Mulch energizes your landscaping. It not only protects your garden and yard, but also it helps them flourish throughout the year. There are a variety of mulches to choose from, but one you may not be aware of is leaf mulch. This organic alternative to natural mulch provides your landscaping with a number of enhancements. Leaf mulch is only available in Virginia.
Leaf Mulch Moisturizes Soil
Applying leaf mulch around your plants reduces the rate of evaporation. The mulch creates a barrier between the soil and the sun which leads to the area retaining greater amounts of water.
Leaf Mulch Enriches Soil
As the leaves begin to decay, they emit various nutrients that help enrich the soil in your garden. Leaves that have fallen off trees retain 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients collected for the tree, so all that material returns to your soil when the leaf mulch decomposes.
Leaf Mulch Hinders Weed Growth
Deeply embedding the leaf mulch into the soil can help prevent the emergence of weeds. The mulch restricts the growth of existing weeds by blocking the shoots from the sun. The leaf mulch also keeps weed seeds from landing on the soil, blocking the germination of new weeds.
You will need a layer of mulch at least 3 inches thick for maximum weed suppression.
Leaf Mulch Keeps Heat in
Not only does leaf mulch protect against the sun, but also it insulates the soil when the weather is on the chillier side. Your plants need to retain that heat to thrive.
Leaf Mulch Prevents Crusting
Leaf mulch can stop the soil in your garden from crusting. Crusting happens when the soil dries out and clumps together. Unfortunately, crusting can have an extremely negative effect on your plants. Thankfully, the water absorption rate of leaf mulch helps the soil in your garden maintain a high moisture level.
Leaf Mulch Reduces the Need for Mulch
Since leaf mulch decomposes quickly, you will initially need to replace it more often than inorganic mulch. However, the added nutrients from leaf mulch usually cause your garden to fill in at a greater speed, which in turn results in the use of less mulch in the long term.
Leaf Mulch Attracts Earthworms
Earthworms are the workhorses of your soil. Their nonstop digestion of debris in your soil concentrates nutrients. They also improve soil structure. They create channels that water and roots can trickle through.
If you’re interested in learning more about leaf mulch or you would like to purchase some for your garden, please contact us today, and remember we offer FREE delivery to your home.