Great Benefits Of Fall Mulching

Fall Mulching Can Improve The Health Of Your Garden

Your garden has been through a lot recently. Sun, heat, thunderstorms. The nice thick layer that was placed on your garden in the spring has become thinner, no longer able to adequately protect the plant roots it was intended to and unable to prevent weed growth. It’s nice dark color has faded.

Applying a fresh layer of mulch to garden beds in late summer or fall can pay huge dividends for the health and growth of your garden.

Protect The Root Systems

Harsh cold temperatures can damage the fibrous root systems of garden plants. It is these parts of the root systems of plants that are responsible for taking up water and nutrients. If they are damaged, the plant will suffer a setback. Mulch acts as an insulating blanket to help protect fibrous roots during cold periods.

Suppress Weeds

Even in the fall and winter, weed seeds can germinate. Through the use of mulch you can limit the amount of weeds that spring up in the open spaces of your garden. The mulch acts as a barrier, limiting the amount of sunlight that can find its way to the weeds.

Retain Moisture

Organic mulches absorb water by both covering the soil and limiting evaporation. Winter can be a very dry season. Retaining moisture can not only help out your plants and assure that they get off to a good start in the spring.

Prevent Soil Erosion

Mulching not only keeps existing water trapped in the soil, it also keeps rain water from washing away your soil. It does this by breaking the fall of the water and therefore lessening the force when the water impacts the ground.

Improve Appearance

Let’s face it. The summer dries out mulch. A nice fresh layer of mulch on a garden is kind of like a coat of fresh paint on a wall. It just looks good. Why not go into the fall with your gardens looking as fresh as they did in the spring.