Mulch in Vegetable Gardens

I have it on very good authority that mulching is extremely important. Adding mulch to your garden bed will help retain soil moister as well as take on the most honorable job of keeping weeds at bay. In addition, using organic matter as mulch will even help to improve your soil quality. So, on the advice of a self proclaimed "soil nerd", I have added mulch to my garden.

As I mentioned in my review of Wilco Farm Store in Battle Ground, WA, my mother is in the market for mulch. She is still in the process of deciding which mulch to buy and from whom to buy it. The key word in all of that for me is "buy". I'm perfectly willing to invest unlimited amounts of time into my garden, but money is another story. I'd like for my gardening adventure to be an addition to my quality of life, and not a subtraction to my bank account.

The solution seems simple enough. I am mulching my garden with grass clippings. An inch or so of grass clippings should be enough to keep the moisture from evaporating from the soil in my garden bed. It should also protect the ground from would be invaders - i.e. weeds. The mulch keeps the soil dark and cool which will help to keep the seeds from most weeds from germinating.

As the grass clippings begin to decay, they will add valuable nutrients back into the soil. It's like a direct composting system, improving the quality of the soil, right where you want it. Using organic matter as mulch will also encourage visits from my very good friends, the worms. Another nice thing about the grass clipping idea is that I have a nearly unlimited supply, and I add to it each week.

Using mulch will also improve the beauty of your garden. Hard rains can cause mud to splash up on your veggies. In drier weather, wind can blow away dry soil and lower the soil level in your garden bed. Also, heavy vegetables left to sag in the dirt can bruise or start to rot.

The downside to using organic matter as mulch is that it may attract certain critters. Table scraps, as used by some, can attract rodents and other scavengers. Ants, slugs, and snails can also come creeping along after such mulch types. Grass clippings are bound to attract my dog, who loves to roll and sleep in them. I have, however; let him know that he will find himself also buried in my garden if I see one more paw print in my bell peppers!

It seems as though the answer is clear; it is far more beneficial to mulch than not to mulch. It protects your plants and improves your soil, and seems as though it will make gardening mulch more enjoyable. Get i? Mulch more enjoyable! Ha! I crack me up!