Mulching can make all the difference between a garden that is a joy to work and watch and one that is tedious and untidy. Among mulch's greatest attributes is its ability to help control weeds. Mulch also helps conserve soil moisture by 50% or more by covering the soil to slow down evaporation. Soil scientists have found that a mulch on the soil surface can conserve about 6 inches of soil water during the growing season, thus reducing or delaying water stress on the plants. Mulch reduces erosion by breaking the impact of rain and wind. Nutrients do not leach so readily under plastic and some paper mulches because less rainwater penetrates. Vegetables remain cleaner in mulched gardens because they have less contact with the soil. Also, organic mulches can keep soils cooler during the summer, and they add valuable organic matter to the soil as the mulch decomposes.
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