Did you know that one of the best ways to give your tomato plants all-season power and protection is to mulch them with a simple but powerful trio of ingredients that can all but ensure a big harvest?
Mulch truly is a wonderful protective blanket for tomato plants. For starters, it helps to keep competing weeds from stealing nutrients from the soil right near your tomato plants. In addition, it also helps keep the soil temperature more constant, protecting roots from cool nights and hot days.
But it doesn’t stop there. Mulch also helps to keep valuable moisture in the soil, keeping plants from drying out too quickly. And if that wasn’t enough, that same protective layer also can help keep blight at bay too by keeping blight spores living in the soil from splashing up onto plants.
However, as incredible as all of those benefits can be when you mulch around tomato plants, by simply adding a few powerful ingredients to the mulch mix, you can elevate your mulch to a whole new level. And it’s one that can fertilize and energize your plants to big growth – and an even bigger harvest!
The Best Way To Mulch Tomato Plants!
When it comes to weed control, moisture control, regulating the temperature of the soil and protecting your plants from blight, a normal four to six inch thick layer of straw, grass clippings or even shredded leaves are ideal.
All three are excellent for blocking weed seeds. And they also all break down over time to help build soil structure and fertility. But by themselves, the one thing they don’t do is provide a lot of power or nutrients to tomato plants.
So how do you bring power to your mulch? By simply adding three more ingredients to your layer of straw, grass clippings or shredded leaves to energize your mulch! And those three magical ingredients are none other than coffee grounds, compost and worm castings!
The Magic Mulch Combination – The Best Way To Mulch Tomato Plants!
Coffee grounds, compost and worm castings are filled with the power tomato plants love! Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which is great for powering strong stem and foliage growth. That, of course, helps the plant use photosynthesis to convert the sun’s rays into even more energy for the your tomato plants.
Worm castings are basically the byproduct that worms leave behind as they consume and break down the soil. The castings are loaded with organic matter and nutrients – all of which are easily absorbed by tomato plants. Product Link: Wiggle Worm 100% Pure Organic Worm Castings Fertilizer
And compost? Compost is truly the crown jewel of powering plants naturally. It works as a slow-release fertilizer that naturally adds organic matter to the soil.
Together these three amazing nutrient filled ingredients are the perfect ingredients to add to your layer of mulch. That is because every time it rains or you water your tomato plants, the nutrients in all three soak right to the roots of the tomato plant.
It truly is the perfect slow release fertilizer trio = to power tomatoes with! Especially when you add on your final 4 to 6 inch top layer of straw, grass clippings or shredded leaves that then protect your plants from the weeds and moisture loss. The entire layer of mulch is not only 100% natural but loaded with power!
How To Create The Perfect Mulch Layer For Tomato Plants
To mulch your plants with this method, start by placing one quarter to one half cup of worm castings around the base of each tomato plant. Keep the castings and all other items back about 1 to 2 inches from touching the tomato stem.
Next, apply one quarter one half cup of coffee grounds as well in the same fashion. Again, keep them from touching the stem as it can burn plants when it comes in contact with them. This is especially true for your seedlings and transplants.
To finish with the power components, apply a couple of inches of compost over top of the coffee grounds and castings. Go in a diameter of at least 12 inches to completely cover the root zone of each plant.
Last but not least, add the thick coating of straw, grass clippings or shredded leaves. The total of all the mulch combined should measure between 4 to 6 inches deep.
Watering And Summer Maintenance Of Mulch
You can continue to feed your plants through the mulch through the summer months by adding additional coffee grounds, worm castings and compost. Once a month, sprinkle on two cups of compost, and 1/4 cup each of castings and grounds.
This will continue to keep your plants powered with a slow dose of energy to the roots. You should be in addition to regular fertilizing.
As the top layer of mulch breaks down during the growing season, you will also need to add more to maintain the same thickness for weed and moisture control.
Here is to using three simple power ingredients to create the best mulch available to help keep your tomato plants healthy, strong, and productive all growing season long!
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