In the farming heartlands of our village traditions have always guided how people lived with the land. At Food Temple Natural Farms, Kallahalli, we proudly revive one such practice: mulching—or as our ancestors called it, Hodike in Kannada.
Mulching may be a modern agricultural keyword, but Hodike is an age-old science passed down through generations. It remains one of the simplest, most powerful techniques in organic farming and regenerative agriculture to protect and enrich the soil.
What Is Mulching?
Mulching means covering the soil with natural organic matter like dry leaves, grass, crop residues, or green manure. Farmers in Karnataka knew this as Hodike—a blanket that shields the soil, much like a blanket keeps us warm.
Benefits of Mulching for Soil Health
Our ancestors never left the soil bare. They understood that Mulching
Types of Natural Mulching
Farmers practiced different forms of Hodike mulching depending on what nature provided:
- Preserves moisture for crops: Helps the soil retain neeru (water), reducing irrigation needs.
- Protects soil from erosion: Guards against wind and heavy rains.
- Controls weeds naturally: Stops kale hullu (wild weeds) from competing with crops.
- Improves soil fertility: As mulch decomposes, it adds organic matter and nutrients.
- Enhances biodiversity: food for earthworms, fungi, and microorganisms that keep the soil alive.
Types of Natural Mulching
Farmers practiced different forms of Hodike mulching depending on what nature provided:
- Leaf Mulching ( Ele Hodike): Using fallen tree leaves to cover soil.
- Grass Mulching (Hullo Hodike): Dry or cut grass spread around crops.
- Crop Residue Mulching (Kasadu Hodike): Using stalks of ragi, paddy, or maize after harvest.
- Tree-Based Mulching: Coconut fronds, banana leaves, or areca husks placed around trees.
- Green Mulching (Hasiru Hodike): Fresh plants like sunhemp grown and cut as mulch.
- Keeps the soil always covered with a living green layer.
- Improves fertility by fixing nitrogen naturally.
- Reduces water loss and maintains soil temperature.
- Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects.
- Becomes organic mulch once cut down.