How and Why to Use Mulch

I have visited several friends gardens lately and noticed the same thing with them all. There is one thing I do that I noticed most others don't. I like to mulch around my plants as soon as they are tall enough to allow a nice layer of mulch below the foliage. Mulching is a bit of work but also has many benefits like weed control, fertilizing protection, and water conservation.

The first benefit of mulching is plant protection. Do you ever notice when it rains or you are watering that the ground splashes up onto the plants? With some plants this is not a big deal, but with other plants it can harm them greatly. The ground splashing up onto the foliage can cause damage if it sits there too long. The layer of mulch will prevent the dirt from splashing up.

While preventing the splashes, the mulch will absorb much of the excess moisture and release it slowly. There is nothing growing in the mulch mix so it will not use the water, gravity will slowly pull it out and down to the plant roots. This also provides a layer of shade to prevent the water in the soil from evaporating. You will need less water once the mulch is down compared to a garden with no mulch.

I recommend using organic mulch made at home from grass and leaf clippings. I'll have another article later today on how to make the mulch.

To apply mulch, simply put a nice layer down around the base of the plants. I like to make it 2-3 inches thick if the plants allow. Remember to keep the good plants foliage above the layer of mulch to receive the sunlight while cutting off the weeds below to cut them off from the sunlight.

As the mulch decomposes, it will provide a nice balanced diet for the plants. It finishes it's composting cycle while protecting your plants.Food, protection, and weed control all wrapped into one. Mulch does take some work now, but saves so much more later on.

Remember, Mother Earth smiles when you garden!