With hot weather suddenly upon us, you’ll want to make sure that your landscape and garden plants are adequately watered. One way to ensure that your soil will remain moist between irrigations is to use a soil-covering mulch around your plants. Mulches, especially organic mulches, have become very popular among both home and professional gardeners, and rightly so. Mulches have many benefits for plants, not the least of which is water conservation. I recently came upon this list, entitled “The Marvels of Mulch”, in an issue of California Releaf Remarks. The list nicely summarizes many of the qualities of a good organic mulch made from chipped tree trimmings.

· Conserves water. Mulch protects the soil from sun and wind, resulting in less surface evaporation, and reducing the need for watering.

· Controls weeds. By blocking sunlight, mulch discourages the growth of weeds, which otherwise would compete with the tree for moisture and nutrients.

· Insulates soil. Mulch keeps the soil cooler in summer, further reducing irrigation needs, and helps raise the soil temperature in winter. This temperature moderation encourages better rooting.

· Reduces erosion. A layer of mulch slows the flow of water over the soil surface, allowing the water more time to penetrate the soil, rather than sheeting off and carrying the soil with it.

· Improves soil structure. A protective layer of mulch reduces soil compaction due to foot traffic and watering practices, allowing water to penetrate more easily. At the same time, mulch increases biological activity, encouraging worms, fungi, and other organisms to work the soil into a rich, loose mix with plenty of air spaces for plant roots.

· Improves soil nutrient content. Organic mulches decay over time, providing nutrients for plant growth.

· Protects trees from damage. There is less chance of mechanical damage from mowers, edgers, and weed whips when the lawn is removed from around the base of the tree and mulch is used.

· Eliminates green waste disposal. The most efficient way of dealing with tree and shrub trimmings is to chip such materials into a useful mulch. The materials are generated on the site, and they can be utilized on the site, around the same plants that produced them. You won’t have to haul the trimmings away, nor will you have to pay dump fees. Also, no landfill space will be used, and best of all, there is no cost for your mulch.