Nearing the end of December, it’s supposed to be cold…right? And when you’re cold, what do you do to make life more comfy? Put on a cozy coat or sweater, maybe snuggle under a blanket? Whatever your choice of ‘cover up,’ you probably do NOT tough it out and dress as though it were summer. Our trees, flowers and soil deserve the same consideration - and how do we accomplish this? One word – mulch.
Mulch (noun) is “a protective covering of organic material laid over the soil and around plants to prevent erosion, retain moisture, and enrich the soil.” Mulch acts as an overcoat for soil and plants; providing protection, insulation and natural, chemical-free weed control. Materials such as leaves, bark, straw, newspaper, compost and even plastic, may be used as mulch. Only one of these offers great potential for restoring ecological processes to degraded soils, while diverting a valuable natural resource from landfills – and that is compost.
Applying compost and mulch to the landscape increases soil organic matter (S.O.M); providing vital nutrients that create structure and pore spaces - allowing soil to easily soak up excess rain water. This helps reduce runoff from lawns and gardens during storms, which can help reduce flooding, sewer overflows, and erosion. Improving your soil can also save you money by reducing summer irrigation needs because plants grow deeper roots and the soil holds more water. Healthier plants have fewer pest and disease problems and need less fertilizer, so you’ll need fewer chemicals, which is good for your family’s health and our environment. The beneficial soil organisms (fed by compost and mulch) also break down pollutants and help move carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere into long-term storage in the soil.
Three steps to building healthy soil:
1) Amend the soil with compost
- Dig or till 2-4 inches of compost into the upper 6-8 inches of soil when preparing beds or new lawn areas for planting. Amend the whole bed. Amending just the planting holes can limit root growth.
- Top dressing - improve existing lawns by aerating, then raking ¼ to ½ inch of compost in, spring or fall.
2) Mulch existing plantings regularly
- Spread mulch in the spring or fall, to control weeds and conserve water, reduce runoff, and prevent erosion (keep 1 inch away from tree trunks). Renew mulch layers annually.
- On garden beds and around shallow-rooted annuals, mulch with 1-2 inches of compost, shredded leaves, or grass clippings.
- Around trees and woody perennials, use 2-4 inches of wood chips (from a tree service) or leaves. Medium-sized bark mulch (fine bark can repel water) is a second choice.
- Save your fall leaves, or gather them for free – they’re a great mulch for most plants.
- Use conifer tree needles as a mulch around conifer trees, or around acid-loving plants.
- Mulch-mow (leave the clippings) on your lawn, to build denser turf, deeper roots, and a drought resistant, healthy lawn.
3) Avoid using chemicals, and choose organic or slow-release fertilizers
- Pesticides (weed and bug killers) like “weed-and-feed” may hurt beneficial soil life, wildlife, and our families’ health too – use the resources below to find better alternatives.
- Over-fertilization with quick-release chemical fertilizers is also bad for soil life, and harms our lakes and streams by causing algae blooms. (The algae later dies, and uses up oxygen in the water as it decomposes, suffocating fish).
- Fertilize moderately (compost can replace most fertilizer needs), and look for the words “natural organic” or “slow-release” on the fertilizer bag. They cost a little more but they feed plants a long time, and they don’t wash away in the first rainstorm.
When purchasing compost for your lawn or garden, be sure it's USCC STA Certified compost - preferably BULK (less expensive and no plastic bags to clog the landfill)
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