Mulching Properly

You've probably heard of the term "mulching" before. This is a natural process and occurs in nature all around you. We humans have discovered the advantages of mulching over the course of time.

What is mulch?

Mulch simply means a ground cover made of natural, organic materials that are easily broken down. For instance, leaves dropping from trees in autumn are a kind of mulch. The leaves cover the soil at the base of a tree and decompose there, adding important nutrients back to the soil. Dead plants or broken branches also fulfil this function.

So when you mulch, you are using a natural process to your advantage and improve your soil without any chemicals or fertilisers. Mulching also offers other advantages.

The Benefits of Mulching

There are many advantages to mulching correctly. These include:

• The additional nutrients result in higher yields.
• The mulch layer functions as insulation for the soil underneath - cools it in summer and warms it in winter thus protecting your soil and plants
• A layer of mulch reduces the evaporation of water from the soil. The soil can therefore store water longer and needs to be watered less often.
• Reduces soil erosion.
• Helps control weeds
• A useful way to recycle garden waste

Where can you mulch?

• You can add a layer of mulch practically anywhere in your garden - lawns, trees, bushes, beds. The only thing you should be cautious about mulching is vegetables because not all are suitable for mulching, for example, carrots or onions.

A wide variety of materials can be used as mulch such as grass clippings, leaves, branches, straw, wood chips and compost. You can also buy ready-made mulching products, such as the Organic Fibre Mulch by Florissa.

Click here for our range of organic mulch and ground covering materials.