Mulching for healthy soil
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Mulch is basically anything that covers the soil. Plants and trees in the wild naturally drop organic matter onto the ground and this builds up to create a natural mulch over the soil. Living organisms go to work under the layer of fresh mulch and produce what's known as humus (basically compost). Our gardens often lack this natural mulch build up therefore it is helpful for us to replicate it. Common types of mulch include tree bark, tree mulch (arborist mulch), wood shavings, straw (barley, wheat, linseed, pea), pine needles, leaves.
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Mulch provides many benefits to the garden. It helps keep the soil moist meaning less need for watering in the drier months. It promotes organisms and fungi which help your plants grow. It suppresses unwanted weeds resulting in less need for herbicides. It minimises soil erosion, and decreases soil compaction. Mulched areas mean less risk of lawnmower damage to trees too. Finally, mulch helps to build a healthy carbon rich soil and keep your garden areas looking tidy.
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Mulching can be done any time, but there are some things to consider. If you are mulching dry ground during summer it would be a good idea to wet the ground thoroughly before applying, as the mulch can only retain moisture if there is moisture there in the first place.
Winter is probably the best time to mulch as there is less happening in the garden at this time.
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That depends on the type of mulch and the environment it's in. Mulches with wood or bark in them will last longer than softer mulches such as straw or leaves. Mulch will generally last longer in a dry and cold climate, than in a warm and humid climate.
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For a garden that requires digging often, such as a vegetable garden, straw would be a good option because if it's dug in it will break down a bit quicker. If you're planning on mulching an established garden then tree mulch would be a great option. The tree mulch contains bits from the whole tree, wood, bark, leaves and twigs - so some parts of it break down into humus faster while the heavier bits remain as a cover.
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4 to 6 inches is good depth for mulch to be applied. You want to avoid putting the mulch right up to the stems of plants or trees as this can cause rot at the base. Any bulbs will have no trouble pushing through the mulch when the time comes.
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Mulching a new area can have some challenges as there is likely to be established weeds that will emerge through the newly mulched area. This can be prevented by putting a layer of overlapped cardboard down and then the mulch on top of that. The cardboard will act as a barrier long enough for the weeds to die off, then the cardboard will rot away. We don't recommend the use of plastic weed mat as this creates a barrier forever between the benefits of the mulch and the soil.