Sami Grover
DCL
Mulching is often talked about here on Planet Green. Mickey Z has already explained what mulching is, Josh has already covered 5 green reasons to mulch and even how to make mulch from fallen leaves.
But unlike many "green" gardening techniques, this isn't just a good thing to do - it's absolutely central to maintaining the health of your garden. In fact, I'm increasingly coming to think it might be the single most important method for ensuring a rich and biologically active soil.
In my garden, for example, it's been a busy year - and I haven't looked after all the beds as well as I could. In fact, aside from an initial dressing of compost, some beds have had little attention at all. And when I dig into the soil I see dry, caked dirt - with very little soil life of any kind. Other beds, however, which were in a similar state a few months ago received a heavy layer of half-rotted leaves. (I don't subscribe to Josh's view that mulch should be dry - I store it open to the rain because I'm OK with it being part-way to compost.) The difference has been dramatic - on perennial herb beds and annuals alike the plants have sprung back to life, and when I pull the mulch back, I see dark, rich soil teaming with earth worms, spiders, and bugs of all kinds.
It's obvious when you think about it - after all, where in nature do you see bare ground? In the forest, soil is constantly covered by a layer of fallen leaves, and in the open nature quickly fills any vacuum with pioneer plants. Leave soil bare for too long and you'll either get weeds, or you'll get desert - neither of which is conducive to good gardening.
So there you have it - mulch hard, mulch heavy, and mulch often. The soil will thank you for it.
Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.
