It’s my favorite time of year again, that time of year when I get to get my garden ready for the the summer season. A few days ago I talked about drip irrigation, a great way to save money and water out in the garden.

Whether or not you are using a drip irrigation system, you’ll want to use mulch in all of your flower beds. There’s lots of reasons to do this, all of which are good.

~ First, landscape mulch is attractive. A nicely mulched flower bed looks much nicer than plain dirt.

~ It’s cost-effective. In Hawaii, there are places where I can get it free as long as I pick it up and haul it. I would suspect that there are similar places throughout the country. Even if you end up purchasing mulch, it’s still relatively cheap when compared with the benefits that you’ll receive from using it.

~ Landscape mulch assists with water consumption. The mulch holds moisture in the landscape and this is especially true when you are using a drip irrigation system. Keeping the water in the landscape means less water used and lower water bills.

~ Mulch is a weed-barrier. It stops weeds from getting the sunlight that they need to grow which results in less weeds overall. Every gardener knows that’s a good thing!

~ Landscape mulch helps to keep your soil cool in the summer and warm in the winter, helping to keep your soil temperature more even.

~ Organic mulches eventually decompose and become topsoil with nutrients. This process improves the quality of the soil.

~ Plants that are grown in mulch will have better root structures. This is partly because the hot sun never reaches the root area of the plant. The use of landscape mulch also allows for more roots.

~ It’s easy to install and maintain. Once it’s been initially installed, you only need to top it off as it starts to decompose.

If you haven’t yet used landscape mulch in your garden, this summer is the time to start. You’ll enjoy a much more attractive garden, healthier plants, and you’ll be required to water less often and to use less water.

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