Mulch and how to use it

MULCHING the soil in flower, shrub and veg beds suppresses weeds, holds in moisture, looks smart and can help to feed plants as it breaks down in the long term. A mulch can be any material spread over the surface of the soil in a continuous layer. This can include gravel, broken slate, fabrics and other inorganic substances, but the most common are organic materials such as garden compost, grass clippings and straw, or decorative wood and bark chippings.

Compost, grass and straw break down fairly quickly (within six months) returning nutrients to the soil–which is a good thing, but they’ll need replacing or