Author: Nate Dalman, Research Professional 3, West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN. Weed control is a major concern for all farmers and gardeners regardless of field size. Many growers rely on plastic mulch due to its effectiveness, and because it can help conserve soil moisture and increase soil temperature. However plastic mulch must be discarded at the end of the season resulting in a large amount of plastic waste. Fortunately, new products are being developed to achieve the same benefits of as plastic mulch but are biodegradable and can be incorporated into the soil rather than ending up in a landfill. In 2021, at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN, two experiments took place to test some of these new mulch products against plastic. One involved growing day neutral strawberries in a white on black plastic mulch, paper mulch, and a product called BioMulch. The paper mulch used was WeedGuard Plus® creped version ...
