Reluctant Gardener? 3 Reasons Why Adding Mulch To Your Garden Beds Is A Great Gardening Task
For many people, gardening is a pleasant and enjoyable pastime that is rewarding and relaxing. For many others, gardening is a chore that is performed strictly out of necessity to prevent a garden from becoming overgrown and unattractive. If you fall into the latter category, then your garden may be looking a little worse for wear and in need of some attention.
If you'd like to revamp your garden with minimum effort and maximum effect, then adding mulch to your garden beds is a great choice for a garden project. Here are three ways that mulch can enhance your garden and increase its low-maintenance credentials.
1. Mulch reduces the amount of watering needed
Adding mulch is an excellent way to reduce your garden's water needs and make it more resistant to damage due to dry periods with very little rain. A layer of mulch works in much the same way as the insulation that's added to your home, by creating a barrier between the soil surface and the air.
These insulative properties reduce the water needs of your garden by helping the soil to retain its moisture for longer. It also protects the soil from the full heat of the sun, which reduces evaporation and keeps the soil moist for longer.
2. Mulch restricts weed growth
Weeding is perhaps the most tiresome, back breaking and perpetual of gardening tasks. Unfortunately, it's also highly necessary in order to prevent your garden beds from becoming overrun with weeds and your plants from becoming lost amongst the weed growth.
Mulch is excellent for keeping weeds at bay and significantly reduce the amount of time you'll need to spend on this unwelcome task. The mulch robs the weed seeds of the sunlight that they need in order to grow and any that do manage to sprout will be thwarted by the multiple layers of mulch they'll need to push through to flourish.
3. Mulch makes your garden more beautiful
Adding mulch to your garden beds is like giving your garden an instant facelift. The mulch adds colour, texture and richness to bare and dull soil. It also gives your garden a more cohesive and manicured look, tying the garden beds in different areas into a unified look.
Mulch comes in a variety of different colours and textures. These range from deep reds and purples through to more sedate browns and greys. The type you choose will depend on your tastes, the colour scheme of your home and garden and the availability of different mulch varieties in your region.