Black mulch, as the name suggests, is pure black, and its light transmittance is very low. Therefore, it can not only effectively prevent the evaporation of water in the soil, but also maintain soil moisture. Moreover, it can also effectively inhibit the growth of weeds due to the lack of sunlight. However, black mulch also has drawbacks, such as its inability to transmit light, so soil warming is relatively slow, and the price is also more expensive than white mulch.
Due to these advantages and disadvantages of black mulch, it is currently mainly suitable for cultivation on weedy plots, or in vegetable and orchard cultivation in high temperature seasons, especially for high temperature prevention cultivation in summer and autumn. This is due to the light impermeability of black mulch, which can create a good growth and development environment for crop roots and improve yield. For example, many professional growers use black mulch when planting vegetables such as summer radish, cabbage, spinach, autumn cucumber, and late tomato. Some orchards with lots of weeds will also be covered with black mulch.