Reasons for Mulching Your Garden Beds
If you're looking for a way to make your landscape healthier and more attractive, you might consider spreading mulch over the garden beds. Here are several reasons to go ahead with a mulching project.
Attractive
While plants and flowers make garden beds attractive, the soil in between is drab. You can cover up the earth with the colours and textures of mulch. Add shredded bark or wood chips that come in different tan, red, or grey tones to create a rustic look.
Another possibility is rounded pebbles or crushed stones that offer more colours. Rock comes in hues like reds, yellows, greys, blues, and creams. You could combine hues, blending sandy and blue stones. Alternatively, create a striking look with all black or all cream pebbles. Make sure to echo tones from the house or garden to harmonise the rock pieces with the landscape.
Healthier Garden
Mulch can also enhance a garden's health. It blankets the soil with a layer that hinders water evaporation so your garden beds will retain moisture better. As a result, they'll require less watering. Mulch also lessens erosion by protecting the soil during heavy rains so that the topsoil doesn't wash away. You can also insulate the garden beds from temperature extremes by spreading mulch which will act as a buffer. Bear in mind that varieties of mulch can have specific effects. For example, light-coloured mulch can reflect solar heat onto nearby plants.
Blocks Weeds
The more garden beds you have in your yard, the more weeding tasks they'll produce. You can stop this from taking your free time by covering the soil with mulch. The blocking of light will inhibit weeds from sprouting. Make sure to remove any existing weeds manually or with a weed killer before scattering the mulch.
Adds Nutrients
Some mulches add nutrients to the soil. For example, straw breaks down and is perfect for a vegetable garden. Because organic mulches decompose, they'll need replenishment more frequently than inorganic materials, such as stones and pebbles. Rock doesn't add nutrients, but it will last longer than organic mulch that must be replaced periodically. Take this into account when choosing what substances to include in your mulch delivery. How frequently are you prepared to replenish it?
Thus, mulch makes garden beds healthier by retaining moisture, insulating the soil, and blocking runoff. It also brings attractive colours and textures to the landscape while blocking weeds.