Natural hemp mulch for vegetable gardens and pots

Regular price ¥1,800
Regular price Sale price ¥1,800
Volume Price Price per L vs 5 L
5 L ¥1,800 ¥360—
10 L ¥2,200 ¥220−39 %
20 L ¥2,900 ¥145−60 %
40 L ¥3,900 ¥98−73 %
200 L ¥7,100 ¥36−90 %
¥600 × 3 with no fees

This hemp mulch is made from hemp shiv, the woody part of the stem, grown in Champagne without herbicide or insecticide. Spread to a depth of 4 to 5 cm, it keeps the soil moist, protects it from temperature swings and holds back unwanted weeds, in pots as well as in the vegetable garden.

Ref. 3951·Crop protection
Volume : 5 l
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The summary

  • Material: hemp shiv, the woody part of the hemp stem, crushed and dried, with no chemical treatment.
  • What it does: it limits evaporation, holds back weeds and insulates the soil from both cold and heat.
  • Thickness: a layer of 4 to 5 cm, or about 40 to 50 litres per square metre.
  • Pack sizes: the 5 L bag covers one large pot, the 200 L sack covers 4 to 5 m² of vegetable patch.
  • When to apply: on soil that has already warmed up in spring, or in autumn to protect the crops in place.
  • Shipping: a sealed bag or sack, from 0.5 to 20 kg depending on the size.

French hemp shiv to cover pots, raised beds and the vegetable garden

Guano Diffusion's hemp mulch is hemp shiv, the woody part of the stem, grown in Champagne without treatment, with a pH of 7.3. Spread 4 to 5 cm deep, it retains moisture and breaks down in about 3 years. Sold from 5 to 200 L, it covers pots and vegetable patches, never aquaponic tanks.

This mulch is made of hemp shiv, that is, the woody part of the hemp stalk, which is separated from the fibres and then crushed into light, pale flakes. The hemp it is made from is grown in Champagne without herbicides, fungicides or insecticides, then processed in France. Spread over the surface of the soil, it forms a cover that protects your soil between waterings, whether in a balcony pot, on a vegetable bed or at the foot of a shrub.

A neutral pH

With a pH of 7.3, hemp shiv does not acidify your soil, unlike some organic mulches.

An organic material

The dry matter contains 97% organic matter, which soil life gradually breaks down.

A stable layer

Once watered, the layer resists wind and run-off, which protects the soil from erosion.

A light layer

The flakes weigh around 0.1 kg per litre, so the 200 L bag weighs only 20 kg.

🌾 A mulch that retains water

Bare soil dries out quickly at the surface, because the sun and wind evaporate the water as fast as you apply it. A layer of hemp acts as a screen: it limits evaporation, so that moisture lasts longer around the roots and you water less often. This same layer insulates the soil from temperature swings, whether from summer heat or an autumn frost. Deprived of light, weed seeds germinate far less, which reduces weeding. Finally, vegetables that touch the ground, such as strawberries or courgettes, stay clean, since the rain no longer splashes soil back onto them.

📏 Laying the mulch

First weed the surface, then apply your organic fertiliser, such as dried blood guano raked into the surface, because the mulch goes on soil that has already been fed. Next spread the hemp shiv in a layer 4 to 5 cm thick, which is roughly 40 to 50 litres per square metre, and leave a small gap around the collar of the plants. Finally, water the mulched surface generously: once moistened, the flakes bind together and the layer no longer blows away. The 200 L bag, or 20 kg, thus covers 4 to 5 m², while a 5 L bag is enough for a large pot 35 cm in diameter. To water as close as possible to the roots beneath this layer, an unglazed terracotta olla buried in the centre of the bed releases water without having to move the mulch.

A jar buried under the mulch for summer starts

If you are away for several days in summer, combine the mulch with a buried irrigation pot. The pot releases water into the soil through its porous wall, while the hemp stops that water from evaporating at the surface. You then refill the pot less often, and the roots stay moist between visits, even through a hot week.

A few hemp seeds may germinate

Hemp shiv may contain a few hemp seeds, which sometimes sprout as small shoots in the layer. Pull them out by hand as soon as they appear, before they take root. If you want a mulch completely free of seeds, the miscanthus mulch is better suited to this use.

🌡️ Mulching at the right time

Because it insulates, mulch keeps the temperature that the soil had at the moment it was laid. Laid on soil that is still cold in early spring, it keeps it cool for longer, and summer vegetables that like warm soil, such as courgettes, tomatoes or melons, then get off to a slower start. Trials carried out in organic market gardening thus measured, at a depth of 15 cm, soil that was 1.6 to 2.1 °C cooler under a hemp felt than under a woven fabric or a plastic film, with a slower start for the courgettes. In spring, therefore, wait until your soil is well warmed up and the plants have taken before mulching.

Autumn, on the other hand, is a very good time to lay a fresh layer. Spread over the crops in place, at the foot of perennials and small fruit bushes, the hemp shiv protects the soil from rain that compacts it and leaches out its nutrients, then soil life begins to break it down over the winter. In summer, on soil that is already warm and well watered, the mulch finally limits surface heating and evaporation, which makes it the best time for your pots in full sun.

🐟 Mulch around an aquaponic system

Many aquaponics growers also grow in soil, in the vegetable garden or in pots, alongside their system. The water removed during a partial water change, rich in nitrates, is then used to water these crops, and the hemp mulch keeps it within reach of the roots for longer. The sludge collected at the bottom of a settling tank or a mechanical filter, rich in waste and uneaten feed, is spread in the same way at the base of the vegetables or on a compost heap, then covered with hemp shive, which limits odours and drying out. This way you make use of two by-products of the pond without adding anything to the fish's system.

Mulch, on the other hand, is reserved for soil and pots. The circuit's grow beds, filled with clay pebbles, are not mulched, because light flakes would end up in the fish water, where they would float, break down and foul the pump or the filter. In an aquaponic greenhouse, hemp shiv does, however, have its place in the aisles and around crops grown in the ground, away from the bed, where it keeps the soil clean and moist. The article on preparing an aquaponic system for autumn returns to this season, when neighbouring crops also need protecting.

🍂 What becomes of the layer

Hemp shiv is very rich in carbon and low in nitrogen, which explains why it breaks down slowly, over about 3 years. As long as it stays on the surface, it does not rob your plants of nitrogen, because only the thin layer in contact with the soil is attacked by micro-organisms. Avoid digging it in fresh with a spade, however: mixed into the soil, it would tie up the soil's nitrogen while it decomposes, to the detriment of seedlings. When the layer thins out, simply add fresh flakes on top of the old ones, and apply your worm compost or garden compost before covering, to feed the soil that the mulch protects.

Technical specifications

The material

Composition
100% hempHemp shiv, the woody part of the stem
Crop
Champagne, with no chemical treatmentNo herbicide, fungicide or insecticide
Organic matter
97% of the dry matter
pH
7.3Does not acidify the soil
Organic farming
Usable
Manufacture
France

Usage

Thickness
4 to 5 cmWater the layer straight after laying it
Quantity
40 to 50 L per m²The 200 L bag covers 4 to 5 m²
Density
Approximately 0.1 kg per litreThe 200 L bag weighs 20 kg
Lifespan
About 3 yearsTop up the layer when it starts to thin
Fitting season
Spring on warm soil, autumnOn cold soil, mulch delays summer vegetables
Location
Pots, vegetable garden, flower bedsNever in the tanks of the aquaponic circuit

4 further specifications are available in the detailed view.

In the box

  • 1 sealed sachet or bag of hemp mulch, from 5 to 200 L depending on the size chosen

Composition, pH, organic matter, thickness, dose and duration: manufacturer's data sheet and bag label; soil temperature from an Agrobio35 trial on courgette. Areas calculated at 40 to 50 L per m².

Manufacturer and product safety

Manufacturer
Guano Diffusion

Information provided under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety.

Which size for your area?

The same hemp mulch in five sizes, from the balcony bag to the large vegetable-garden sack.

Which bag to choose? Answer two questions about your crops, and the table highlights itself.

5 LYour choice10 LYour choice20 LYour choiceRecommended
40 LYour choice		200 LYour choice
The size
Volume5 L10 L20 L40 L200 L
Bag weight (kg)0.5 kg1 kg2 kg4 kg20 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)0.12 m²0.25 m²0.5 m²1 m²5 m²
Price¥1,800¥2,200¥2,900¥3,900¥7,100
5 L
The size
Volume5 L
Bag weight (kg)0.5 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)0.12 m²
10 L
The size
Volume10 L
Bag weight (kg)1 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)0.25 m²
20 L
The size
Volume20 L
Bag weight (kg)2 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)0.5 m²
40 LRecommended
The size
Volume40 L
Bag weight (kg)4 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)1 m²
200 L
The size
Volume200 L
Bag weight (kg)20 kg
Area covered at 4 cm deep (m²)5 m²

Areas calculated on the basis of 40 L per m², which is a 4 cm layer.

Estimate your
delivery time

The mulch is sent in its original bag or sack, sealed. The exact shipping cost is shown in your basket, depending on the size chosen, from 0.5 to 20 kg.

Frequently asked questions

6 questions

6 key questions

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