by John Benson

Created on: July 09, 2008   Last Updated: December 10, 2011

Covering your soil with a mulch of organic (and inorganic) matter each spring means you return to the soil all the nutrients and goodness that have been lost throughout the year. Soil organisms and earth worms take your mulch and turn it into the soil below, meaning you don't even have to dig!

Mulching is one of those wonderful jobs that both mirrors what occurs in nature and makes other gardening chores easier. By spending a bit of time on your garden in spring you can drastically reduce the time and effort that will be needed during those hectic summer months.

By mulching around our plants and crops we can reduce weeds, conserve water, provide a more stable and constant soil temperature and improve the health of our soil and plants that derive their nutrients from it. Mulching should be on the top of every gardeners spring to do' list. While mulching is relatively easy to carry out, and no specialist tools are required, there are a few tips that can make the process easier and more effective. Below are my top dos and don'ts for spring mulching:

Mulching Dos:

Do think about what to use as a mulch It is generally agreed that using organic matter that will eventually break down and add to your soil structure is best. Almost any thing organic is suitable, including the slightly more unusual such as cork and cocoa bean hulls. More often mulches include compost (home made is especially good), leaf mould and leaves, (composted) manure, straw, grass clippings and bark or wood chippings. All of these mulches will help suppress weeds, retain moisture and will eventually break down and feed and improve your soil.

Non-organic mulches can be used too. Gravel, shells, plastic and anything else you can imagine can also be used as a mulch, but it is important to bear in mind that these will not compost down into your soil. This may be exactly the reason you are using these mulches, especially if you are growing unusual or specific species like succulents that require different attributes from their mulch.

Do remove weeds Before laying down your mulch hoe or hand remove weeds from the area that you intend to mulch. Although the mulch will block out the light needed for new weeds to germinate it is quite possible for older, more established weeds to grow through the barrier.

Do consider the depth of your mulch It is a rule of thumb that two to four inches is usually the ideal depth for a mulch, as anything shallower tends to allow weeds to grow through and is easily washed

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