This mulching method is keeping a farmer’s plants safe, warm, and healthy — here’s how to incorporate it into your own garden.
The scoop
North Carolina-based gardeners Cable Family Farm (@cablefamilyfarmnc) highlighted the benefits of this mulching method in their latest Instagram post.
“What this cover crop mulch is doing is, it’s keeping the soil cool by covering it in the heat of summer,” they said. “It’s going to break down over time and increase the organic matter … [and] pretty much eliminate weeds so we shouldn’t have to weed this area for months.”
Mulch protects the plants from scalding temperatures, prevents weeds from overtaking the crop, and enriches the soil with nutrients. It’s a great tool, but be careful with mulching — you can easily have too much of a good thing. Too much mulch — as seen with mulch volcanoes — can actually harm or kill your plants.
How it’s helping
Mulch is one of many easy ways to keep your plants happy and healthy. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on mulch to enjoy its benefits — you can make your own mulch at home with wood chips, grass clippings, shredded newspaper, twigs, and other organic materials.
Mulch is an excellent alternative to landscaping fabric, an unfortunately common landscaping material made of harmful plastic that aims to do what mulch can do better.
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Using landscaping fabric can deteriorate soil quality, kill off beneficial bugs, and leach chemicals like petroleum into the ground. As it crumbles away over time, it becomes a nightmare to remove.
Avoid rubber mulch, too, as it’s a similar hassle to get rid of and will cook your plants to death.
Organic mulch makes it simple to grow your own food. Whether you’re growing herbs on the countertop or crops in the yard, growing your own food is good for your body and mind.
What everyone’s saying
Commenters thought the family’s mulching method was marvelous.
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“That is such a great idea,” one viewer said. “Might try this in my pumpkin patch next year.”
“Look how rich that soil is!” another commenter exclaimed.
“Looks awesome! Well done,” a third user agreed.
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