Why You Need Mulch
in Your Garden
Hint: It's not just for looks!
Ever wondered why every garden is full of mulch? What’s the point? Does it do something? Do I need to mulch my garden?
Myron Royce Gardens has been an expert landscaping company in Ozark, Missouri for over 30 years. That means we’ve been mulching gardens for just as long. Below, we’ll share with you why we mulch gardens, and why you should mulch your garden too.
#1 Mulch Suppresses Weeds
Mulch prevents many weed seeds from germinating. This is the primary function of mulch in any garden. The fewer weeds that germinate, the fewer weeds you’ll have to pull.
Mulch keeps seeds from germinating by preventing them from being exposed to light. In order to be effective, mulch should be at least 3 inches thick. Some weed seeds will still germinate under the mulch, but having mulch in your garden is like having a garden assistant that cuts your weeding job in half.
#2 Mulch Retains Water
Our Missouri summers come with droughts that many gardens can’t tolerate. Mulch is here to save the day! The second most important function of mulch is to keep water from evaporating out of the soil. If you water bare soil, over half of that water will evaporate before it can be absorbed by the soil. With mulch covering the soil, that amount is drastically reduced.
Mulch prevents water from evaporating because it shields the water from the sun and the wind. Water will run through the mulch because it is very porous, landing on the ground and staying there until it is absorbed by the soil. More water in the soil means more water for the plants, and consistent water is critical for plant survival. Mulching your garden can make the difference between whether your plants survive the summer or succumb to the heat.
#3 Mulch Insulates Soil
Did you know that the soil has an internal temperature just like the air has a temperature? This is another factor influencing seed germination and plant survival. Too cold, and the roots could die. Too hot, and the roots could bake. Mulch behaves like an HVAC system for your soil.
In the winter, mulch over the soil helps retain the geothermal heat under the ground, keeping your soil warmer overall. In the summer, mulch provides shade and retains water in the soil, keeping the soil cooler overall. Additionally, it slows down any temperature fluctuations caused by our wild Ozark weather, giving the plants a more stable soil temperature throughout the growing season. So you may never notice the difference, but your garden will thank you.
#4 Mulch Adds Fertilizer
You may notice that landscapers add mulch to their garden beds every single year, or sometimes more than once a year. This is because mulch breaks down over time, and eventually becomes part of the soil. Soil, after all, is just broken down rocks and broken down organic matter. So the mulch you add this year will be new soil a few years down the line.
New soil is new fertilizer. Soil contains nutrients that plants need to survive. Fertilizer is just those nutrients in an isolated form that can be added back into the soil once it has been depleted. If you remove your dead plants every year and throw them away, your soil is being depleted of nutrients. By adding mulch back into the soil, you are replacing those nutrients and refreshing your soil.
As a bonus, mulch is organic matter, so it breaks down into a soil that has a particularly porous structure, allowing it to hold more water for a longer time. So if you want healthy soil for your garden, you should never skip the mulch.
#5 Mulch Prevents Erosion
Once you have the healthy soil in your garden, you need to protect it! Wind and rain can wash all your good soil right down the drain with one storm. With your soil goes all the nutrients that your plants need to survive. Additionally, erosion can completely ruin your garden if it is on a slope. Mulch is the easiest way to prevent this problem.
Mulch prevents wind and raindrops from contacting the soil and dislodging it. It also slows down the heavy rainfall, giving the soil time to absorb more water and flood less. So if your garden is in a windy or sloping spot, mulch is a good idea to keep that soil in place.
#6 Aesthetic
This isn’t the only reason, but it is a reason! Mulch adds the finishing touch to your garden. It can be any shade of brown that complements your house and garden. It also covers up the dry, cracked, reddish soil we have here in Southwest Missouri. So don’t leave your garden without mulch!
What if I don’t want to mulch?
Mulching takes work, and if you have a big garden, you’ll need a truck or trailer, a wheelbarrow, a pitchfork, and a rake. If that sounds like a hassle, here’s some alternatives to mulching:
- Groundcovers – Consider planting a groundcover like Pachysandra, Sedum, or Creeping Jenny.
- Stones or Gravel – Cover your garden bed with landscape fabric and a layer of stones or gravel for a permanently elegant and weed-free garden.
- Plants Everywhere – Weed problems, erosion, and water loss all come from bare ground. To avoid bare ground, you can fill every square inch of your garden with plants. “English Gardening” is a good inspiration for this.
- Call Us – Myron Royce Gardens can mulch for you. Even with groundcovers or extra plants, having mulch (or gravel) is still a good idea. Just reach out and we’ll take care of all your landscaping needs.
Conclusion
At Myron Royce Gardens, we take our mulch very seriously. We offer garden installation and maintenance services throughout the Springfield-Branson area, including mulching, weeding, irrigation installation, planting, and cleanup. We even have several different colors of mulch to choose from. Our mission is to make landscaping easy and beautiful.
If you’re interested in our services, just give us a call at 417-443-2648 or contact us here.
About the Author
Myron Royce Gardens is a professional landscaping company based in Ozark, MO. We provide landscape design, installation, and maintenance services throughout the Springfield-Branson area.
We started this blog because we want to share our knowledge and expertise with everyone in Southwest Missouri. Landscaping is our passion, and we want it to be a pleasant experience for everyone.
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