Mulch for garlic

[Father'sDaughter]

Looking good! I planted mine a couple of weeks ago, and as soon as it gets colder and more leaves fall, my bed will get a heavy layer of chopped leaves. For now I’m hoping the garlic roots are getting a strong foothold before winter halts their growth.

I learned that chopped leaves tend to stay put better than whole ones. And while I do a thick layer late in the fall, I will gently rake some of it off the garlic bed once it thaws in the spring, leaving just enough to cover the drip tubing and suppress weeds. It has been working well and by fall, most of the leaf mulching will have broken down.

Straw has gotten pricey around here as so many homeowners are buying bales to use as part of their lawn decorations... and even if it is labeled seed free, I still spend half the summer pulling out sprouts...