If you’re an avid gardener, you might have heard the terms ‘mulch’ and ‘mulching’ a few times. You might have even been advised to mulch your own garden!
In this blog post we outline what mulch is, types of mulch and why you should apply mulch to your garden this spring.
What is Mulching?
Put simply, mulching is a treatment used to improve the soil that surrounds plants. However, mulching is also widely used as a way to give gardens a neater appearance and to reduce weed occurrence.
Mulching helps soil to retain as much moisture as possible in the hot summer months and helps to protect and insulate the roots of plants in the winter.
Mulching lawnmowers are a great way to feed the nutrients into your lawn directly with minimum effort, keeping it green and lush all year round!
Why you should apply mulch to your soil
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- Suppresses weeds – Protects plant roots in the winter – Deters some pests – Improves soil texture – Retains moisture for plant roots in the summer – Provides great nutrients into the soil
What is Mulch?
Mulch itself is a covering of material, such as bark, grass clippings , straw or hay which is placed on the surface of cultivated soil, such as a flower bed.
Types of Mulch are categorised into two main types: biodegradable and non-biodegradable.
Biodegradable mulches are those which gradually and naturally break down, releasing nutrients into the soil to help improve its composition. This kind of mulch needs to be topped up as the older material breaks down.
Biodegradable mulch includes: Wood chippings – Straw – Seaweed – Bark – Grass – Leaves
Non-biodegradable mulches do not improve soil structure, however they do still conserve moisture, suppress weeds and give a tidy finish to your garden.
Non-biodegradable mulch includes: Gravel – Sea shells – Slate – Pebbles
When and how to mulch
When: The best time to mulch your soil is widely considered to be mid-to-late spring and autumn. This is because the soil is both moist and warm in these seasons, which will ensure successful application and integration with the existing soil.
A great idea to recycle and reuse is retaining and applying your grass clippings, leaves and straw.
Straw mulching is especially great around fruit plants such as strawberries as it gives nutrients whilst giving a cushion for the fruit to sit on.
How: Mulching is pretty straight forward. It can be done effectively by anyone!
You can administer mulch by hand, however there is also lots of mulching equipment available online which can help you to achieve an effective and professional looking finish for your garden.