured with soil, staples or other methods.

Plastic mulch is extruded from clear polyethylene resin into sheets of film of varying widths and lengths. In its natural state, plastic is clear, so carbon black is added to make it black.  Because of the inherent physical properties of black plastic mulch, it modifies the micro-climate around plants, enhancing growth, yield, and quality of horticultural crops.

Over many years of experimentation and use since the late 1950’s black plastic has proved to be a boost to agricultural productivity.

Here are some of the advantages you can expect when using black plastic:

Earlier and higher yields even though there will be variations from year to year.

Weed control. Because the mulch is black, light is not transmitted through the plastic and therefore weeds will not grow under the material.

Soil temperature increases 3° to 5° F under the mulch at soil depths of 2 to 6 inches. This is the area of greatest root growth early in the season. Warm roots grow faster and accelerate plant growth.

Evaporation of soil moisture is reduced. Plastic mulch is impervious to water. Any evaporation of soil moisture occurs only through the planting holes.

Nutrient leaching is reduced during excessive rainy periods.

Easy to install and durable. Plastic mulch is flexible and stretchable. It will conform to both flat and raised beds. Strong enough for either double cropping in the same season or possibly over two seasons. Easy field removal.

Roll 4′ x 600′  Black Mulch $153.00 including shipping to Continental US   Add to Cart

SRM-Olive is the latest development in plastic mulch technology. In a general sense, this new mulch is a “hybrid” between clear and black mulches. With clear mulch, all wavelengths of radiation (light) are transmitted through the mulch. The long wavelengths (infra-red radiation) are converted to heat under the clear film and provide the greatest amount of soil warming of all mulches. However, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) also is transmitted and is responsible for the vigorous weed growth under clear mulch. Because black mulch blocks PAR, weeds do not grow underneath. Soil warming occurs as the black mulch absorbs solar radiation, and then conducts the heat into the soil. Soil temperature under black is lower than under clear mulch.

This is where SRM-Olive comes into the picture. By utilizing a carefully balanced blend of polyethylene with a specific light modifying pigment, SRM Olive transmits near infra-red radiation, and at the same time blocks PAR. Therefore, it simultaneously generates almost as much heat as clear mulch and suppresses weeds like black mulch. This is a win-win development for growers. A tough 1.0 mil, embossed high density plastic mulch film.

Vegetables — warm season and cool season crops that are transplanted, such as melons, and for direct seeded crops that are seeded in hills such as cucumbers and squash.

Small fruits — strawberries in annual hill system

Cut flowers

Roll 4′ x 600′ Olive Plastic Garden Mulch $130.00 including shipping to Contiguous US  Not currently available

The brown mulch will give a higher soil temperature than black mulch, and will give a better weed control than olive mulch. It is 1.0 mil thick and is non embossed.

Roll 4′ x 600′ Brown Plastic Garden Mulch $189.00 including shipping to Continental US Add to Cart

This is a dual color embossed mulch. The white goes up and the black goes down towards the soil. The black will help to control the weeds. The white keeps the soil temperatures down while increasing the amount of light available to the plant. This mulch can decrease the soil temperatures up to 12 degrees F, while reflecting light back into the plant canopy. Lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli and other cool loving crops perform well. Mulch is 1.5 mil thick and is embossed. As Southern gardeners, we find that this is the best for us for all around gardening.

Roll 4′ x 600′ White/ Black Plastic Garden Mulch $174.00.00 including shipping to Continental US   Add to Cart

Roll 4′ x 2400′ White/ Black Plastic Garden Mulch $534.00 including shipping to Continental US Add to Cart