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MULCHING GUIDELINES
My husband uses a mulching lawn mower to cut our grass. The fine grass clippings, which remain on your lawn when using this type of mower, act as a natural mulch which helps to retain moisture in the soil. An added benefit is that the clippings act as a natural fertilizer as they start to decompose. We rarely water or fertilize our grass and we have one of the healthiest looking lawns in our neighborhood.

Our lawn mower also has a basket attachment that will collect the grass for you if you prefer. I occasionally have my husband use the basket attachment to collect the grass clippings. I add the grass clippings to my compost bin whenever it needs a shot of green stuff to give the composting process a boost of energy.

"The un-mulched garden looks to me like some naked thing which for one reason or another would be better off with a few clothes on."
-Ruth Stout, The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book, 1971

REASONS TO MULCH:
-reduces evaporation of soil moisture
-suppresses weed growth
-prevents erosion of soil from heavy winds and rain
-keeps soil from overheating in the summer
-keeps soil warmer in the winter
-prevents soil from being splashed onto your plants every time it rains or whenever you water your garden.

TYPES OF MULCH:
-dry grass clippings
-shredded pine needles
-shredded bark such as eucalyptus, cedar or cypress
-pine bark nuggets
-cocoa bean hulls
-dried and shredded leaves
-finished compost

Use your lawn mower to chop pine needles and leaves into smaller pieces before using them as mulch or adding them to your compost piles.

MULCHES TO CONSIDER:
Straw may have been sprayed with harmful herbicides which can leach into your soil anytime it rains. Straw can safely be used on ornamental plants but I would be wary of using it on any plants meant for consumption such as culinary herbs and vegetables.

Hay may contain too many weed seeds which will germinate after being added to your garden. However, one of my country gardening magazines mentions alfalfa hay as working very well for gardening purposes.

Learn more about this author, Lynn Smythe.
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