There are many reasons to use mulch in your garden. Mulch keeps weeds down, improves soil


structure and makes your garden more attractive. Another big plus for using mulch is that it


prevents water loss by evaporation and conserves the amount of water you will have to use in the


summer and reduce water consumption in summer. Mulch also reduces the temperature in root


zone by covering the soil that prevents direct sun light to soil surface. Therefore it has potential


to protect plants during hot dry day in summer.


Mulch is any physical material you place over garden soil to affect either the soil or the plants


growing there. Mulch is of two types: organic mulch and inorganic mulch. Organic mulches are


derived from plant materials that eventually decompose and become part of the soil. For


example, plant leaves, straw, grasses, remaining fodder etc. Inorganic mulches include both


plastic sheeting of various kinds and gravels. Different kinds of mulches have very different


effects. In some cases a mulch may actually do the opposite of what you intend it to do. So itand#39;s a


good idea to do a little homework before you make a choice. For example, use of plant mulch


that has strong allelopathic potential may suppress the growth of desired plants in the garden.


Foot traffic, weather and even the impact of raindrops tend to compact the top layer of bare soil,


making it more likely that rain will run off rather than soak in. Good mulch reduces the


compaction and allows the water to infiltrate the topsoil layer slowly and effectively. Organic


mulches, such as wood chips, compost, sawdust or even straw, usually allow soil to be more


absorbent to rainwater than bare soil.


Once the soil layer is moist, a layer of mulch helps to keep it from drying. With bare soil, the


heat of the sun causes the top layer of soil to heat up, causing water in the soil to evaporate. As


the moisture in the top layer of soil evaporates, more moisture wicks up through the soil to


replace it, until the soil is essentially dry. A coarse organic mulch layer reduces soil


temperatures. In addition, water canand#39;t wick well across the interface between the soil and mulch.


So the surface of the soil stays moist longer and much less water is lost to evaporation.


A layer of mulch can cut down evaporation by as much as 75 percent. Gravel can also be an


effective mulch to conserve water. It lets rain or irrigation water through readily and reduces


evaporation from the underlying soil surface. White gravel, because it reflects the sunand#39;s heat, is


usually the most effective gravel at keeping soil temperatures down, consequently reducing


evaporation.


Woven plastic sheets called geo-textiles or landscape cloth allow water and air to penetrate the


soil and effectively reduce evaporation. Theyand#39;re also good at suppressing weeds. On the other


hand, they usually need to be covered by an additional layer of organic bark for aesthetic


reasons, and they donand#39;t eventually decompose and improve the underlying soil the way organic


mulches do.


andquot;Beware also of weeds that can germinate and grow on top of the cloth in the decomposing


mulch,andquot; warned Bell. andquot;Plastic sheets, while effective at weed control, are not good at allowing


water and air to penetrate the soil.andquot;


The best time to apply mulch for conserving water is while the soils are still well charged with


winter moisture in the spring. Once theyand#39;ve dried out thoroughly in the summer heat, much of the


benefit of the mulch is lost for the season.


Here are some things to do before mulching. If the soil is compacted, roughen it up to aerate it


and make it easier for water to penetrate. Add any soil amendments that youand#39;re planning to use


before placing the mulch.


A two-inch layer of organic mulch is usually enough for weed suppression and moisture


retention. If you already have a layer of mulch in place, wait until itand#39;s decomposed to add more.


Try raking it up to aerate it and freshen its appearance. Do not apply too thick a layer, which can


keep oxygen from getting to the roots of shrubs and trees. While mulches can be very effective in


reducing evaporation, they canand#39;t stop it altogether. So if you want to conserve water, donand#39;t forget


to group plants together according to their need or lack of need for water. Choose new plants that


are drought tolerant. Plan and plant for shade in your garden.

By Web Team

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