Old Mulch and Closing Beds for Winter

tappingmom 9/10/2024, 12:50 pm

I used GardenStraw as mulch for the first time. What a difference it made!!

I live in the rainy PNW. When I put my beds to bed for the winter, I work in 2-3 inches of new sifted and blended compost, and then I cover the beds with cardboard that has holes drilled through so some rain gets through...but they don't get continually saturated.

My question: Should I remove the 1 inch of straw mulch or mix it in with the new compost? I'm concerned that it might not break down enough by next spring.

I'm such a newbie and always try to do the right thing...

Thank you!

OhioGardener 9/10/2024, 5:51 pm

I mulch my beds with wheat straw for the winter. The earthworms and microbial life love feeding on the straw over the winter. In the spring I remove the straw that didn't breakdown over the winter, and put it in the compost bin. The straw that breaks down over the winter greatly improves the amount of organic material in the soil.

If you have an inch or less of straw on the bed from using it for mulch, you would probably benefit from leaving it on the bed over winter. If you put 2 or 3 inches of compost on top, and let it decompose over winter, you could plant through it next spring.

tappingmom 9/10/2024, 6:44 pm

Excellent...and easy-peasy!
Thank you OhioGardener!!

**Scorpio Rising** 9/11/2024, 8:23 pm

Great info always from OG!

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Old Mulch and Closing Beds for Winter

Old Mulch and Closing Beds for Winter

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