Last year I tried an experiment with red versus black versus no mulch.
I grew in 4ft by 40ft beds. I grew the same varieties in 3 different beds. One with red mulch, one with black mulch, and one with no mulch. Also, I grew some determinites, some semi-determinites and some indeterminites.
I was unable to properly determine the results due to physical issues and general craziness of the farm. However,the plants in beds with red mulch did produce for a few weeks later than the other beds due to the delayed onset of disease versus the other beds. Don't know why, but that is how it played out.
Like most things, it is not too expensive (cost per plant) when done on a larger scale. I always use a mulch of some kind to help prevent some diseases and weeding. My big problem with the red mulch is that the large rolls are not perforated, thus not letting what little rainwater that we receive to the plants.
This years "mulch" experiment will be white-on-black plastic versus black plastic. Part of the theory here is that the white-on-black should not heat the soil as much as the black. The black plastic heats the soil too much for us here in the South when making later plantings. We'll see what happens.
Ray,
I agree that it probably isn't practical for use in a single earthbox. As Carolyn indicates, the official studies were done on determinite plants in commercial situations. Obviously the most appropriate use. Not my best suggestion.
Bill
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