What Is a Black Mulch?
A Black mulch is the most common type of mulch sheet used in agriculture.
A mulch sheet is a material used to cover the ridges of a field, and is expected to have various effects such as preventing the ridges from collapsing and the soil from flowing away when it rains, regulating ground temperature, controlling weed growth, and protecting crops from disease.
Black is the most common color for mulch sheets, but there are various colors other than black, such as transparent, silver, and green. Each color has its own features of its own.
Uses of Black Mulches
Black mulches are used to cover the ridges of fields, preventing the soil from being scraped by rain and the evaporation of moisture from the soil. They also play an important role in controlling weeds, preventing diseases, and growing crops, and are used in many fields.
Black absorbs more heat from sunlight. Care should be taken when using black mulches in the summer, as they may heat the soil more than necessary.
Types of Black Mulches
There are many types of black mulches, depending on whether they have holes or not and on their size, and some are made of materials that return to the soil. There are also various types by color, such as transparent, reversible black and white, and silver. There are also mulching methods that use humus, wood chips, straw, and other materials.
Choose the mulch sheet that best suits your purpose of use and cost.
How to Use Black Mulches
Preparation is necessary before using black mulches.
First, mix lime and fertilizer into the soil and leave it for 2 to 3 days. The best time to lay down the black mulches are when there is little wind and during the warm daytime hours.
Features of Black Mulches
1. Advantages
It can inhibit weed growth.
Black mulches can inhibit the growth of weeds. This is because it prevents weeds from growing by reducing sunlight to the soil around the crop. This can greatly reduce the amount of time spent on weed control, especially if the crop is grown over a large area.
Maintain a favorable soil environment
Black mulches can help maintain a comfortable soil environment for crops. For example, it can control rapid temperature changes in the soil, prevent fertilizer runoff due to rainfall, and prevent soil drying out. In addition to this, it also prevents the soil from hardening due to rainfall and helps maintain the soil’s cohesive structure.
Preventing crop diseases
Black mulches can prevent crop diseases. It is not uncommon for rainwater to cause soil to splash and stick to crops, from which crop diseases develop. Another advantage of black mulches are that they can prevent crop diseases by preventing mud from splashing.
2. Disadvantages
Difficult to apply fertilizer and soil
When black mulches are laid down, it is difficult to apply fertilizer and soil. For example, when applying fertilizer, it is necessary to insert your hands through the holes in the mulch or peel off the mulch sheet. Similarly, soil gathering must be done while avoiding the mulch sheet, which is more labor intensive than when the mulch sheet is not laid down.
Labor-intensive work and management
Black mulches are labor-intensive in every aspect, including laying it down, removing it, and dealing with it when it comes off in the wind. As mentioned in the previous section, the same applies to fertilization and soil composting.
Costly
The installation of black mulches are costly. Especially when black mulches are installed over a large area. Consider the type of crop to be grown and your budget when considering the introduction of this system.