What's the best word to use for mulch?
I was discussing this with two of my students the other night. Luis from El Salvador says that it's "serrín". His classmate from Mexico disagrees but has no idea what it would be called because he's only used it here and calls it "el mulch" which I assume is just Espanglish. "Serrín" would be sawdust but Luis says that some sawdust is fine and some is course like mulch. "Corteza" might be another option but that's really "tree bark".
What would be the most common way to say mulch in Central America referring to the bark that you put out in flower beds or around trees?
6 Answers
Part of your problem is that many things can be used as mulch. You are trying to describe a product that has entered the U.S. market in the last 20 years.
Here is Wikipedia's description of mulch in English.
In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. Mulching in gardens and landscaping mimics the leaf cover that is found on forest floors.
Shredded wood used as mulch. This type of mulch is often dyed to improve its appearance in the landscape.
Pine needles used as mulch. Also called "pinestraw" in the southern US.
Aged compost mulch on a flower bed
Crushed stone mulch
Materials used as mulches vary and depend on a number of factors. Use takes into consideration availability, cost, appearance, the effect it has on the soil — including chemical reactions and pH, durability, combustibility, rate of decomposition, how clean it is — some can contain weed seeds or plant pathogens.
A variety of materials are used as mulch:
Organic residues: grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, kitchen scraps comfrey, shredded bark, whole bark nuggets, sawdust, shells, wood chips, shredded newspaper, cardboard, wool, but also animal manure, etc. Many of these materials also act as a direct composting system, such as the mulched clippings of a mulching lawn mower, or other organics applied as sheet composting.
Compost: This should be fully composted material to avoid possible phytotoxicity problems, and the weed seed must have been eliminated, otherwise the mulch will actually produce weed cover.
Rubber mulch: made from recycled tire rubber.
Plastic mulch: crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting. This method is predominant in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of acres cultivated under plastic mulch worldwide each year (disposal of plastic mulch is cited as an environmental problem).
Rock and gravel can also be used as a mulch. In cooler climates the heat retained by rocks may extend the growing season.
Now, if you want a good smile, click here for a description, in Spanish, of how to mulch. It seems that one of your students may be right.
I just checked Joyce's wiki link and clicked on the Spanish and this is what I got. alcolchado Is "alcolchado" (padding) really understood as mulch? Also "mulching" which makes me think that maybe espanglish is my best bet on this one. How about "el mulch de madera triturada" for shredded wood mulch?
HAHAHA Well Serrín is Sawdust, so no, Honestly this one's hard, but i'd probably use "Madera triturada" is the closest word i can think of.
A reference guide called "Spanish for Landscaping" uses the phrase "material de alcochado" for the word mulch. Compost is "abono" and wood chips are "astillas de madera". The reference does not state the country of origin for these terms.
I've never heard of this word: 'pajote' (but when I doubleclick it actually says 'mulch'!!!
Here's what we've got in the SD dictionary.....
mulch [m?lt?] sustantivo1. mantillo (m) capote (m) (español de Colombia)
mulch [malch] sustantivo1. El estiércol y la paja, que se echa alrededor de los tallos de las plantas para abrigar sus raíces. va. Cubrir (las plantas, hierbas, etc.) con paja y estiércol.
