Borage mulch

I planted borage as a companion plant years ago. Even though I have had to redo most of my raised beds I still have never had to replant it.  For the most part I mass plant, so I don't need to mulch, believe me the ground is covered. With the exception of when I transition from one season to another. Before everything can fill in there's a lot of bare soil. I start to think about mulch. I can buy straw, I test it, and it will grow peas, or beans that look normal, but I still wonder what residual ick is in there because it's not organic. The same with rice hulls. With the exception of seeds (I use non organic seeds if I need them now and can't find organic) everything I add to my garden is organic, or homemade. So mulch is always a debate for me.  This year the borage is growing like never before, which is funny because the veggies are good, but definitely not as good as the last couple of years, at least so far. The borage is literally crowding out all it's neighbors. I have decided to use it as mulch.  It's a win win. Get it out of the way, I have organic mulch I don't have to pay for. Borage being a cousin of comfrey is a dynamic accumulator, so it should make a great mulch.

I love this idea.  I'm doing something similar with green alkanet

However, Toby Henenway reports that, on the concept of 'dynamic accumulators', Robert Kourik "who pretty much originated that term (it’s his table you will see when you google the term)" now says there is so only limited evidence at best that such an effect - bring up use quantities of minerals from the subsoil, without depleting noticabley the upper soil - actually occurs.

Perennial nettles & Russian comfrey do have this effect for calcium in newer data, although that and the bioavailability depend on each specific soil ecosystem.

Science of 'dynamic accumulation":
https://earthundaunted.com/which-dynamic-accumulator-plants-are-actually-helpful-for-your-garden-according-to-science/

Ac Baker wrote:I love this idea.  I'm doing something similar with green alkanet

However, Toby Henenway reports that, on the concept of 'dynamic accumulators', Robert Kourik "who pretty much originated that term (it’s his table you will see when you google the term)" now says there is so only limited evidence at best that such an effect - bring up use quantities of minerals from the subsoil, without depleting noticabley the upper soil - actually occurs.

Perennial nettles & Russian comfrey do have this effect for calcium in newer data, although that and the bioavailability depend on each specific soil ecosystem.

Science of 'dynamic accumulation":
https://earthundaunted.com/which-dynamic-accumulator-plants-are-actually-helpful-for-your-garden-according-to-science/

Thanks for posting that link.  I'm pretty happy about the information in it.  I just spent a bunch of time last weekend building a new compost pile, and it has lots of nettle, comfrey, giant ragweed, and burdock in it.  My thought process has always been that having a good mix of greens adds a variety of nutrients.  I'm sure all plants add different nutrients, but it's nice to see that some, like nettle, really are mining for nutrients that other plants may not be able to reach.

Thanks Ac that was a very interesting article.  I'm ok with using borage leaves, even if it's not a dynamic accumulator, I didn't go through the plants and there analysis, so I don't know either way. I have an abundance of borage, it's grown organic, in what I believe is very healthy soil.  It's shading the soil, and adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down. The major downside is it is breaking down very fast, so I would have to use a lot of it to do the job. One layer of leaves that covered the whole bed after a few day barely covers the soil at all.
Will I keep using borage as a much? Why not I have an abundance of it, and I have to keep cutting it so it doesn't crowd out the other plants. That being said I'm going to try other things as well. Isn't that the interesting part of gardening? We are always searching for what works in our own little slice of paradise.

I think it makes a lot of sense to use what you have on hand as mulch. If that's borage - so be it! Weeds make good mulch when chopping and dropping. I'm just starting to scythe my grass pathways in the tree field and am using the cut grass (and miscellaneous meadow forbs) to mulch in between rows in my vegetable patch. They all will add Nitrogen and Carbon to the soil surface, protect it from extremes of temperature and feed the soil organisms and hence the soil.