Nobody likes weeds in their garden. They’re ugly. They spread quickly. They require extra work. Plus, they hinder valuable sunlight from reaching the good stuff in your lawn. So, if you’re looking for an alternative to using chemicals on your weeds, you might like to consider using mulch in your garden.
Mulching can significantly reduce your lawn’s weed population. The reason for this is that it obstructs the sun from reaching the weed seeds. It also insulates your plant roots against temperature fluctuations and it retains moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation. Furthermore, it can reduce (or prevent) soil erosion caused by wind and/or rain.
Mulching has the potential to save you time, money and effort. And who doesn’t want that on a lazy Sunday?
But before we get to the pictures, let’s start with the basics…
What is a Weed?
A weed is defined in Wikipedia as a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation. But a weed in one context is not a weed when growing in a situation where it is in fact wanted. The term also refers to a plant that grows or reproduces aggressively, or is invasive outside its native habitat.
Thats me, Andrea, pulling up some huge weeds on our very first lawn mowing job © GreenSocks
What is Mulch?
According to Wikipedia, Mulch is “a layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil. Its purpose is any or all of the following: to conserve moisture; to improve the fertility and health of the soil; to reduce weed growth; and/or to enhance the visual appeal of the area.”
Mulch can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Many organic and non-organic materials can be used to make mulch. To see a quick list of some of the typical materials used for mulch, see our previous article: Should I Use Mulch in My Garden?
With Mulch Vs Without Mulch?
Okay, now for the pretty pictures…
This infographic shows some of the benefits of mulch on your garden’s soil versus no mulch on your soil.
Source: Fix.com Blog
Living Herbs as Mulches
And this pretty picture gives three good reasons to use herbs as living mulches, plus identifies ten common herbs that you can use as living mulch in your garden…
Source: Fix.com Blog
So, if you’re looking for an alternative to using chemicals to kill your weeds, consider trying mulch in your garden… and let us know how you go?