Mulch is your friend! Mulch can help you in many mnay ways, from soil temperature regulation to moisture conservation and even weed control.
- It is a protective covering (such as of bark chips, compost, or grass clippings) laid on the ground.
- It reduces moisture loss from the soil by preventing evaporation from sunshine and desiccating winds.
- It prevents erosion by eliminating or reducing the "splash-away" effect of torrential downpours.
- It helps to keep fruit and vegetables clean (such as strawberries and tomatoes) by minimising muddy splash-ups during rainstorms.
- It controls the growth of weeds by smothering seedlings, prevents daylight which helps foster germination from reaching weed seeds, and prevents air-borne seeds from taking hold in the soil surface.
- It helps prevent damage to trees and bushes by protecting their stems and surface roots from damage by mechanical garden tools such as weed whackers, edgers, and lawn mowers.
- It helps prevent soil compaction by providing a cushion to walk upon. Walking on bare soil will compact it reducing its aeration and ability to drain.
- It provides a more unified and tidy appearance to flower beds and borders.
- It helps reduce yardwaste disposal and cash outlay. If you utilize your own yard wastes by chipping pruned branches and limbs, make your own compost, or use grass clippings and raked fallen leaves for It you won't have to bag and haul them to the curb for collection or pay for their disposal, you won't utilize land-fill space, and you'll keep your wallet in your pocket because the It you create is free.
- It helps regulate soil temperature by shading it in the summer thus keeping it cooler and helps insulate it in the winter from chilling winds. This temperature regulating effect helps encourage the root growth of plants.
- Mulch enriches the soil as it breaks down and releases nutrients back into the ground. Mulch, if not already decomposed, will encourage microbial organisms which are beneficial to healthy plants.
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