by Belinda Youlten

Created on: May 08, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

The severe water restrictions enforced in the eastern states of Australia has brought about the popularity of mulch for the home garden.

Gardens that once boasted green lawns have been replaced by large beds of mulch with drought resistant plants. Mulch not only assists in retaining moisture but keeps the weeds and pests at bay.

Mulch is shredded vegetation from sources like trees, sugar cane, straw, and grass clippings. But to really get the most from your mulch, especially in preventing weeds and pests, first lay sheets of newspaper over the area you intend to mulch.

It's a great way to recycle those thick Sunday editions. Lay quite a few sheets down as they will eventually break down into the soil. Cover the newspaper with a good couple of inches of mulch and voila, those weeds won't be showing their heads through for quite a while.

The great thing about laying the newspaper and mulch is that when weeds do appear they come sporadically so it's easy to see them and pull them out.

The advantage for drought ridden areas is that mulch retains the moisture so when there is rain or water restrictions allow watering; the water is retained around the plant.

The rise in popularity of mulch may also have come about from those gardeners who replaced their lawns with mulch, not only are the pests and bugs gone but also the hours of mowing.

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