Benefits of Mulch
There are some advantages to adding mulch to your garden. In the summer, mulch helps the soil hold moisture, so you don’t have to water as often. Soil also tends to dry out faster and harden in the hot sun. Mulch will help protect the ground from baking in direct sunlight and keep your plants happy. Mulch also prevents weeds. Adding it to your planting bed will block light from reaching the soil, keeping many kinds of weed seeds from sprouting. By adding a thick layer of mulch, you’ll ensure that the weeds never see the light of day! Test Garden Tip: While an even layer of mulch is ideal, don’t overdo it. The best depth for a mulch layer is 2-4 inches. Any deeper, and it can be difficult for oxygen to reach the soil, which can cause your plants to suffer. Over time, some types of mulch, made from organic materials (those produced by or part of a living thing), break down and increase your soil’s structure and fertility. This is especially true with compost used as a mulch because its nutrients will promote soil organisms and fuel plant growth. Plus, a layer of mulch can help fight climate change because covered soil holds onto carbon instead of releasing this greenhouse gas into the air.
When to Add Mulch
Every spring, check on the mulched areas of your garden and add more if the layer is starting to get thin. If you’re mulching a large area of your yard for the first time and not just touching up a few garden beds, you might want to schedule a delivery from a bulk supplier. It’ll be less expensive than buying a ton of bagged mulch from your local garden center, and you won’t have to haul all of those bags in your vehicle to your yard either. Check on your mulch again when late fall rolls around, and reapply if needed. In the winter, a good layer of mulch acts as insulation, helping to regulate the soil temperature. This reduces stress on plant roots and prevents frost heaving (where smaller plants are pushed out of the ground) as it repeatedly freezes and thaws. Make sure the ground has frozen a few times before adding mulch as a protective layer for the winter.
Types of Garden Mulch
Depending on your landscape design and what you’re planting, these choices can make a good mulch. Test Garden Tip: Shredded bark can take up some nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes. If you have poor soil, adding some organic fertilizer to the soil can help keep your plants healthy. Test Garden Tip: Make sure the straw is free of weed seeds. Otherwise, it can cause more weeds than it prevents. (Oat straw is often particularly weedy.)
