Mulch keeps garden healthy, helps it grow

Mulch needs a new image. Mulch is often not even used in the home landscape. If mulch is used, it is terribly underappreciated. Most folks think of mulch and immediately think that its job is only to suppress weeds. In reality, mulch does a whole lot of good that we yardeners usually don't know about. Let us count the ways. 

Feeds soil food web: Organic mulch feeds valuable earthworms and soil microbes. In fact, mulch is the primary food source for a healthy soil food web. No mulch means essentially dead soil. 

Improves soil texture: Because the soil food web gets nourishment from organic mulch, those billions of soil creatures will break down the worst clay soil and improve the worst sandy soil in just three or four years. 

Conserves soil moisture: Bare soil loses water to evaporation much more quickly than does soil covered with a layer of mulch.

Serves as habitat for beneficial insects: A 2-inch layer of organic mulch on a garden will be teeming with all kinds of beneficial insects that help keep down the pest insect population very effectively. Ants, spiders and ground beetles love living in mulch. If the soil is bare, there are no beneficial insects to speak of. 

Inhibits weeds: Yes, after all, mulch does in fact keep the weeds down. The mulch needs to be 2 to 3 inches deep to do this job properly. 

Deflects equipment injury to trees and shrubs: A young tree not surrounded by a layer of mulch is almost inevitably going to be banged by a lawn mower or hit by a string trimmer. Injuries by mowers and trimmers result in dead trees 10 years later. 

Boosts soil fertility: Again, the soil food web creatures are at work if there is mulch to eat. They chomp the mulch into forms that trees, shrubs and other ornamental plants feed on. 

Discourages plant disease: Plant disease spores fall to the ground after the disease has done its thing. By covering that mulch with new mulch next spring, you cover up the spores and prevent them from being splashed up on another vulnerable plant. 

Regulates soil temperature: Mulch buffers rapid shifts in soil temperature in late spring, summer and late fall, which can be disruptive or harmful to plants. 

Beautifies the landscape: Finally, an organic mulch provides a uniform background to show off your flowers and shrubs. The yard just looks neater. 

There you have it. Mulch does a lot of good things including reducing your use of water, fertilizer and pesticides. Yes, mulch does cost money and also takes time to spread, but because you get benefits for your plants and the soil that you can get no other way, I think it is worth the investment.