MULCHING
WHAT IS MULCHING & ITS ADVANTAGES?
Gardens take on many different sizes, shapes, and characteristics. Similarly, there is a wide variety of mulch that can be used to advance the design of your garden including organic mulch and non-organic mulch. Common mulch used in Perth includes, Black mulch, Enviro Mulch, Karri and Peat, Pro-wood mulch, Pine bark, Kimberley red Mulch and Jarrah woodchips.
However, when faced with the decision to use mulch for their landscaping needs, they should take into consideration the benefits that mulch can provide. Most people understand that mulching will ensure your home is manicured and that your landscape looks clean and crisp, but they are unaware of the many advantages that mulching can offer your garden.
5 MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF MULCHING
1. Controls Weeds
It limits the number of weeds that grow? Mulch acts as a natural barrier, limiting the amount of sunlight that is able to reach the soil in the places that you don’t want weeds to grow. When sunlight cannot find its way to the weeds, the weeds will not be able to grow and will save you time that is usually spent on weeding.
2. Retains Moisture
Organic and non-organic mulch assortments both cover the soil and limit evaporation. Mulches absorb water and help to retain moisture that will nurture your plant growth. Especially during the summer, when the weather is hot and humid, mulch will help out your water bill by giving your plants water. Thus, reducing the water you physically need to give your gardens.
3. Prevents Soil Erosion
Soil by itself often gets washed away from rainwater but mulch can prevent this from occurring. Mulch protects the soil by breaking the fall of water and minimizing the force when water impacts the ground. Mulch acts as a shield which, helps keep your landscape in place and finally preventing soil erosion.
4. Soil Nutrients
Not only does mulch prevent soil erosion, it also can keep soil nutrients from getting washed away by the forceful rain. On top of retaining the soil nutrients from the blanket of mulch that covers your soil, certain types of mulch decompose on the soil over time that will release added nutrients into the soil.
5. Soil Temperature Control
Mulching will moderate soil temperature fluctuations! This means that in the hot summer season, plant roots will be kept cooler by mulch covering the soil. In the winter season, mulch protects plant roots from the cold and helps to prevent frost damage, where plants are pushed out of the ground by natural expansion and contraction of soil as temperatures consistently cool and heat up.
