RNGR.net is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and Southern Regional Extension Forestry and is a colloborative effort between these two agencies.

U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Forest Service Southern Regional Extension Forestry Southern Regional Extension Forestry

Mulching Materials For Nursery Seedbeds

The use of mulches, to protect seedbeds from wind and water erosion, and to prevent rapid drying of the soil, is a common nursery practice. The materials used include brush, limbs, burlap, screen, cheesecloth, and sawdust. Except when bedboards are used, a mulch that will prevent or reduce wind erosion is a necessity. At the Chittenden Nursery the use of straw and burlap was discontinued because of the weed problem and the need for removing the mulch as soon as germination started. This usually occurred when the nursery crew was distributing stock. Sawdust is a good mulch, but it is easily blown away. At our nursery, wire cloth, rolled over the beds after the sawdust was spread, prevented wind erosion fairly well.


Download this file:

PDF document Download this file — PDF document, 216Kb

Details

Author(s): Edward D. Clifford, James W. Massello

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Issue 72 (1965)