Gardentalk – Why a mulch is useful for your yard and garden

SLAM trees
Landscapers for the newly-constructed Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff Library, Archives and Museum Building have staked freshly-planted trees and spread mulch around the planting area in this photo from May 2016. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)

Master Gardener Ed Buyarski explains that a mulch or a non-living ground cover can inhibit weed growth, conserve moisture and provide a more aesthetically-pleasing surface than just bare soil between your trees and shrubs.

Listen to the June 13 segment about mulching:
 

 

Buyarski recommends a first layer of a heavy-duty, woven, porous landscaping fabric. That can be topped with bark, woods chips or gravel. He also uses a lot of cardboard as the first layer, which adds nutrients when it slowly breaks down into the soil after a year or two.

Do you have a garden question for Ed? Fill out the form below, and he’ll answer your question in an upcoming segment.

Listen to past episodes and subscribe to the podcast on the “Gardentalk” page, so you’ll never have to worry about missing Thursday’s live radio broadcasts.

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