Do you know the many benefits of a proper organic mulch?
A breathable organic mulch is not only aesthetically pleasing (looks nice) but can:
Help to improve soil organic matter as it breaks down.
Provide shade for the soil to help reduce moisture loss and prevent weed seed germination.
Provide soil microbes, mycorrhizae (beneficial fungi), earthworms, and even nematode predators the necessary organic matter and ecosystem to thrive while their actions aid in improving soil tilth and or friability (think of this as the ease with which roots are able to penetrate the soil).
Provide insulation to protect the crowns of tender perennials and die-back perennials giving gardeners up to an extra half a zone of winter warmth allowing us to grow that which we normally could not.
Provide soil temperature moderation preventing premature soil warming in winter and providing a cooler root zone in summer.
So which mulch is our favorite? Our preferred mulch is Longleaf Pine Straw which has: a natural weed preventative for the first year after it is applied; it is sustainably harvested, and it provides protection from soil erosion and doesn't float away, and yet is still both insulative and breathable; while Longleaf Pine Straw appears to last the longest in the garden and landscape in our opinion ...
