Applying Mulch During Winter and Fall
As someone who raises a small flock of backyard chickens, I find myself with wheelbarrows full of chicken manure and straw each fall when I clean out my coop before the onset of winter. Manure is great for your garden, but fresh manure needs time to age, so applying it to your garden in the fall gives it a few months to age and for the high levels of nitrogen to slowly work their way into the soil. Here we have listed below 3 benefits of winter and fall mulching.
Mulch Controls Weeds
Because mulch acts as a barrier, it blocks sunlight from reaching weeds and weed seeds. Most weed seeds require sunlight to germinate. Eliminating weeds reduces your plants’ competition for water and nutrients.
Pest Control
A thick layer of mulch around the base of your plants can help reduce the pests that reach your plants. Many insects live in the soil and climb the stalks of plants to reach the leaves and blossoms, so a layer of mulch can impede their progress.
Moisture Retention
Mulch helps with moisture retention. If you live in a dry area, putting down a layer of mulch in your garden can help keep the ground moist and prevent the water from evaporating as quickly after you water.
Maintain Soil Temperature
Mulch also moderates the soil temperature, insulating it to a great extent from the outside temperatures. For a winter crop like garlic, this is extremely beneficial to prevent it from freezing over the winter in cold climates. Mulch can also help keep the soil cooler in the summer in warm climates.
For quality landscaping, ER Landscaping of LI Inc is the company you can trust. We provide mulching services in Locust Valley, NY. You can reach us at (516) 210-5882 for more information about our mulch services and book an appointment with us.