Mulching: How Your Garden Knows You Care

In nature, leaves and needles fall to the ground, forming a protective layer over the soil. Mulching gives the same protection to plants in your garden.

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  • Topic: Mulch
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: soil, mulch, organic, inorganic, Mulch, gardens
  • Date: September 2002

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For as long as trees have grown in forests, leaves and needles ave fallen to the ground, forming a protective layer over the oil. You can give this same protection to plants in your garden by mulching.

Mulch is any substance spread on the ground to keep plants from drying out during the fall and winter months. It also keeps the oil frozen in the early spring to prevent frost heaving of the roots.

There are two kinds of mulches—organic and inorganic. Organic includes bark, wood chips, sawdust, straw, leaves and newspaper. inorganic mulches include stone, gravel and plastic coverings. Our Soil Mender Mulch also works as an excellent soil amendment. Whatever is used, your garden will benefit because all mulches help:

  • conserve soil moisture
  • keep down weeds
  • reduce erosion
  • keep plant roots cool during the summer
  • provide insulation during the winter

Lately, even though we’ve had rain in our area, the drought will persist. When it comes to keeping soil moist, mulch is an ideal method of maintaining a healthy garden. The tiny root hairs that row off the main root are responsible for getting water and nutrients to the plant. For root hairs to live they must stay foist. If they dry out, they die. Even if the main root system survives the winter, the plant will suffer if the root hairs are one.

How to Mulch

For best results, remove any existing weeds before applying mulch. o be most effective mulches should thoroughly cover the area to a uniform depth. Any remaining low or bare spots are prone to weed problems.

Spread at least 1 to 2 inches of mulch in flowerbeds and at least to 3 inches around shrubs and trees. For trees, extend a ring of mulch from the trunk. Depending on the tree size, this ring can be up to six feet. Also keep mulch about an inch away from the trunk eric plants prefer a non-packing mulch that won’t stay wet and old moisture around the crown or base of the plant. Instead of a compost mulch, use a 1/2” layer of pine needles or bark chips. also an inch layer of small pea gravel works fine.

As organic mulches decompose they become part of the soil and may need to be replenished every year; but don’t let mulch build to depths greater than 4 inches.

Mulching is one of those fall activities that’s most enjoyable. he weather is cooler, which means you can stay in the garden longer. It’s also a great way to let your garden know you are—by protecting it the way nature does.