By putting an organic mulch in your Heirloom vegetable garden, you’ll save hours of time each year. You should apply a layer of wood chips, grass clippings, shredded bark, sawdust, or pine needles in your vegetable garden because:
Top 10 Reasons to Use Organic Mulch
- Organic mulch prevents most weed seeds from germinating and even makes it easier to pull out the ones that do come up.
- Mulch will hold down your dirt and keep it from splashing up on flowers and heirloom garden vegetables.
- Organic mulch will let you to water less often because mulch keeps the soil cool and moist.
- Mulch decomposes slowly and releases nutrients into the soil throughout the summer.
- Mulch encourages beneficial earthworm activity by improving the soil tilth and nutrient content. Worms also leave worm castings which are one of the best fertilizers available
- Organic mulch will help prevent the freezing and thawing of the soil in winter, which can heave heirloom garden plants out of the soil.
- Mulching helps to prevent diseases by keeping water and soil from splashing onto garden plant leaves.
- Compost mulches can help prevent soil erosion. Soil that contains a lot of humus holds together better. When it rains, the rainwater moves easily through the spaces in between the soil granules rather than running off the soil surface.
- Most of the ingredients for organic mulches can already be found in your home or backyard.
- Many types of organic mulch are attractive additions to the heirloom vegetable garden site.
