Mulch, mulch, mulch…did I emphasize this enough? Using mulch over your maturing vegetable crops will reduce soil moisture loss, helping you water less as the heat of summer strikes! And you might even get better yields! More food with less water?! You’ll also be spending less time weeding.
What is mulch? Anything you can use as a protective cover over bare soil around plants preventing moisture loss and weed growth. You can use leaves, grass clippings, straw, or newspaper… or be creative and think of other possibilities …. like human hair clippings? (See what is ‘Compostable’ to give you options of mulch)
Other benefits of mulch:
– weed suppression
– improves your soil
– minimize soil loss from rain/watering
– prevent soil temperature fluctuations
– adds nutrients to your soil = higher yields!
Reference: Mulching: A Soil and Water Conservation Practice. Review paper
