6 Reasons to Mulch Your Garden This Spring
Mulching your garden has multiple benefits, which is why many gardeners do it every spring. At this time of year, growth is just getting started and it could use a helping hand. Here are a few reasons why your garden is crying out for mulch.
1. Mulch Regulates Soil Temperature
Plants are vulnerable to changes in temperature at the start of their growing season. Applying mulch in the spring can help to protect developing roots from late frosts. As the season moves into summer, mulch helps to keep soil cool to avoid it overheating and drying out.
2. Mulch Prevents Soil Erosion
Rainstorms can wash away the top layer of soil from your garden, stripping it of vital nutrients that your plants need to grow. Applying a layer of mulch helps to prevent this form of erosion, keeping more of your valuable soil in place.
3. Mulch Adds Nutrients to Soil
In the weeks after you apply mulch, it starts to gradually break down, adding valuable nutrients to the soil. Plants use these nutrients to grow healthily and rapidly. The higher nutrient content of the soil also attracts earthworms, which help to improve soil quality by processing it through their bodies.
4. Mulch Reduces Weed Growth
One great tip for mulching your garden is to apply the mulch right after a thorough weeding session. A thick layer of mulch can make it difficult for some of the most troublesome weed species to break through, reducing the amount of weeding you need to do over the next few weeks. You can apply a weed preventer solution at the same time as the mulch to reduce weed growth even more.
5. Mulch Retains Moisture in the Soil
Periods of dry, hot weather can cause soil and plants to dry out. Mulch has a wonderful ability to hold onto moisture, which means that you do not need to water as often when the weather turns problematically dry. You could save both time and water, which is great news for the environment.
6. Mulching Doesn't Have to Be Difficult
Applying mulch is a relatively straightforward gardening task, but many people put it off as they don't want to go through the hassle of hauling mulch home from the store. If you are in this situation, then a good solution is to use a mulch delivery service to deliver the mulch you need right to you.
