The Benefits of Garden Mulch

Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers or shrubs in the garden or in pots on the patio, adding mulch is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your plants. It reduces weeding, watering and soil compaction and improves the quality of your garden soil all year round. In addition, mulching helps to save on water usage in summer by slowing evaporation of the soil and it also helps to lock moisture in for plants that are not used to dry climates – stopping them from reaching PWP (permanent wilting point) so they can be revived with a good watering.

There are a wide variety of mulch materials available, both organic and inorganic. In general, the best mulches are those that come directly from your own yard and garden: grass clippings, leaves, shredded newspaper, plant hulls such as rice, peanut or buckwheat hulls, or wood chips and bark (if you choose an organic mulch these should be made of only wood material with no glues or other additives). Organic mulches break down over time, feeding your soil with nutrients that improve its structure, making it more moisture retentive and easier for plants to access the micro-nutrients in it. They can also help moderate the soil temperature, keeping it warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot days.

Other mulches include homemade compost, rotted manure or peat free compost which can be bought ready-made from garden centres and is good for improving soil structure, adding nitrogen and promoting healthy plant growth. However, it is recommended that you add garden waste such as twigs, snipped branches, fruit and vegetable scraps and coffee grounds to your own compost bin to make your own homemade multi-purpose garden mulch as this is both economical and environmentally friendly.

Whatever you use for your garden mulch, make sure it is laid to the correct depth – too little and it doesn’t do any good and too much and you risk smothering your plant roots and blocking their airflow and possibly damaging them. Aim for a layer of 5cm, which is enough to suppress most weeds, retain some moisture and improve your soil.