The Benefits of Mulching

When adapting to environmental change, it’s important to explore ways to lower your chances of heat getting the better of you in your garden. An important technique to help with the heat pressure on your crops is adding mulch.

Dislike Weeding?

Weed seeds need light to germinate, so having bare soil is basically an invitation for them to make themselves at home. Adding mulch to your garden can help cut down on weeding by keeping the ground covered, suppressing the weeds. This approach is effective against most annual weeds, but keep in mind that perennial weeds can push through a light mulch. Adding another barrier, such as newspaper, before mulching can help keep more persistent weeds from getting through.

Instant Insulation!

Mulch insulates and protects the soil from drying out due to water evaporating in the sun. It also can help the soil absorb water faster, which means you’ll spend less time watering. Since mulched gardens also have fewer weeds, your plants have less competition for moisture. Finally, an application of mulch around your plants gives them a more consistent amount of moisture, which will give you a more bountiful harvest and help decrease the amount of stress your plants experience throughout the growing season.

Soil Health

At the surface is where the party is! It’s here that air, water, sun and earth all meet and interact, and how the soil is covered has a drastic impact on that interaction. Adding mulch puts nutrients back into your soil and helps with the fertility of your plants. You create a natural cycle of life as the mulch material decays into usable organic matter. Selecting a mulch that adds not only microorganisms back into your soil but also nitrogen and carbon can be especially beneficial if you’re growing heavy feeders, such as beans or corn.

Mulch Application

The purpose of applying mulch is to cover the soil, and two to three inches should do the trick. Less than that could let enough light in to allow the weed seeds to germinate. When applying, to prevent fungal disease, try not to push the mulch up against the base of your plants.

There are several mulch materials that you can use to help suppress weeds, add organic material to your soil and retain moisture in warmer temperatures. Leaf mold, grass clippings, straw, pine needles and cocoa coir are some the most widely used mulches in vegetable gardens. (If you choose using pine needles, keep in mind that they will raise the acidity level of your soil and are therefore best used for plants that love a higher acid level, such as fruit trees and herbs.)

Find a material that works for you and start mulching. Your plants will thank you!