
Gardening doesn't have to be a lot of work, especially if you use mulch in your vegetable and ornamental beds and pathways. Mulch is a huge garden timesaver because it helps prevent weeds, reduces the need to water, moderates soil temperatures, adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down and helps your garden look tidy.
eHow Expert: Willi Galloway
Expert: Home & Garden
Profession: West Coast Editor of Organic Gardening magazine, Creator of DigginFood.com
Location: Seattle, Washington
Comments
Tippy said
on 6/7/2008 Thank you for a great article.
Anonymous said
on 3/21/2006 When mulching, it is great to use horse or cow manure, it is one of the best mulches I've ever used and it works wonders mixed with dried leaves. It may also be incorporated to the soil as a fertilizer and as a soil texture enhancer.
Note: horse manure mulch reduces its volume greatly once laid out, so every few weeks it will be necessary to add more. It works wonders also keeping weeds away.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Leaves will decompose much faster when shredded. Craftsman makes a Leaf Shredder that uses a 'string trimmer' to shred the leaves for about $100. The resulting mulch can then be turned into the soil or used to cover garden areas. These leaves are the best fertilizer for what ails your garden.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Be careful when using newspaper. Squirrels seem to love it as a nesting material and made quick use of it this spring. They dug beneath the other mulch materials and spread the newspaper throughout the planting beds! What a mess!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Organic composted mulches composed of leaves, bark and wood contribute far more to soil improvement than a mulch of only shredded or chipped bark. Bark is composed primarily of lignin, which is slow to decompose and less nutritious.