5 Things You Need to Know Before Mulching Your Lawn

Mulching is a technique of spreading organic matter on the surface of the lawn. This matter naturally decomposes and is converted into humus through the soil organisms. The process gives the soil a dark color, along with a rich smell. The technique of mulching your lawn is generally preferred over composting. It is a great way to avoid producing organic waste and also helps in retaining water in the soil.

Maintain a Healthy Lawn

Mulching is a great way of maintaining a healthy and colorful lawn. It helps in protecting the growing plant and provides the needed ingredients for fertilizing them too. Before applying mulching, it is important to collect relative information about its motives and features. Some of these include-

· The activity of mulching protects the plants from mechanical injury only then if applied in the right quantity and manner. One should apply a layer of mulch ranging between one to three inches deep. Anything more than this and you may end up with the roots growing in mulch.

· If you want to fertilize the lawn, then grass clippings are the best source of mulching. It is easy to apply. The clippings are chopped into small bits that breakdown and provide the necessary elements like nitrogen to the plant. You can also take the help of a mulching mower.

· While setting up a new lawn, mulching your lawn is a great way of seeding. The process enables the seed in retaining moisture, along with boosting the germination as well. You can also mulch the lawn if you plan to patch the lawn and give it a fresh look.

· One of the motives of mulching is to protect the trees from fading away. For this, you need to choose the right mulch type that should be spread around the base of the trees. Such activity will help the tree in flourishing and stop it from growing under it. It would also eliminate the need to mowing and protect the roots from lawn mower nicks. Make sure the mulch is not too close to the base of trunk as it may result in decaying.

· Since plastic will not decompose therefore always avoid using plastic under the mulch layer. It extracts the moisture needed by the roots and result in drying of soil that could prove hazardous for the root’s growth.

Need to Mulch

There is a false notion regarding mulching your lawn. Some people believe that mulching may result in big, thick, harmful thatches and spoil the lawn. Contrarily, the process increases the fertilizing power and maintains a strong lawn. Since grass consists of approximately 90% water content, the clippings used for mulching disappear within one to two days. Mulching is also recommended as it is easy to adopt and saves a lot of time. It is recommended to mulch the lawn especially during summers as it removes weeds, helps in retaining moisture, protect roots, and most importantly add nitrogen to the soil.