How Does Mulch Help My Plants?

Mulch is powerful, and landscapers know it. They carefully add compost, mulch, and shavings to the roots of each of their plants to keep the roots moist (but not too moist) and aerated (but not too dry). The truth is, plants need both water and air touching their root systems to grow.

Mulch protects the roots of your plants

Mulch discourages mites, fungi, beetles, and other plant-eating dangers from touching your green leafy plants. However, more than this, mulch protects the roots of your plants. If rainwater collects in a slightly lower area of your garden, your plants and flowers will be standing in water that won’t run off and will take several hours to dry. This can easily kill them. Mulch guards against this deflecting the rainwater around the plants.

Larger mulch prevents soil erosion

If you have mulch made of larger pieces of materials (rather than fine texture), this is an excellent way to prevent soil erosion. You should always use this on bed or areas of land which have naked soil exposed. If you have areas of dirt with no vegetation, you need to get your mulch coverage up and running now. Many people leave their exposed soil and hope that the plants around it will fill it in. However, exposed soil leads to further soil erosion if you don’t cover it up.

Steep hills are heavily protected by mulch from collapsing

Hillsides are where mulch and ground covers really shine. A nice mulch bed with a low-height, deep-rooted ground cover plant would be the ideal situation for your steep hills. Both wind and rain erode hillside very quickly. You don’t want anything yellowing, browning, becoming exposed, or flattening. Get a nice layer of bark mulch in and then plant some fast-spreading, deep-rooted ground cover that is zoned for your area.

Mulch retains both water and air around your plants

Many newbies believe that their plants need water, but don’t realize how much they need air! This is why you can buy soil in a bag. It is specifically designed to clump in such a way that your plants have both air and water touching their roots. Guess what? Mulch also accomplishes the same task. Wood shavings make the best material for this type of root protection.

Mulch installation from a blower can surround your plants without covering them up, and it is easy to move in and out of place without disturbing the roots. You don’t have to use wood shavings. Any mulch material that is biodegradable can do a great job, too. If you want to plant a bunch of annuals that are not going to make it through the winter, be sure that the mulch is not going to harm the plants as it decomposes. After your lawn is well-established, you may want to let it grow. Let your lawn be what it will, but it.

If you use a mulch blower (which you should), this will be the gentlest and safest option for distributing mulch around your landscaping. Instead of the hard labor of a wheelbarrow and the damaging poking and prodding of a garden rake, you can just blow it in. Your mulch installation technician can safely and gently blow the mulch in between your plants, leaving them untouched and unharmed. No poking or prodding needed.

Mulch breaks down rain and plant material to compost your plants further

The nature of mulch is similar to that of compost. It allows both aerobic (oxygen-based) and anaerobic (non-oxygen-based) processes to occur within it. This means that it takes rainwater and turns it into healthy, highly beneficial compost tea. It takes leaves and animal manure and turns them into loose compost. Mulch protects the worms in the ground from being pulled out by hungry birds, but it also holds seeds in place so that birds can feed on the ground. Pet, wild animal and bird manure add further plant nutrition to your mulch. It’s perfect in every way.

GetMulch.com wants to serve your mulch installation or delivery needs by utilizing a nationwide network of qualified mulch specialists who have a proven track record. We only use the best mulch providers who already have established reputations doing what they love and helping with your mulching needs. Be sure fill out a mulch request form so that we can help you!