Spring: Much About Mulch

Spring is the time when everything in the garden starts to shoot. Seeds are swelling underground and roots are stirring to new life - even though it may be a while before the results are seen above ground. Once those icy frosts and bitter winds start to ease, it won’t be long before the slumbering garden rises to new life.

Now is the time to start preparing your garden for the coming hot summer that could easily be very dry. Certainly, summer watering must take place; yet remember what that will cost in both financial and environmental terms. How much better it will be to put into place those plans that will save you money and save the environment. In a word - mulch.

In the wild, mulch is nature’s way of conserving water. Leaves and small twigs constantly fall from trees and bushes to carpet the ground underneath. This eventually forms a thick natural barrier that helps to stop the moisture evaporating during hot, dry times. But our gardens are not in the wilderness, so we must give Mother Nature a helping hand.

Spreading mulch over the garden is the way in which we do this. Mulch conserves up to 40% of moisture in the soil, providing a cool, moist environment for tender roots to grow and thrive. It also gradually breaks down and provides rich nutrients that gradually wash into the soil through the natural action of rain or watering.

But what mulch is best and where can we source it? This is where your gardening professional can help. Some mulch is better than others and much depends on where your garden is situated and what types of plants are growing in it. And while it is good that mulch breaks down to provide nutrients, we don’t want it to break down too fast, because then we’ll have to replace it - yet another cost.

Your local gardener knows just where the best mulch can be found and he also knows what sort of mulch is needed for you particular garden. He is the one who has specialised knowledge needed in how it should be applied. If you get the wrong type of mulch, or apply it in the wrong way, then it can act as a roof over the soil, keeping out precious moisture that should be seeping down to the roots of those plants. Don’t risk losing all you’ve achieved in the garden.

Once you get the right person taking care of your garden, you will be the envy of all your neighbours. Not only will your garden look the best, but also you’ll have time to relax and enjoy it instead of working away all your precious leisure hours.