Get the Most Out of Your Ground Cover With These Bonus Applications
Gardeners have a love affair with mulch. Of all the growing supplies we consider necessities, mulch tops the list. We love it for its weed protection, erosion prevention, and moisture conserving qualities that provide months of benefits to grass seedlings, vegetables, and flowers. Whether you’ve found yourself with a surplus, or you are simply looking for a few additional application ideas, we’ve dug up a few that are just slightly off the beaten path to help you max-out your mulch’s potential.
For Pots & Containers
The primary benefits of mulch are preserving moisture and keeping down weeds, usually in the garden. But don’t forget that they can do the same for your container gardens. Apply some to your pots’ surface, especially for seedlings and new plants. It will perform the same helpful job of keeping moisture in, keeping roots cool, and keeping pesky volunteers from popping up.
For Walkways
Mulch is perfect for a visual break in your garden. Use it to construct a walkway through a large garden, to emphasize a Zen-like space or a birdbath, or to tidy the look of an area that can’t be planted due to underground rock or root system. Today’s variety of colors can create a unique appearance. Here’s a method that uses two colors for a stone walkway, from Pretty Handy Girl.
For Trees
Planting new trees this season? Mulch can help fend off disease and help trees and shrubs grow longer into fall by insulating the ground. Watch your method if you are using mulch with wood chips – they can strip nitrogen and be detrimental to plants and trees — be sure to cover the roots but keep mulch clear of the bark. Consider organic mulch for an earth-friendly, wood-free option.
For Cleaner Veggies
Using mulch in your edible garden helps keeps dirt off fruits and vegetables, yielding cleaner produce. The small segments of mulch like Mainely Mulch allow it to interlock, naturally tackifying, which holds it in place. That means it stays where you intended, not on your lettuce.
For Drought Days
We know one of the greatest benefits of mulching is that it conserves water, and it’s worth repeating these defensive benefits when drought conditions take hold. Organic mulch helps rain to better permeate the soil and limits evaporation of soil moisture. When rainwater is scarce, mulching with a quality, environmentally-friendly mulch will help ensure you are reducing your water usage and allow moisture and air to flow through while improving soil quality.
