Mulching In The Yard

Defining Mulch
Mulch is any kind of material, usually organic but not always, that is spread on the soil over plant roots. A two or three inch layer of mulch around the trunks of trees, shrubs, flower and vegetable plants protects them and benefits the soil too. It also makes the yard look more groomed and attractive. Suitable organic materials include dried grass clippings, chopped leaves, pine needles, wood chips, shredded bark or other woody materials. These organic mulches slowly decompose during the season and contribute nutrients to earthworms and soil microbes which then add humus to the soil.

All bare soil on your property should be mulched. While you can use living mulches--groundcover plants such as pachysandra and even annuals such as impatiens, organic materials make the best and the cheapest mulches Easily the best way to reuse yard waste is by employing it as a mulch. Leaves chopped by a mulching lawn mower or a portable blower/vac make an excellent, economical mulch. Why not save money and solve the trash problem all at the same time?

Benefits Of Mulch
A layer of some organic material spread on the bare soil everywhere on your property offers many important benefits to the soil and the plants that grow in it.

Organic Mulch:
Feeds valuable earthworms and soil microbes
Improves Soil Texture
Conserves Soil Moisture
Serves as Habitat For Beneficial Insects
Inhibits Weeds
Deflects Equipment Injury
Boosts Soil Fertility
Discourages Plant Disease
Regulates Soil Temperature
Protects Roots and Bulbs
Recycles Yard Waste
Beautifies The Landscape

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