I found this nice article about mulch this morning. The writer reminds us of the benefits of using mulch.Mulch reduces water loss from soil, which means less time spent watering your garden, and less water used. The use of mulch will minimize germination of weeds, so there’ll be fewer weeds to compete for water and nutrients, and fewer for you to pull. It improves soil aeration and drainage, and reduces soil erosion. Mulch insulates the soil, keeping it warmer during the winter months (which, shockingly, are just around the corner!). Mulch can also give your garden a well-groomed and professional appearance and keep your plants from becoming dirty. Click here to read the full article entitled Responsbile Gardening: Mulching
As a reminder, there are several places to get FREE or very low cost mulch in the Metro DC area. For details, visit our post on Free Mulch
Wood chip mulch can also:
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2. provide the fungal spores that can stain your house
3. block the transfer of water to the soil
4. tie up nitrogen that the plants need…
…so use compost, straw, pine straw, shredded leaves or aged grass clippings as mulch.