GROWING TIPS
What is Mulching? 7 Reasons Mulching Helps Your Garden
Sierra Leeper | October 28, 2024
Mulching is an important agricultural tool that is beneficial for many reasons. In this article, we will define mulching, how to utilize it, and why mulching is especially important for fall gardens.
If you’re a beginner gardener, you may only be familiar with mulching as a term used in landscaping. When most people think of mulching, they think of colored bark chips arranged around bushes to boost curb appeal or provide aesthetic appeal to an outdoor space. Well, that is one way mulching can be used. But, it is also an invaluable tool in gardening and serves many purposes.
While bark chips are a great option for mulching a garden space, mulch can actually be made of many different materials: straw, compost, newspaper, coffee grounds, or other organic materials. Basically, mulch is anything that can be spread in a thick layer across the soil of your garden to protect and provide for the plants. As we will learn shortly, mulch helps provide nutrients to the plants’ roots, so picking an organic material (such as untreated wood chips) is key to maintaining the health of your garden.
Let’s explore the top 7 reasons mulching is beneficial to a home garden.
7 REASONS TO MULCH
1. Moisture Retainment
Mulch helps to retain soil moisture, which is crucial during the drier winter months. In the fall and sometimes in the spring, many climates start to experience varying degrees of precipitation as the seasons change. Providing a layer of mulch over your garden’s soil can help keep the moisture down near the plants’ roots, helping them adjust to the changing weather conditions.
2. Insulation
Mulch acts as an insulator, protecting plant roots from temperature fluctuations and occasional cold snaps. As the days shorten in the fall and lengthen in the spring, plants can be at risk of quick temperature changes brought on by the seasons. As vetted gardeners know, one extreme weather snap can take out your whole garden. Mulching early in the season and maintaining the protective layer can help insulate your plants and prevent them from being so affected by extreme weather changes.
3. Weed Deterrent
Mulch suppresses weed growth, reducing competition for nutrients and water. Plants need lots of space and nutrients to grow and produce a bountiful harvest. Weeds can often threaten plants and compete for space, water, and nutrients. Mulching your garden, especially after your plants have become plantlings and have strong central stems, can help deter weeds from growing, as a thick layer of mulch can restrict the growth of weeds.
4. Soil Enrichment
As mulch breaks down, it enriches the soil with organic matter, improving soil structure and fertility. Especially if you’re mulching with compost or another nutrient-rich material, your plants will love the extra food they get from all of the mulch around them. Mulch can replenish nutrients that are missing or used up in the soil, and as you water, those nutrients travel directly to your plants’ roots, giving them a boost. Additionally, once the season is over and you till your soil for a new season of growth, that organic material will spread throughout your entire garden, exposing even the deepest roots to precious nutrients.
5. Erosion Prevention
Mulching also prevents soil erosion, maintaining a stable growing environment for your plants. Mixing organic material into the soil can help create a more stable, cohesive soil with balanced nutrients. Without mulching each season, the plants in your garden will likely use up many of the nutrients in the soil, leaving it sandy and fine. This kind of soil washes away easily and can be harder to plant in as it creates an unstable foundation for plant roots. Soil with consistent mulching stays healthy and unified, helping prevent erosion.
6. Water Conservation
By reducing water evaporation, mulch can help conserve water and reduce irrigation needs. As mulch layers help retain moisture in the soil, they reduce the amount of water that is evaporated. This not only helps your plants thrive, but also helps you conserve water and save money on your water bill.
7. Aesthetic Appeal
Finally, as with landscaping, mulch provides a clean, tidy appearance to your garden, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal. We all love a neat, organized garden. Mulching can help keep your plants organized and help you see if there is any competition for space or other resources that needs to be addressed in your garden ecosystem.
HOW TO MULCH YOUR GARDEN
