Types of Mulch Benefits of Mulching | Black Film Planet Plastic

Mulching is the process of covering the soil surface around plants with any protective material (such as straw, mown grass, sawdust, pebbles, agrofibre, or film) to protect the soil from drying out and overheating.

As an agrotechnical practice, mulching has become widespread in many Western European countries, the USA, and Canada. It is known that in Eastern Europe, mulching with buckwheat straw was applied as early as the 17th century.

Mulching is one of the simplest and most effective ways to maintain plant health and increase crop yields.

Types of Mulch

Both artificial materials and organic matter can serve as mulch. This means that mulching can be performed in several ways:

• Covering the soil with film, agrofibre, small stones, or other specialized materials;
• Topping it with organic materials: mown grass, sawdust, bark, compost, etc.

Today, the most popular material for mulching is black film, which is suitable for most vegetables, berries, and for use in greenhouse tunnels.

Varieties of Black Mulching Film

We manufacture several varieties of black mulching film: Mulch PRO, Mulch ECO, and Bashtan ECO. In the current year, we have also launched the production of a five-layer Mulch PRO film.

Mulch ECO and Bashtan ECO are black mulching films for cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and melons, or grey films for watermelons. They last for one season, have a thickness of 30 µm, and are perfectly suited for mulching annual crops. Additionally, Mulch ECO and Bashtan ECO are produced from recycled raw materials and, naturally, cost less.

Single-layer Mulch PRO is a black mulching film with a service life of 36 months and a thickness of 40 µm, making it ideal for mulching strawberries or other perennial berry crops.

Five-layer Mulch PRO also features a service life of 36 months, but it is significantly thinner than the single-layer version, with a thickness of 25 microns. Consequently, it weighs less while offering enhanced physical and mechanical properties: greater strength and higher resistance to tears and punctures. It is ideal for mulching strawberries and blueberries.

Thanks to the five-layer structure of the new mulching film, we succeeded in reducing its thickness to 25 µm without sacrificing its mechanical strength.

As a result, a roll of this film costs nearly 20% less because it is thinner and, consequently, lighter, providing substantial savings for the consumer.

The price for black mulching film is listed in our price list.

Advantages of Mulching

Whichever mulching film you choose for your garden beds—whether the 5-layer Mulch Pro or the budget-friendly Mulch ECO—you will experience all the benefits of mulching, namely:

• Mulch retains nutrients in the soil, preventing them from weathering and leaching out;
• It suppresses the growth and development of weeds and unwanted vegetation;
• It protects plant roots from overheating during summer heatwaves and from freezing during the winter period;
• There is no need to till the soil, as the ground does not compact even after heavy downpours, and the plants remain clean;
• It creates a favorable microclimate and optimal conditions for the vital activity of soil microorganisms and earthworms. As a result, the topsoil becomes enriched with micronutrients essential for plant growth and development;
• It prevents moisture evaporation from the soil within the root zone.

Plants mulched with film require fewer nutrients, yield increases can reach up to 30%, and strawberries or raspberries become much easier to harvest. Furthermore, rodents are less likely to nest in greenhouse tunnels where black film is installed.

Among the range of mulching films manufactured by Planeta Plastik, it is easy to select the exact film that suits your specific crops.

Call us at +38 (044) 229-00-00, and our managers will provide you with a comprehensive consultation to help you choose the appropriate film variety. You can buy black mulching film on our website under the “Products” section.

Mulching is a highly beneficial agronomic technique capable of increasing yields while simultaneously reducing manual labor and making a gardener’s life easier.

Wishing everyone a rich harvest!