There are many benefits to using mulch in the vegetable garden beds. Come learn all about how this simple add can enhance your vegetable garden. Save this post to Pinterest now so you can keep track of all the tips!
I’ve been gardening about a decade now and in that time I have always been a fan of using mulch in the vegetable garden beds. In our very first two raised garden beds, I used mulch and I loved it so much that I’ve been using it ever since. Why? There are so many benefits using mulch in the vegetable garden beds and once you hear why I use it, maybe you will have to add it as well.
Temperature control
Mulch helps keep the soil around your plants roots cooler on warm days and warmer on cool nights. For someone in a zone like me (6a) this can be really important throughout the season. We are not supposed to plant until the middle of May, but even after May, we can really dip in to the 40’s and even the 30’s again. In the heat of the summer we reach temperatures of 100 degrees and keeping the roots cool helps your plants to thrive.
It helps maintain moisture
Using mulch will also help to keep the soil around your plants damp and keep them from drying out. The mulch holds the moisture in place and allows it to keep the ground below it moist. Think of it as a slow watering technique for your plants. Again, this can also help to cool the plant. Mulch also reduces water run off.
Mulching in the vegetable garden helps keep weeds at bay
One of my favorite uses for mulch in the vegetable garden is that it helps to prevent weeds. Similar to Occultation Gardening {HERE}, mulch helps to block the light to the seeds below the surface and it helps to create a barrier for the sun getting to any weed seeds. Does this mean you will not have weeds if you mulch? No. Some light will still get through and some weeds will pop up. They’re weeds after all. However, this does mean you should have less weeds. Plus, by the time the weeds do push through the mulch your vegetable seeds or plants should be established and begin to provide another layer of light blocking.
It breaks down and feeds the soil
Mulch is a natural product and it breaks down in your soil. As it breaks down, it feeds the soil naturally and helps to keep it rich and full of the nutrients vegetables need. Think of it this way, this year’s mulch is food for your vegetables next year. Because mulch can be an investment, looking how using mulch in the vegetable garden will help in the long run is important. Building good soil is a process and it is a process that needs to be continually done to have the best vegetables. Every year you add mulch you are building the soil naturally.
It helps the beds to look nice
This is the least important reason behind using mulch in the vegetable garden. But, it is certainly one of my reasons. I love when the beds are freshly planted. Everything is so new and ready to go. The mulch really just helps to finish them off.
What kind of mulch do we use?
In the garden here at Sugar Maple Farmhouse we use Playground Mulch from a local supplier. Why playground mulch?
- It has not been dyed or added to. You do not want to use mulch in the vegetable garden that has been dyed or colored in any way. You don’t want that going into your vegetables.
- Playground mulch is double filtered. Since it is used for playgrounds, suppliers do not want anything dangerous slipping through the cracks. Think about things like pieces of glass, bits of plastic or even (as my supplier has stated) poison ivy.
We buy this in bulk by the truck load for the farm and use it in all around the house and any other landscaping we have (by the chickens and the greenhouse). It breaks down nicely from season to season and is part of feeding that soil too. It is often cheaper to buy this by the truckload verses buying it in bags.
How to mulch in the vegetable garden
When you are using mulch in the vegetable garden, it is important to do it right.
First, do not mulch over vegetable seeds. If you have planted directly in the garden, make sure to leave a space for that seed to see the sunlight. Mark any seeds with little flags or something so you remember where you put one. If you don’t do this, there is a chance the mulch could hinder the seed growth just as it hinders weed growth.
Second, only add about two inches of mulch around the vegetable seedlings. There can be such a thing as using too much mulch in the vegetable garden. You want to make sure you are applying a thin layer to the beds. This means Too much mulch can retain too much moisture and cause issues with the roots.
The only time you want to put mulch over something is if you are planting in the fall for spring growth. You can see in the photo below, I put garlic in the ground. Hard-neck garlic grows through the winter and needs freezing temperatures to be able to split. However, it requires a nice layer of mulch to help keep the bulbs warm in the freezing Michigan winters.
Looking for more gardening articles?
Here are more gardening posts if you want to bolster your green thumb knowledge.
- Tips for starting seeds indoors {HERE}
- Growing a food forest {HERE}
- Tips for growing tomatoes from seeds {HERE}
- What is Permaculture? {HERE}
- No till Gardening {HERE}
- 12 Cut & Come Again Flowers {HERE}
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Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! I hope that you love learning about using mulch in the vegetable garden and that you come back again to visit at the farmhouse. Happy Gardening!
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