Why Top Soil Should Always be Covered with Mulch

When planting flowers or vegetables, covering the top soil with mulch is very important. Not only does mulching make a flower bed look more attractive, but it also helps plants to remain healthier. Knowing how to mulch and when to mulch can help make your flower bed or vegetable garden a great success.

Benefits of Mulching

Mulching your flowers and vegetables has many different benefits. A layer of mulch over the top soil helps hold moisture in longer so that plants do not dry out quickly. Mulching also helps to keep weeds away and prevents erosion of the soil. In the winter, mulch protects delicate roots from cold weather. In the summer, it also protects roots from the scorching heat of the sun.

How to Mulch

There are two basic types of mulch that can be used. Organic mulch contains natural ingredients like leaves, wood chips, straw and sawdust. Inorganic mulch includes gravel, crushed stones and plastics. Regardless of the type of mulch you use, it should be spread out around the base of the plant 2 to 3 inches deep. Make sure to allow a little free space between the stems and where the mulch ring begins. If you are mulching in a flower bed, mulch the entire bed, but leave a small circle of unmulched space around each plant. This allows water to go straight to the roots when it rains or you are watering the plants.

When To Mulch

Mulch can be applied in the summer, in the winter or applied and left on year round. Summertime mulching can be done for flowers and vegetables to help retain moisture in the soil and protect plants from overheating during high temperatures. Winter mulching protects perennial flowers and shrubs from frost during extremely cold temperatures. Permanent mulches can also be applied to those trees and shrubs that will not be moved after being planted. This creates a more attractive appearance and provides a guard against accidentally mowing or trimming too closely to trees and shrubs.