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To mulch or not to mulch....

I've been following the discussion on the list about whether its best to
mulch when putting down seeds, and the opinions have been somewhat varied,
which sent me to the books to see what the experts had to say.  The long
and the short of it seems to be that what seeds require most for
germination is water, heat and light, in that order.  Mulching definitely
helps with the first, by retarding evaporation.  The heat is pretty much
left to mother nature.  In fact, light is really not a factor in the very
early stages of germination until the seed coat is broken down and the
first leaves appear.  This makes sense when you consider that seeds are, in
fact, covered with a very thin layer of soil when planted.  My guess is
that given appropriate water and heat seeds will germinate irrespective of
mulch, and I just as soon have a thin layer of mulch on from the very
beginning, since its so much easier than trying to put it on around young,
tender plants.

Of course, as they say, your mileage may vary....

Louis LaCour


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