Mulching your shrub beds and trees is needed for more than simply making your yard look nice. Mulching is imperative to the healthy growth and longevity of your plants. There are actually a number of benefits mulching brings to your garden.
As you know, plants of all types need water and moisture to survive. Mulch is an important component to keeping your shrubbery hydrated and healthy. Adding mulch actually helps preserve water because it retains water, adding to the water source of a root structure. Also imperative to plant health are proper temperatures. Extreme temperatures, whether too hot or too cold, could kill your tree and shrubs quicker than dehydration. But adding mulch to the base insulates and helps regulate temperature to incubate healthy growth for strong, healthy roots.
When used without a weed wrap, ironically, mulch prevents weed growth. This is because when the mulch breaks-down and decomposes it blankets soil and decays into the nutrient bank for the plant. When used over a weed wrap, it sits around the plant base and decays at a much slower rate acting as a catchall for spores and seeds. Weed growth around your plant will lead to root competition, depriving your plants of the nutrients and water they need to flourish.
The added nutrients mulch provides ideal incubation for all organic growth. It feeds the soil and gives new life as it decays. This effectively encourages microbe growth and shelter for earthworms, which churn the soil and prevents soil compaction. This is fundamental to a healthy root structure because when soil is compacted, it is not possible for it to retain moisture and promote root growth.
Any organic matter can serve as mulch. This can include dry leaves, twigs, wood chips, compost, grass clippings, straw, and pretty much anything that grew from the earth and is decaying. That’s because organic decay yields carbon, crucial for moisture retention and sustaining growing roots. So if you want to protect, nourish and regulate temperature for your costly plants and shrubberies, implementing organic mulching practices are your best bet.