What’s Mulch

Mulch is a material that covers the soil for variety of reasons, usually controlling weeds.

ADVANTAGES OF MULCHING

It offers three major benefits:

Reduces weed growth by keeping light from reaching the soil surface.

Reduces water loss from the soil surface, which helps maintain soil moisture.

Moderates of soil temperatures, keeping it warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot days

MORE BENEFITS OF MULCHING 

There are also many other benefits of mulch:

Reduces soil erosion and often reduces soil compaction.

Prevents crusting of the soil surface.

Water moves more readily into soil covered with mulch instead of running off.

Keeps soil from splashing onto leaves; keeping soil off leaves reduces plant diseases.

Breaks down and feeds the soil (if organic mulch).

Improves the structure of clay soils and the moisture-holding capacity of sandy soils.

Slowly increases soil fertility (if organic) and may make micronutrients already in the soil more available.

Warm the soil in spring, allowing the gardener to plant days or weeks before the soil would normally be ready.

Keeps plants clean and off the ground, especially tomatoes and melons, to avoid plant disease.

Limits chance of hitting and damaging tree when mulch is placed around trees instead of grass (but not against bark).

Improves plant health and growth (due to fewer weeds, more constant moisture and soil temperature).

Makes gardens “spiffed up” and attractive, giving a uniform appearance and rhythm to garden design.

DISADVANTAGES OF MULCHING

Although using mulch has many benefits, it can also be detrimental to the garden:

Over-mulching (more than 3 inches) can bury and suffocate plants; water and oxygen can’t reach the roots.

A layer of 2 to 3 inches of mulch is ample.Mulch causes diseased trees if piled up around the trunks. Keep mulch 6 to 12 inches from the trunks of trees and shrubs. No more “volcano” mulching on trees!  Keeping mulch away from the trunk prevents wood boring insects, gnawing rodents, and decay. 

Mulch near plant stems is the perfect place for slugs, snails, tunneling rodents, and more pests. Sprinkle wood ashes or diatomaceous earth around the base of precious plants to keep the slugs and snails at bay.

Mulch can bake your plants with excess heat if not done properly. (See more below.)Light colored, wood-based mulches, like sawdust or fresh wood chips, can steal nitrogen from the soil as they break down. Counter this effect by adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as soybean meal, alfalfa, or cottonseed meal, to the mulch.

Happy gardening, Yours in the garden Farm2Markt