Protect your soil, reduce weeds, and spend less time watering with this simple and effective strategy!

Summer is here and that means the weeds are growing like, well, you know!  🙂 Whether you’re in a hot, dry climate, or one with plenty of rainfall, there’s no doubt that the absolute best way to control weeds is with mulch. It may take a bit of work up front, but mulching your garden well just once or twice a summer can save you hours upon hours of weeding. It can also reduce soil-borne plant diseases like tomato blight, and conserve soil moisture, cutting down on the need to water – which also saves you time and money.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and bare soil is a direct invitation for weeds to take root and flourish. On the other hand, covering the soil with mulch reduces evaporation, erosion, and weed competition all at the same time. Natural and organic mulch materials such as bark or wood chips, leaves, or hay, straw, or grass clippings can also help enrich and improve your soil over time.

This short video shares all of the many benefits of mulching, as well as some of the best mulches to use in your garden this summer for a weed-free and water-efficient garden!

To save money, choose mulches that are readily available in your area. Free wood chips from arborists work great on perennial beds, fruit trees, or garden pathways. Straw bales may be cheap in the fall if you have a place to store them over the winter until the next garden season, and grass clippings from your yard are free except for the time it takes to mow and gather them. (Be sure to avoid using any chemicals on your lawn if you’re going to use your clippings in the garden.) Pine needles and leaves can often be collected for free in the fall or winter, and will hold up well over the winter to add to your garden in the spring.

Regardless of which mulch you use, your garden will definitely benefit from this simple technique!