Why Mulch?


The Benefits of Mulch

Mulching is one of the best things you can do for your beds. This is the act of placing a protective barrier (mulch) around your plants and over your bare soil. This protective barrier can be made up of a variety of decomposing organic materials, including bark or wood chips (from various tree species), pine needles, straw, and cocoa bean shells, or non decomposing, non-organic materials such as black plastic, landscaping fabric, recycled tires, pebbles, and river rock.

The advantages of mulching are vast, but for today we will just talk about five advantages.

 

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Controls Weeds

Through the use of mulch you can limit the amount of weeds that spring up in the open spaces of your garden. The mulch acts as a barrier, limiting the amount of sunlight that can find its way to the weeds.

Retains Moisture

Organic mulches absorb water. Organic and non-organic varieties both cover the soil and limit evaporation. Retaining moisture, especially during hot, dry seasons can not only help out your plants, but it can also help out your water bill.

Prevents Soil Erosion

Mulching not only keeps existing water trapped in the soil, it also keeps rain water from washing away your soil. It does this by breaking the fall of the water and therefore lessening the force when the water impacts the ground.

Maintains Soil Nutrients

No only does mulch keep soil nutrients from being washed away with the rain, but it also can release nutrients into the soil if you are using an organic material. This happens as the organic material slowly decomposes on top of the soil.

Controls Pests

Using certain types of mulch, such as cedar bark, can deter certain pests due to the fact that the cedar bark has natural oils that act as insect repellant.

Get In Touch

These are just a few reasons why mulching matters. Need help with mulching your beds? Ramos Landscaping is here to help. If you’re not already a Ramos Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Contact us at 508-808-5087. We’d love to hear from you.