Mulch? Is it best to lay it around the beds of flowers and plants in my garden?

Question

Hello, everyone seems to say laying mulch around the beds of flowers and plants is the best way to keep the moisture in the soil? is this true, what are other benifits for doing so?

Answer 1

mulch is a living organism and will slowly "disolve" for lack of a better word into the ground. the vitimins and minerals in the mulch will help fertilize the flowers and plants under the mulch and enrich them.

mulch is good for keeping your roots cool from the hot sun, keep the soild moist after the rest of the soil has dried and in cooler temperatures it acts as a thermol blanket for the roots and bulbs that have just been planted.

plus it can be very attractive depending on how it is done.

Answer 2

The main benefits of mulch are these:

Mulch helps control moisture levels in soil.

As it breaks down, organic value is added to the soil.

Mulch can help control erosion by covering the soil itself.

Mulch also provides a nice, finished look to garden beds.

Additionally, mulches are often earth friendly because they help plants thrive. Most mulches are by-products of the lumber and paper business and use as a mulch is far better than these by-products being burned or being buried in landfills.

So.. mulch your beds. It's good for the earth!

Answer 3

Mulch has several purposes in a planting bed.
It helps retain moisture in the soil.
It will help to keep the soil cooler when the weather is hot.
It helps to keep down weeds as it blocks sunlight from reaching weed seeds on the soil surface and prevents them from germinating.
It makes planting beds look more attractive.
A natural mulch will break down over time and enrich the soil.

Answer 4

I put about 3" of mulch in my plant beds. Makes weeding a "less often" task. Maintains moisture in the soil also. The effects of the sun drying the plant beds out is greatly lessened.

Answer 5

If you get a "scented" mulch like cedar or cypress there are many benefits. What it does is help to prevent weeds from making their way into your flower bed. If you use one of those two, they have scents that keep away bugs and protect the roots of your plants. Alot of people use colored mulch just for decoration, but it still will help with weeds. It will help with moisture as well, but it isn't the best way. The best way to retain moisture is to use a peat moss or cotton burr compost. I still recomend it though. Is it required? No. Is it worth the money spent? Yes. Good luck with your garden and enjoy!

Answer 6

Since you are going to plant over it, I would not use any poison or chemical plant killer. It will make it hard for your new plants to live there and it may even kill them too! Get something like cardboard and plastic and cover the area for a long period of time. It may take several weeks or more. Once the grass is dead you can dig up the area and plant your flowers!

Answer 7

As a general rule, I keep mulch at least 4 inches away from my plants. The mulch can harbor insects and diseases and it can kill something like a Clematis in a heartbeat.

Answer 8

You Bet it is! it also makes for a mini-composter right there in your garden where the plants can use the nutrients right away. Also it does help a bit with weed control in the garden....unless you are plagued with tumbleweed like I am.

Answer 9

it does hold moisture in the soil and will keep the weeds down.but it can harbor insects,like fire ants,just keep an eye out.

Answer 10

well there are couple of goodother benifets and they are : it improves the look and also mulch will eventurly decompose and it will acuturly help in fertilisation.