Mulch

mulch, mulching (GB)

engrais vert (F)

pacciame (I)

Term for unrotted organic materials, derived from the Low German "mul" for "decaying earth or dust" or from "mulsch" for "rotten, soft". In horticulture and viticulture, it refers to soil cover. Mulching is a typical measure of biological or integrated plant protection. Before winter, the vineyard soil is usually covered with organic materials of plant origin. The materials used include straw, bark (left), leaves (right), peat, green waste chaff, living plants and waste from pruning. This prevents the soil from drying out due to evaporation of water from the soil, provides good irrigation and suppresses weed growth.

Mulch - Rinde/Holz und Laub

After one to three years, the organic material will have worked its way into the soil. Slow decomposition adds important nutrients to the soil and improves soil structure and humus content. For planting new vines, mulch films have recently been used in which the young plants are inserted into the recessed holes. This keeps the soil warm and also prevents evaporation. A special form of mulching is cover crop, which is sometimes called mulch farming. Mulch is also used in viticulture as one of the means of organic fertilization, which by rotting becomes compost and contributes to the formation of humus. See also under vineyard management.

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Mulch

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