If you only implement ONE of my gardening fundamentals this year— this is the one I most highly recommend! I'll tell you why!
As many of you know— our gardens have been maintained in a deep mulch system since the 1970s! This thick, generous layer of mulch provides so many benefits! One step = a multitude of benefits! The payback is HUGE— let me explain!
Whenever I ask gardeners in my circle about their biggest gardening challenge— inevitably it’s WEEDS! It is one of the challenges that keeps gardeners awake at night.
Suppressing Weeds
Mulch isn’t magic! It can’t guarantee a weed-free garden. But it suppresses weed germination. Mulch blocks the sunlight from reaching the soil surface. Just as your garden plants need light to germinate or they need light immediately after germination-- so too with weeds. No light; no growth!
But weeds have a will to grow in even the most challenging circumstances. Even if some seeds sprout in your mulch, their roots won’t be anchored and it’s easy to literally shimmy the mulch and dislodge the roots enough to kill ‘em!
Now you only need to control the weeds in the row. Pay close attention when your plantings are just coming up-- or if transplanting, when the transplants are just getting established. Get those weeds when they are little. Just pluck 'em, pinch 'em off or literally rub 'em out-- being careful not to disturb your crop seedlings, of course! Once you get that first flush of weeds under control, things get easier!
Moderating Temperature Extremes
Mulching feels like tucking in all those little plant babies for the growing season. The mulch protects the plants from the heat of the sun by covering that black dirt, preventing scorching rays from heating up the soil, which can literally burn plant leaves and seriously prune their roots. Mulch moderates the soil temperatures, keeping the soil cooler in the summer and warmer longer into the fall.
Think of the mulch as an insulating blanket on the soil. A deep mulch layer around you plants, trees and shrubs can help you plants deal with weather extremes in the both summer and winter.
Baling hay the first week of June—before the grass and any weeds go to seed.
Retaining Moisture
In addition it helps keep soil moisture from evaporating away, keeping roots cool and moist. Black soil exposed to the baking hot sun will very quickly dry out. Once the surface moisture disappears the subsoil moisture progressively dried out deeper and deeper with every sunny day. Young plants with shallow root systems are especially vulnerable as the exposed soil surface becomes more and more dehydrated.
Even a 3-4 inch layer of mulch will act as a protective shading, insulating, and moisture retaining effect— helping the soil retain precious surface and subsoil moisture much longer and deeper than without it.
Improving Soil Quality
We talked about the need to add organic matter to improve soil. Mulch— wood or plant-based— is a great resource as it’s incorporated into the soil as the soil food web breaks it down and decomposition takes place. It is an ever present food source for this ongoing process. You get all the benefits of mulch that we’re outlining here— PLUS improved organic matter. WIN! WIN!
All tucked in with a layer of protection against the heat and drought.
Protecting the Soil
Not only does mulch build soil quality but it’s like soil armor— protecting it from scorching sun, pounding rains, runoff, and soil erosion. Exposure to these elements will result in crusty hard soil surfaces— where plants struggle to emerge after germination. The ground becomes hard and impenetrable. The wind and rain can erode away at the pounded soils with nothing to protect it. The precious topsoil will literally blow or wash away.
All that destruction can be prevented with even a minimal mulch layer. Mulching stacks multiple wins into one simple process. In the time it would take you to weed your garden one time— you can reap all these added benefits. It’s a no-brainer!
Adding Texture and Asthetic Beauty
Here are pictures of our gardens taken on an early June morning! The mulch adds a pleasing appeal to the eye— giving any garden or landscape a finishing touch. Beautiful!
South garden with fresh hay mulch layer.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Enjoy!
Your garden coach,
Theresa
PS. We'll talk mulching options next! Don't miss it!