08/11/2026
Mulch does real work in your garden—it's not just for looks. It holds moisture, suppresses w**ds, keeps soil from splashing onto leaves and fruit, and protects roots from temperature swings.
The trick is matching the mulch to what your plants actually need. Straw works great for strawberries and many vegetables because it keeps fruit clean and lets soil breathe. Shredded leaves break down slowly and feed the soil as they decompose, perfect around beans, peas, and root crops—just shred them first so they don't mat down and trap moisture. Grass clippings can help if your lawn's never been sprayed with chemicals, but use thin layers since fresh grass packs down and can rot. Wood chips last longer and suit fruit trees, berries, and asparagus beds, though they're not ideal worked deep into vegetable soil. Compost mulch improves soil while it breaks down, making it solid for most vegetables. Black plastic warms the soil for heat-lovers like peppers, tomatoes, and squash, but skip it for cool-season crops in hot weather.
About 2–4 inches is the sweet spot for most beds. Use less around seedlings and build it up as plants mature. One important thing: keep mulch a few inches away from plant stems and tree trunks. Piling it right against them traps moisture and invites rot.
