What Materias Can Be in a Dahlia Mulch?
The materials that can be used for mulching are varied, the best being really good farmyard or stable manure especially if well mixed with plenty of short straw.
Whatever is used it is essential to spray or dust at no greater watering, even if this means spraying or dusting several times in one week, taking care to cover both the upper and underside of the foliage, with particular attention to the growing points.
Although not all dahlia experts agree as to its vital importance, there is without doubt a great deal to be said in favour of mulching. Primarily the ground is mulched to conserve moisture, a very important point on any soil, but of vital importance on light soils.
In addition a good deep mulch will tend to smother weed growth, because even strong growing weeds require light immediately after germination from seed, and this requirement is automatically denied them. The exceptions that manage to thrust their way through the mulch are generally suffering from the effects of etiolation and are spindly, puny caricatures of their normal selves.
The texture of the soil is improved under the mulch, so that the ground absorbs water much more readily, and is less likely to be compacted at surface level by heavy rain or artificial watering.
From this stage onwards it is better to keep the weeds down by hand pulling. The wisdom of providing wider pathways every other row will be easily seen, otherwise the whole of the dahlia plot would become hard trodden.
