I try to be accommodating and get everyones beds in order with mulching as timely as possible. As I have begun mulching already, I would like to take the time to discuss some of the benefits of mulching. Some you may know and others you may not.
The first reason that probably comes to mind for most people is appearance. Mulch greatly enhances the beauty of any landscape, sprucing it up with rich color and a bold presentation. This can be very beneficial when selling a home as it quickly adds curb appeal and is a no-loss investment. Why not be the best looking landscape on the block?
Although that is most everyone’s main objective, the second reason is beneficial to the plants. Mulch provides plants protection from water loss. It helps keep the ground damp around plant roots in some of the driest conditions helping ensure the health of the plant.
The third reason is it helps keep weed growth down. Let me be clear though. This only works if you start with a good clean slate. I see it so often where homeowners decide to do their own mulch and spread it right over a pile of weeds only for the weeds to pop through a few days later. Think of it like this. Your perennials go dormant for the winter and die off only to return in the spring by pushing through the soil or existing mulch with new buds and growth-weeds will do the same. They must be treated or pulled with their entire root system.
Another reason is over time as mulch breaks down, it enriches the soil. A thin layer of humus (not to be confused with chickpea hummus) forms and provides the plants with rich organic soil matter. Natures way of giving our plants a little boost!
The fifth reason is it helps prevent winter injury to plants. It helps provide insulation to plants with shallow root systems as areas under mulch do not typically freeze as deeply which in turn allows plants to still absorb water. It also helps prevent frost heave of root systems from alternate patterns of thawing and re-freezing soils. Sometimes you may see this, especially with landscapes newly installed prior to a winter like we just experienced. It may appear that the plant popped out of the ground a few inches.
I leave you with the last reasons which is soil erosion and hard to mow lawn areas. In some lawns, there are areas that just do not grow well due to lack of sunlight and water from tree canopies that prevent these two vital needs for grass to thrive. Mulch is a way to spruce these areas up which in turn will also help with soil erosion from continual surface water. Hard to mow grass areas are another place mulch can be beneficial. It keeps weed trimmers away from damaging plants and can also make lives easier for mowing tight or sloped areas.