Mulch

[gpike]

My daughter is a grade 9 student here in St. John's and is preparing a presentation for their upcoming science fair. Her topic is 'Mulch' and she is attempting to explain what it is and how it benifits crop production. Some questions she cannot find answers for are: 1. Does the color of the plastic make a difference, and if so, how? 2. What crops benifit most from mulch? 3. Does the thickness of the plastic have an impact? and if so, which thickness is best. Help on any of the above questions in the form of a direct answer or the suggestion of a website would be appreciated. Comments on any aspect of mulching(?) would also be welcomed.
Thanks for your time.

[emiled]

Best bet is horticultural websites ... Doing a search for "plastic mulch" in MSN search produced numerous results...

You may try "compost" or straw residue for "organic" type mulches ... good luck

[rodbradshaw]

Hope this helps.
Color of mulch is important in that black or dark colored mulch inhibits light and prevents weed growth from underneath the plastic. It also heats up the ground and speeds plant growth of the desirable plant species. I have seen clear mulch used in strawberry production in the US and all it does is prevent the berries from coming in contact with the soil.
As far as thickness goes that would be better answered by a Supplier as my guess would be the thicker the plastic the longer the life of the product before it starts to break down. You might also try the Nova Scotia Ag site that has a link from Agri-ville.

[DanMoore]

Here is a good site. It even answers the question relating to specific crops. Note that the IRT clear plastic serves better for heat loving plants.

http://members.tripod.com/vegstuff/

Nice topic. Good luck.