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Good gardeners know how important it is to take care of their Kr soil and one of the easiest ways to do this is with mulches. KG editor Steve Ott asks what makes a good mulch and how to get the best from them

- Steve Ott

Gardening is a happy mix of simple techniques, all of which are designed to help you get the best from your flowers, fruit and vegetables. It’s significant that many are aimed at improving the soil and mulching has to be the most simple, but important of these. Although an ancient technique, mulching has recently come to the fore thanks to the rise in popularity of no-dig gardening, which relies on thick layers of organic matter to improve the soil from the top down.

WHAT IS A MULCH?

A mulch can literally be any material that covers the soil. Good organic mulches will:

Retain moisture

Suppress weeds

Reduce nutrient loss due to rainfall

Add organic matter (humus) to the soil as it breaks down

Add nutrients and trace elements to feed plants and soil flora and fauna

Cool the soil in summer and act as insulation for the roots in the winter

Protect some fruit and veg, e.g. strawberries, from rain splashes and pests such as slugs

As well as organic mulches there are also lots of inorganic ones such as ground cover fabrics made from various materials either recycled or non-recycled, including plastics, gravel and stones. These have many of the properties above, such as encouraging moisture retention but do not add nutrients or organic matter.

COMMON ORGANIC MULCHES

Some mulches can be ‘home-grown’, for example grass clippings, comfrey leaves and garden compost, or recycled such as cardboard – all top-notch materials for this purpose. Others such as composted bark, straw and straw-based mulches and well-rotted manure may have to be brought in and are great for topping up your own home-made supplies.

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