Mulch. You hear about it in most gardening magazines and it’s a regular term in landscaping lingo. So, what is the big deal? In a nutshell, mulch acts as a protective barrier for tree and plant roots from the elements. Mulch can be any variety of substances from chips of bark to grass clippings. Grass clippings may not be as attractive as woods chips for a finished flower bed, but they work great in a vegetable garden.
Here are some other benefits:
- Retains waters to keep roots moist
- Helps prevent weeds
- Prevents hard, compacted soil
- Protects against damage sustained from a lawn mower or weed trimmer
Generally speaking, mulch is most necessary when the temperatures are extreme such as in the winter or summer. Go easy on the mulch in the spring time to avoid rot and decay of seeds as it can take the ground longer to warm up when covered with mulch.
Use a donut shape when applying mulch to keep it from having direct contact with plants and use a minimum of 1-2”, maximum of 4”. Finally, use a protective barrier to prevent mulch from spreading in to the lawn or other unwanted spaces.
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