Top 5 Benefits of Mulching

There are so many benefits of mulching, and we highly recommend mulching the soil around your tomato plants. Mulching can reduce evaporation, keep soil cooler, add nutrients, prevent erosion and maintain soil structure.

Remember to water thoroughly before you mulch, and do not apply mulch any thicker than 7.5cm (3 inches).

1.Mulching Reduces Evaporation

A study by the University of Florida concluded that mulch reduces soil water loss by 33%. This means you won’t need to water as often. Mulching is particularly beneficial for this reason in areas where soil salinity is particularly high.

2. Mulching Keeps Soil Cooler

In warmer months, mulch can shade roots and soil from hot sunrays. Cool soil will encourage earthworms to burrow, which will improve air porosity and increase organic soil content.

Using black plastic as mulch will not keep the soil nice and cool. In fact, the opposite is true. Black plastic used as mulch in hot summer weather can increase soil temperatures to such high temperatures that roots become damaged.

3. Organic Mulches Add Nutrients to Soil

Soil benefits from the additional nutrients that come from the decomposition of organic mulches. Earthworms attracted to the mulched soil can also provide additional nutrients.

4. Mulching Prevents Erosion

It can be frustrating building up your garden’s soil only to see it washed away by heavy rains or blown off by wind. Mulching physically protects soil from rain and wind, and this reduces erosion by up to 30%.

5. Mulching Maintains Soil Structure

Maintaining good soil structure will help your tomato plant flourish. Mulching can assist with this, which means your plant’s roots have ample access to oxygen and moisture.

Now that you know the top 5 benefits of mulching, you will need to decide which type of mulch to use on your garden. Our best-selling book How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes covers a wide variety of mulch types, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. It’s crucial to make an informed decision about which mulch to use on your garden – you want your plants to flourish, not suffer!