Mulch now for winter plant care.
Mulching is generally used to improve the soil around plants, but it also gives your garden a neat, tidy appearance and can reduce the amount of time spent on gardening tasks such as watering and weeding.
Biodegradable mulches, amongst the best are wood chippings, well-rotted manure, fallen autumn leaves and garden compost. They will all provide a warm layer through the winter and will definitely help soil retain moisture in summer and prevent weeds from growing.
Mulches are best applied from mid to late spring and autumn, when the soil is moist and warm. They can be applied around new plantings or to established garden beds and specimen plants. Take care not to smother low growing plants or to pile mulches up against woody stems of plants. Effective biodegradable mulches need to be ideally 5cm to 7cm thick. Apply mulches over moist soil after removing weeds and their roots.
Other benefits of mulching include:
- Attracting earthworms
- Attracting more birdlife
- Improving the soils condition
- Increasing soil drainage
- Increasing soil moisture retention
