Benefits of Mulch

Mulch is one of the best things you can use in your landscape. The benefits of mulch include healthier soil, moisture retention, temperature regulation, erosion control, cost savings, and visual appeal. It also deters pests, controls weeds, helps prevent diseases, and protects against damage from landscaping equipment.

1. Leads to healthier soil

When it comes to making soil healthier, organic mulches are king. They are chock full of organic material and nutrients that get deposited into the soil as they decompose. 

Organic material in particular has a two-fold benefit. It improves soil texture and condition, making clay soils less prone to compaction and sandy soils hold more water. Organic material also invites beneficial microbes, insects, and worms into your soil, which leads to better soil health.

Organic mulches also may remove toxins from the ground. An article in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture mentions that pine needles and eucalyptus, poplar, and arborvitae leaf mulches remove lead and cadmium from soil. They also say that compost and wood chips transformed copper in forest soils into a less toxic form.

Mulch also can reduce soil salinity by keeping water in the soil, which dilutes the salt. Salt can harm root systems and cause stunted plant growth.

2. Retains water

Mulch keeps your soil moist for longer by shielding it from the sun. This reduces evaporation — which also helps with keeping soil salinity down. This means you need less water to keep your plants hydrated.

3. Insulates against harsh temperatures

Mulch protects your plants from temperature extremes. Mulch keeps the soil shaded so it doesn’t get too hot. However, this isn’t true for all mulches. Some inorganic mulches like plastic tarps can trap heat instead.

The ground thaws and freezes throughout the winter months, which can push plants out of the soil — injuring them at best and killing them at worst. Mulch acts as a natural frost blanket to keep your plants a little warm during the winter (1 to 2 degrees warmer, according to a study) and keeps the soil temperature relatively consistent, which prevents freeze and thaw cycles.

That doesn’t sound like much, but the real magic is in how soil temperatures fluctuate less with mulch both in summer and winter. The same study (published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal) mentions that soil temperatures only varied by about 15 degrees at a 1-inch depth with mulch during the summer, compared to the 35-degree variation in bare soil.

4. Protects against erosion and soil compaction

Soil gets washed away or otherwise displaced by the wind, water, and foot traffic. This is called soil erosion, and over time this can lead to a good chunk of your topsoil being removed from your garden. Mulch prevents soil erosion by keeping it in place.

Organic mulch also reduces soil compaction by improving soil texture as they break down. They help break up clay soils that are prone to getting compacted.

5. Controls weeds

Since mulch blocks out sunlight, it can prevent weed seeds from germinating without harming your own plants. If weeds do germinate, they’ll generally be easier to pull out if they take root in the mulch layer (which isn’t meant to be a growing medium).

Mulch is effective against annual weeds and kind of powerless against perennial ones. This is because perennial weeds like dandelions come back year after year through their roots rather than seeds.

6. Keeps pests away

Some types of mulch repel pests. Experts have found that reflective mulch keeps aphids and whiteflies away from cantaloupe, zucchini, and other plants. UV light waves reflected by the mulch disorient them, preventing them from finding the leaves of their host plants. These pests can bring diseases to your plants.

As another example, studies have found that aromatic cedar mulch seems to deter Argentine ants and other pests from nesting in landscape beds and around structures. This could be thanks to thujone, a chemical that cedar trees produce.

Woody mulches attracting termites seem to be a myth, too. The Iowa State University Extension mentions that termites don’t live very long when fed eucalyptus, pine bark, and hardwood mulches. They also say there’s no proof that the moist environment mulch attracts termites; however, they’re likely to stay if they wander into it.

7. Prevents diseases

Mulching around garden beds, trees, and shrubs helps prevent diseases. Aside from boosting the populations of beneficial microorganisms and keeping disease-causing pests away, mulch also prevents water and mud from splashing onto your plants. Water and mud coming from the soil can bring spores of fungi to your plants, which can cause illnesses like anthracnose.

8. Protects against damage from landscaping equipment

Do you know about “lawnmower blight”? This is what they call injuries sustained by trees and shrubs because of lawn mowers, string trimmers, and other landscaping equipment. Repeated injury creates openings in the bark that can be invaded by disease.

So, how does mulch prevent mower blight? Mulch is a visual reminder of where your lawn ends, so you don’t bring your tools near landscape beds and trees.

9. Saves you money

Adding mulch to your landscape has an upfront cost, but it saves you money in the long run. You won’t need to spend as much money on weed control and you’ll use less water – keeping your water bill low. If you use organic mulch, you’ll even save a little on fertilizer costs as organic mulch fertilizes your soil as it breaks down.

While some fancier mulches like crushed seashells and cedar can get expensive, most of them are quite affordable. You can even get free mulch if you know where to look; you can check our article, “Where to Find Free Mulch”, for tips.

10. Provides visual appeal

Lastly, mulch is a low-cost and simple addition to a lackluster landscape. There are many types of mulch on the market and you’re bound to find one that suits your needs. Need a pop of color? Go with red wood mulch or white stone mulch. Want something more natural? Choose pine straw or shredded hardwood mulch.

FAQs about the benefits of mulch

How deep should you mulch to reap its benefits?

Generally, a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch is a good mulch depth to aim for. Adding too little mulch will mean you don’t get any benefits, while too much mulch can cause issues for your plants.

How do you mulch?

Here is a short guide on how to mulch:

1. Clear the area of debris and weeds.
2. Level the area.
3. Add small piles of mulch around the area.
4. Smooth out the piles.
5. Water the area lightly.

What is the best mulch to use?

The best mulch will depend on what your landscape needs and your own wants. 

Even choosing organic vs. inorganic mulches is down to preference. While organic mulches are generally better, inorganic mulches also have their benefits – mainly that you don’t need to replace them as often (if at all).

These articles may help you make an informed decision on what mulch to use in your yard:

• “8 Best Mulches for Vegetable Gardens”
• “10 Best Organic Mulches for Your Yard”
• “5 Types of Inorganic Mulch”

Hire a pro to spread mulch

Have you been converted into a mulch lover? While you can add mulch to your yard yourself, it can be a bit time-consuming to prepare your landscape beds for mulching. Why not hire a pro to do all the hard work for you?

Lawn Love can connect you with local pros who can lay down mulch, tend to your garden, and even put down extra pre-emergent weed control on top of the mulch. Hire a pro through Lawn Love today.

Main Image Credit: Pixabay

Janine Caayao

Janine Caayao has always been fascinated with growing plants, from fruits and veggies to bonsai trees and orchids. Now, she’s interested in urban gardening with her family. She loves finding new tips and tricks to keep their plants thriving.

Posts by Janine Caayao