Saturday, April 19, 2008

Understanding Mulch


Mulch is a good gardening habit but not mandatory. But, ooh boy, do the benefits make it worth the effort! A really good job of mulching your garden usually
  • Inhibits weed germination and growth (and not only are weeds unsightly, but they also they steal resources from your plants!)
  • Holds in soil moisture, protecting your plants from drying out so fast
  • Moderates soil-temperature fluctuations (this benefit is especially valuable during that turbulent-weather period in spring when you don’t want your plants to be stressed)
  • In cold-winter areas, protects plant roots from winter cold and helps prevent frost-heaving, in which plants are literally pushed out of the ground by the natural expansion and contraction of the soil as it cools off and heats up
  • In hot-summer areas, helps keep plant roots cooler
  • Depending on what you use, adds a bit of welcome nutrition to your garden as it breaks down Sound like good enough reasons to use mulch? Yeah, I thought I’d convince you.

No comments: