{"id":4635,"date":"2021-07-14T03:22:55","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T03:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/?p=4635"},"modified":"2021-07-20T01:09:08","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T01:09:08","slug":"mulch-strawberries-with-leaves-tips-and-tricks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/garden\/mulch-strawberries-with-leaves-tips-and-tricks\/","title":{"rendered":"Mulch strawberries with leaves | Tips and Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mulching strawberries with shredded fall leaves is an easy and free way to protect your strawberries over the winter months. Fall leaves can be collected for free and shredded with a mower or mulching leaf blower to help the leaves break down. Using whole fall leaves to mulch strawberries will work if they are mixed with other mulch types like straw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips and tricks when mulching strawberries with leaves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When mulching with whole leaves<\/a> it is important to consider how windy the area is. While fall leaves will break down over time, they will be light and will move around in your garden in the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose not to shred your fall leaves, then mix them with bark mulch or straw to keep them in place around your strawberries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dry fall leaves will help to protect your strawberries from weeds and improve your soil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of leaf mulch for strawberries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leaf mulch when shredded is a great addition to your strawberry patch. Leaves quickly break down to improve the soil, keep soil moisture in and prevent weeds. Here are the top benefits of leaf mulch for strawberries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weed control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shredded fall leaves or leaves that are mixed with other mulch types<\/a> will form a blanket over the soil around your strawberry plant. This will block the light that would reach weed seeds and stop them from growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping weeds away from your strawberry plants will help your plants to grow better as the weeds won\u2019t be stealing nutrients away from the plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep water in the soil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mulched leaves will help to keep water in the soil<\/a> around strawberry plants as it will help to reduce evaporation. Strawberry plants are thirsty so any effort to keep water in the soil will help you to grow more strawberries and water less often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve soil bacteria growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Building a healthy population of soil bacteria will help to break mulch down and release nutrients into the soil. Soil bacteria will digest the leaves and it will gradually break down incorporating into your soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attract more worms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As the mulch is broken down by soil bacteria worms will come to eat the mulch and the soil bacteria turning it into worm castings. This rich material is a fantastic addition to your soil adding extra organic matter, water holding capacity and support root growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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