Mulch is a great labour-saving material in the garden, sealing in moisture and keeping out weeds. Ambra Edwards looks at the choices.
Mulch is the nearest thing any gardener gets to a magic wand. By applying a thick, 5-10cm layer of it at the right time - which, after our wet winter, is now - we can practically do away with the need for summer watering for all but the most vulnerable or newly establishing plants. It will also suppress annual weeds.
But that's not the end of its virtues. Organic mulches, such as chipped bark, well-rotted manure and garden compost, break down slowly and improve the structure of the soil, opening up heavy clay and boosting the fertility and moisture-retention of sandy ones. A thick covering of mulch over the roots of plants that aren't reliably hardy will ensure they survive winter frosts. And for plants that hate winter wet, such as silver-leaved or Mediterranean plants, a mulch of gravel around the crown can be a life-saver.
A mulch can be more or less anything you want, such as pine needles, chopped bracken, grass clippings or recycled glass aggregate. It's best to avoid peat and coir, which lack environmental credentials, while cocoa shells could poison your dog and black polythene sheeting raises problems of disposal.
Whatever mulch you choose, the same ground rules for laying it apply: never use on dry soil, or you'll lock moisture out, not in; clear the site of perennial weeds before you begin; leave a gap around the stems of plants to avoid rot; be careful not to bury small, dainty plants - before mulching, protect them by covering with a flowerpot.
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