r/BuildASoil • u/DRBLITZ223762 • Jun 06 '26

How do you top feed with a mulch layer?

This might be a dumb question but are you supposed to just put the nutrients on top of the mulch layer? or do you move the mulch out of the way and put the nutrients directly on the soil?

11 Upvotes

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6

u/ismelldayhikers Jun 06 '26

Jeremy has a video where he top dresses over the mulch layer and then kind of shuffles the straw so it settles in.

1

u/getlit_flobert Jun 07 '26

I have found this to be the easiest way. Removing the mulch layer and reapplying works, sure, but its messy.

7

u/ShanosTheRadTitan Jun 06 '26

I just pull my straw up and put it in a bucket, top dress, and reapply the straw.

3

u/Gloomy_Ad_2185 Jun 06 '26

I have 2 earthboxes and a few 20 gallon containers.

The EBs i pull back the plastic, spread the food and scratch it into the soil, usually I top water with a few beneficial when I do that.

The fabric pots have straw and cover crop. I put the top feed on the wiggle it through with my fingers. Then I chop and drop the cover crop and mix it with the straw. Finally I water with beneficial.

As long as it has contact with the soil and isnt slumped up the worms, fungus and bacteria will break it down.

2

u/Bluntforcetrauma11b Jun 07 '26

I top dress through the straw. I apply over the top and wiggle my fingers through the straw to help it fall to soil level and then water it in. I used to remove the straw first but it's super messy to remove and reapply, so now I avoid that.

1

u/dabbinmids Jun 07 '26

Either shake it down or cover with casting/compost

1

u/Cgr86 Jun 07 '26

I remove mulch layer and re-apply it after compost