Like most gardeners who work a full-time job, I have limited time and funds to spend gardening. Therefore, it is important that I make the most of my time and money when it comes to growing a garden. There are many reasons that I have learned to mulch my garden. All are equally important, however, those that save me time and/or money are most important to me. I have selected five reasons why mulching is invaluable to my gardening goals, and have described them below.
1. Mulch Helps Suppress Weeds
I started gardening as a teenager. In those early years, I had not learned about mulching and remember the weeds and grass taking over my garden in the middle of the summer. There were years where I gave up sections of the gardens because in my opinion it had reached a point where it became too much work to pull weeds and/or grass. The vegetables were hidden in the weeds and the plants produced very small produce or none at all. They were choked out by crabgrass, dandelions, and other invasive plants that I did not know the name of.
Fast forward to today. When My plants have reached a few inches in height in my garden whether transplanted from seed trays or from seeds planted directly in the soil, I mulch the entire area or bed leaving a small circle clear around the plant to allow water to directly benefit the plant. This also allows the liquid fertilizers that I apply to be more easily accessed by the plant as well. The mulch is 2-3 inches deep and smothers out most grass and weeds. If I notice more grass or weeds growing in a particular area during the season, I pull them out or cut them at the surface, then add another inch or so of mulch.
By using mulch in this way, I save myself time from weeding throughout the growing season. And of course, another result is healthier, more productive plants that save me money on my grocery bill.
2. Mulch helps slow water evaporation
I garden in Zone 6b in the Northwest corner of Arkansas. The summer temperatures always reach the 90s F. and some years will bump up into the 100s F. When the temperature is consistently above 85 degrees F., I water every morning and sometimes again that evening. Consistent watering is necessary and I want the soil to hold on to the moisture my plants need to survive these temperatures. Inconsistent watering or periods of drying out and then heavy rain or watering can cause stress for the plants. For example, tomatoes will split.
Placing mulch around my plants will help slow water evaporation which can lessen the need for watering twice per day during hot temperatures. Or, in lower temperatures, can allow me to go more days between waterings if it doesn’t rain. This saves me money on my water bill which does spike during the summer due to needed watering of plants.
Without consistent water, plants weaken and become more susceptible to diseases and pests. This will result in your losing produce as it is attacked and becomes inedible. The time I had spent growing the plants, fertilizing and watering the plants, maintaining, etc., then goes into the waste of time category. I don’t have that kind of time to waste. It is important that I do everything I can to keep this from happening. That includes adding a layer of mulch around my plants to slow the evaporation of water.
3. Mulch Helps Keep Produce Off The Ground
This past Spring I planted new strawberry plants. Last week I noticed that the first berry was starting to ripen. Yesterday, I went to check on that berry. I wanted to pick it and eat it. It was beautiful, bright red and ready to be tasted. I reached down, plucked it from the plant and then discovered that the whole back side was rotted. It had been setting directly on the ground. That was my fault. I knew I should mulch it but I kept moving that tasks down the list of priorities. And now, I have paid for my procrastination. Fortunately, there are other berries ripening and I have placed mulch under them to raise them off the ground. This was a small loss of time and money which was easily remedied by adding mulch.
4. Mulch Helps Regulate Soil Temperature
As mentioned above, the heat can be brutal in late July and into August in my area. Adding mulch helps shade the soil from the harsh sun of summer. This has several positive effects. The roots of the plants are kept from getting too hot. Some worms and microorganisms cannot thrive in soil that is too hot. They will find their way to more comfortable conditions. When they leave the quality of your soil begins to decline. Think of a desert and the limited number and types of plants that will grow in that soil.
There is a benefit of mulch during cold temperatures as well. The mulch will help to hold in some of the heat from the short days of winter. This is why gardeners place deep layers of mulch over and around some plants during the winter months to help them survive.
5. Mulch Adds Organic Matter To The Soil
When the right types of mulch such as wood chips, grass clippings, dead leaves, straw, and compost are used, they will be broken down by the sun, rain, wildlife, microorganisms, worms, etc., and eventually become part of the soil you will use to grow your plants in during the future gardening seasons.
One of my favorite types of mulch is shredded wood. The city where I live has a composting facility. They pick up yard waste, shred it, and allow it to break down, then sell it to the residents. I purchased a pickup load which they describe as ‘one scoop’ on the first Saturday of April for $11.52 which included sales tax. This has been enough for me to mulch most of my garden and many planters and containers.
I did the same thing last year and over the year all but the largest pieces of shredded wood broke down. When I added compost and other soil amendments to my garden beds in late winter, I placed it right on top of the previous seasons broken down shredded wood.
Summary
I recommend that you use the mulch that is available to you and not stress over having one kind or another. In saying that I do suggest that you use no synthetic materials or dyed mulches. These can leach chemicals into your soil which you do not want around plants you are growing for food. My first and second choices for mulch are shredded wood and mulched or composted leaves. I compost my grass clippings. If shredded wood and mulched leaves are not available, I’ve listed materials below that I would use for mulches if available at a low cost to me,
- Wood Chips
- Pine needles
- Straw
- Grass Clippings (not heavy, it will clump. Let dry first, then sprinkle around plants)
- Cardboard ( I use this to start new beds to kill out grass and weeds in the area)
- Shredded Paper (Best used with wood chips or other mulch materials. Tends to blow away in wind)
- Straw (not hay, hay has too many seeds)
Another option is yard waste of different types. I borrow a stripper/shredder from a friend when I have limbs that fall from one of the large trees or I prune bushes. I shred all of these and use as mulch. I’ve even asked neighbors for their yard waste and shredded it. You get a limited amount from this unless you have a lot of yard waste but for me, this option was free. I like that price!