| There is a lot of talk about mulching your tomato | | | | farm. |
| plants, and the rest of your garden. This is a good | | | | But the important thing to remember about mulching |
| thing, but don't think you have to run to the local | | | | your tomato garden, is that you must wait until the |
| garden center and get a truckload of expensive | | | | soil reaches a good warm temperature, or else the |
| mulch. | | | | mulch will insulate the cold in the soil. |
| Mulching around your vegetable garden, or the rest | | | | Your tomato plants, need the soil to be warm to |
| of your garden for that matter, helps to retain | | | | thrive, so depending on your climate, let the plants |
| moisture, which helps cut back on watering, which of | | | | get a good start first, keep the weeds down, |
| course helps the environment stay green, but it | | | | (weeds don't seem to care what temperature the |
| doesn't have to be the expensive bark mulch you | | | | soil is!) , and make sure they get watered. As the |
| can get in a rainbow of colors now, unless you are | | | | temps start to rise overnight, and the soil gets |
| going for a trendy looking garden! | | | | warmer, then mulch. This will retain the heat in the |
| As long as you have not sprayed your lawn, and | | | | soil as well as the moisture needed. |
| your lawn is not on any "drugs" you can bag your | | | | Plus as an added bonus, mulching tomato plants |
| clippings as you cut your lawn, and use these around | | | | keeps those dreaded weeds down. I usually mulch to |
| your tomato plants. Lawn clippings are full of | | | | about 2 inches deep and then turn it into the ground |
| nutrients. Or you can use that pile of dead leaves | | | | in the fall. It also helps energize the soil for next |
| you have in your back corner, or hay from a local | | | | years tomato crop. |