We’ve seen that mulch clearly protects soil from drying out, which in turn protects our plants from dying. But how does it help?

The short answer is that mulch reduces evaporation.

The slightly longer answer is that the mulch forms a layer on top of the soil that keeps the water in the soil where we want it. It works by preventing water evaporating in the sun and wind.

Mulch can also insulate the soil so it doesn’t get as hot during summer. Again, this reduces evaporation but also means that the roots aren’t overheating or needing extra water.

Organic mulch (like bark) can also hold some moisture itself and them slowly release this onto the soil. This mulch will eventually break down and act as compost to the garden.

As a bonus, mulch also reduces weeds and looks nice!