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A good mulch layer also helps reduce the impact of raindrops on soil in your gardens and the landscaped areas around your house, says Aaron Steil, a horticulturist with Iowa State University ...
“It’s a game changer for any garden because it does a bunch of stuff: Mulch helps hold moisture in the soil, keeps the soil cool under the hot sun, and even helps prevent weeds from popping up ...
It breaks down quickly (and that’s a good thing!), adds a low level of mineral nutrition to the soil, and doesn’t crust over in summer. It can also be used as a soil amendment if that need arises.
Then, a top layer of organic mulch is applied. More elaborate sheet mulching involves more layers. Sheet mulching is used to transform a variety of surfaces into a fertile soil that can be planted. Sheet mulching can be applied to a lawn, a dirt lot full of perennial weeds, an area with poor soil, or even pavement or a rooftop. [3]
Bark chips applied as mulch. A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth, and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mulch is usually, but not exclusively, organic in nature.
Living mulch planted to retard weed growth between corn rows. In agriculture, a living mulch is a cover crop interplanted or undersown with a main crop, and intended to serve the purposes of a mulch, such as weed suppression and regulation of soil temperature. Living mulches grow for a long time with the main crops, whereas cover crops are ...
Some old mulch may need to be removed before adding a new layer. Applying new mulch over old mulch in successive years is the same as applying too deep a layer all at once.
The use of mulch is widespread in the Piedmont region of the United States as a solution to the high temperatures and saturation of the soil. [9] The addition of mulch helps to make the soil more porous. [10] Adding manure and compost can help boost the amount of organic material present in the soil, which in turn helps add essential nutrients.