Mulch is an important part of gardening for many of us. We’ve been mulching our gardens lately. “What is mulch any way?” you might wonder.

It’s anything that covers the ground and improves the soil by retaining moisture. Did you know that in some circumstances you could even use rocks? I know! I feel the cringing of gardeners from all the places that battle rocks. But according to George, it can actually be done and might help in some situations.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition of Mulch

Mulch improves soil fertility. It stops weeds from coming up thereby saving work on weeding. Mulch adds to soil structure for drainage and roots can find nutrients better.  It creates better plant health and production.

Some Materials Which Can Be Used

• weeds
• straw
• old hay
• leaves
• shredded paper (without plastic in it)
• cardboard
• old, untreated wood
• wood chips

So aside from rocks, what can you use? Of course, most gardening stores sell wood chips. Sometimes, if you check around your area, there may even be wood chips available for free. You can also use straw or hay as you see in the above pictures. Another thing that my family likes to do, is get bags of leaves when fall hits, and use the them as well. Personally, I prefer straw or hay. With those, I can lay potatoes on the top of the soil and just cover them over with the mulch. They grow just fine and all I have to do to harvest the potatoes, is pull the mulch away, and voila! There are my beauties underneath the mulch.

Unity Home Group: Complete Guide to Mulch

Do you do anything different for your garden for weed control and moisture retention? We’d love to hear about it in the comment section of this blog.

Three Sisters Gardening Is Another Way to Control Weeds.

Until next time,

Homestead in Health Ya’ll!

Emily