Mulch netting – a guide on mulch control using nets

Sometimes you need mulch in your garden to protect the soil, prevent it from drying out or even aid the seeding of your tiny new seedlings. Whatever your reason is, if this mulch starts to wash or blow away. This can be a big problem. That’s why using nets for your mulch is necessary but knowing where to start with mulch netting can be difficult. In this article, the topic is broken down.

Why would you need mulch netting in your garden?

Whether your mulch has been washing away, blowing away or quite simply getting to places it shouldn’t. Mulch netting is perfect for scenarios like this.

Pros

• Allows light and air exchange of the soil to prevent anaerobic soils form forming
• Allows seeds to grow through the netting
• Prevents birds from picking at your freshly sown seeds

Cons

• Can be expensive if you have a large area of land to cover

The best types of protective netting to hold mulch in place

This is a list of all the types of mulch netting I’ve seen work in outdoor spaces. There is a real range so you can decide for yourself and make the best decision you can.

In general, nets that integrate well with your garden design, are durable and have appropriate sized holes so mulch isn’t able to escape will be ideal.

Read on for some options and their pros and cons so you can make an informed decision.

Erosion control blanket

This netting as the name suggests wasn’t directly made to keep mulch in place but instead to prevent soil from eroding and causing a mess.

So you can use this blanket in the same way as you would for erosion control but instead lay it over your mulch and have it keep your mulch in place.

I find the product works well as a mulch netting and the reviews say the same despite this not being what it was made for. What’s also great is the product is entirely biodegradable so you won’t ever have to get down in the dirt and rip up the netting when you’re finished.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows with this product though… just like there are advantages to it being biodegradable. There are also disadvantages.

You cannot use it on extremely steep slopes as the netting isn’t that strong. In addition, you may have to replace the netting if it starts to degrade before your mulch has settled in place. Racking up costs and using up time to replace it.

If you are the type to want to set something up one time and have it stay there for years. This netting isn’t for you as the product biodegrades in just two to three months!

Garden netting

This product is to put it simply: cheap yet very effective.

It is meant to be used as a general garden netting. Like making a mesh for chicken coops and fending off birds.

But like a lot of things, it has multiple uses. So I use this sometimes as mulch netting instead and it works reasonably well. The manufacturer makes it thicker than usual which makes it more durable and ideal for your mulch.

There are also a range of sizes of netting you can buy depending on how much mulch you have to cover. No one want to waste money and materials on netting you aren’t going to use do they?

Unfortunately, the only down side I could find is the netting doesn’t come with stakes or pegs to secure it in to the ground so you will have to buy those separately or use another method of securing your netting.

So with all things considered, if you want a reliable, non – biodegradable netting this could be a good choice for you

Veggie mesh

This mesh I find especially useful for keeping in place fine mulches such as pine, leaves and sawdust. This is due to how small the holes are in the netting. Keeping most things in place without reducing the lighting.

However, buying veggie mulch in large quantities for a large area of ground is not a good idea as the cost can rack up.

So veggie mulch is perfect for that small bit of fine mulch in your garden bed that constantly seems to come out of place.

Good sources of mulch netting online

Some well know sources of mulch netting include UsNetting.com, Gardeners.com or Amazon.com.

Wherever you buy from, make sure you check the company for good reviews and you are able to accurately select the size of the holes you need and the length of netting you require.

How to secure mulch netting

So you realize you need netting, you find the right net, and now you’re looking at securing it down. First of all, pick a day of good weather. No rain coupled with minimal wind will allow you to put down your edging easily.

First, place your netting over the area that you need to cover. This can be small or large.

Next, use stakes to ground your netting in to the soil along the edges. You should place your stakes every few feet along the edge of the netting.

Biodegradable stakes are useful if your netting is also biodegradable. This means once you place everything down, you wont need to remove anything in the future,

Landscape staples make excellent stakes or you can even find more secure ones like these that have flat edges. perfect for adding extra security to your nets.

Can you use bird netting to hold mulch in place?

The answer is yes! However, the biggest problem with bird netting is that the holes in them are often too big to hold down mulch, especially if the pieces in your mulch are very small.

For example, if your mulch is made of pieces like sawdust or pine needles you will likely need to go with some finer mesh netting. But much with bigger pieces in them won’t be problematic.

For example, check out this example by port potager where they use bird netting to cover leaves

What’s the deal with biodegradable mulch netting?

Jute netting is an example of a biodegradable netting choice that can be found in a lot of gardening stores. If not, check it out online.

Jute netting is made from the strong fibre of a certain type of flowering plant. Meaning once your hang it up or place it down. All of it will be returned to the soil eventually.

If you are passionate about keeping your outdoor growing space as natural as possible and perhaps organic. This is the choice of netting for you.

How long does jute netting last for?

Jute netting will last for approximately 20 – 25 months before it starts to degrade and you will need to replace it. You can easily get the most out of your netting for two seasons in most cases.

However, placing your jute netting over mulch can mean it is wet for a lot of the time and exposed to more bacteria and organisms that help break down the soil. Like worms and ants.

So when you place your jute netting in soggy conditions close to the soil, expect it to last not quite as long.

Common mistakes people make when using mulch netting

Here’s a quick checklist to read before you use netting for your mulch. It is always wise to learn from the mistakes of other people!

• Expecting your mulch netting to hold back more mulch than it can, causing the net to come out of place
• Not securing the netting properly so it blows away
• Buying netting with holes that are too big
• Not carefully considering what type of netting to use for your mulch and preferences