Mulch

Mulch

In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. A wide variety of natural and synthetic materials are used.

Mulch is used for various reasons:

to adjust soil temperature by helping soil retain more heat in spring and fall
to control weeds by cutting off the sunlight they need to grow
to provide nutrients through the gradual breakdown of the mulch material
to retain moisture by slowing evaporation

A wide variety of materials are used as mulch:

organic residues - grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspaper, etc. In general, these in part act as a direct composting system. There are many differing opinions on what to use. Organic mulches are usually piled to an initial height of several inches.

compost

plastic sheeting - Crops grow through slits. This method is more or less universal in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of square feet of plastic mulch used worldwide each year. (Disposal of plastic mulch is cited as an environmental problem.)

organic sheet mulch - Various products developed as a biodegradable alternative to plastic mulch.