Should I Use Mulch OR Ground Cover - Allotment Beginners UK

We often get asked Should I use mulch or ground cover in our allotment beginners UK channel. We started off our new allotment years ago with no ground cover but have developed a couple of ways that enable us to get ahead in the spring.

We use mulch or ground cover on as much open ground as we can over the winter. This enriches the soil and keeps the weeds down. We often get a dry spring in the UK so have a ground cover or mulch also helps keep the soil moist whilst we are getting ready for planting.

The ground cover or weed membrane we use is;

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Chapters;
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Benefits of covering the ground over winter
01:37 How we started on our new allotment
01:58 1. Using Mulch
03:15 2. Having crops in the ground
03:52 3. Green Manure
04:47 4. Weed Suppressant Membrane

#gardening #allotment #mulch

[GARDENER]

I'm waiting for some dry(ish) weather so I can apply my annual 3cm of compost mulch (I'm no dig).
No real need for ground cover, as more than half my beds still have crops in, or have been planted - leeks, cabbage, brussels, parsnips, broccoli & beetroot still in, plus overwintering peas, broad beans, garlic.

[jeffjones]

I favour straw as ground cover. First goes down a layer of compost, rich in nitrogen from chicken bedding, then a couple of bales of straw kept from blowing away with planks of wood layed on top.
Just want to say thank you for the growing tips throughout the year. Always useful.

[li]

We have a very wet site in winter and a difficult access issue so chop and drop is excellent for us but I also add in spring some home made compost green manure and comfrey used for chop and drop. Works for us and keeps costs down. 🙂

[GardeningforBeginners]

Have a good Christmas and happy new year 🎉

[JHS]

Since 10 years I have mulch on my vegetable and fruit beds. Now in autumn and winter all beds are lying under leaves. In the spring almost all leaves are digested by the worms and so on. In the spring I put on home made compost, digested manure of cow, horse and chicken and some lava flour. Weeds who are not flowering or seeding I chop and drop. When it’s almost summer I put a small amount of hemp litter on the beds (not more than a half cm even less) because the slugs don’t like it and it keeps the moist in the ground when it is very hot and dry. That’s a year in my mulch garden.
I went from very hard claysoil to very nice soil what is full of life. I only can recommend to do the same!

[izzywizzy]

When I had the allotment I used a mixture of compost and manure and crops on the beds and woodchips and Strulch on my paths. Now my space is smaller so I am trying out living ground cover and chop and drop then I plan to clear weeds and add compost and manure on the beds in Feb. My growing space is mostly on a slope so I don’t want the compost and manure to be washed away during winter weather, but at the same time I want to look after the soil. I hope it works 🤞😅

[YvonneCook-ip]

We used to have a great amount of wood chip available for us all to use, but now the suppliers are sending it to be used as bio fuel so we no longer have it available, I'm having to change the way I do things this year.🌻