Your home's garden is vital because it helps enhance the aesthetics of your property and supplies you with healthy foods. For example, your flower garden will add a pop of color to your residential home, elevating your mood. Growing a vegetable garden will also help you save money on groceries. Hence, you should ensure that you take care of your garden to keep it vibrant, healthy, and productive. For instance, you should add mulch to your garden to stop the soil surface from crusting and minimize soil erosion. Organic mulch will also break down with time, adding nutrients to your soil. Below are three top reasons why it is imperative to add mulch to your garden.
1. To Stop Weed Growth in Your Garden
Weeds are dangerous because they compete for nutrients, space, water, and sunlight with your plants. They also host pathogens and insects which might harm your plants. Hence, as a garden owner, it is wise to invest in measures that will help prevent weeds from growing, like adding mulch. This will help cover the surface of your soil, preventing weed seeds from getting light, which is necessary for them to germinate. Hence, the weeds will not grow, preventing your plants from competing for resources and protecting them from harmful substances like pests and diseases.
2. To Retain Soil Moisture
Your soil's moisture is vital because it serves as a food nutrient carrier, enhancing your plants' growth. It also regulates soil temperature and helps in photosynthesis. However, soil moisture might evaporate through the soil surface, slowing the growth of your plants. Nevertheless, you can prevent this by adding mulch to your garden. It will provide a protective layer on the surface of your soil, minimizing water evaporation and safeguarding your soil from cracks. This way, your plants will become healthy and strong.
3. To Prevent Soil Temperature Fluctuations
Since your garden is located outside, it might get exposed to different temperatures, leading to soil temperature fluctuations. This might damage your plants if neglected. For instance, freezing and thawing during winter might lead to frost heaving, killing, or damaging your plants. Fortunately, as a garden owner, you can prevent this by adding mulch to your garden. It will keep your soil cool during summer and provide insulation during winter, preventing wide-temperature soil fluctuations.
Mulch will also provide a ring around your plants, preventing lawn equipment like lawn mowers from damaging your plants. So, as a garden owner, you should never hesitate to add mulch to your garden to enjoy the fruits of your hard work.