Benefits of mulching in a garden
Aside from the nutritional benefits mulch can potentially provide to plants in your garden, a big benefit is the suppression of weed growth. If you apply just a few inches of mulch to your garden after your vegetables have grown a little bit, it will prevent weeds from sprouting up and stealing nutrients from your vegetables. Another benefit of using mulch in your garden, is that it will help the soil stay moist and prevent excess water evaporation that would normally occur without using mulch. Assuming you are using a mulch made of organic material, such as compost or grass clippings, it will break down over time and release nutrients to help maintain the health of your soil.
Mulching with grass clippings
You can use your grass clippings from mowing your lawn, provided you do not chemically treat your lawn, in your garden for a multitude of benefits. If you spread a thin layer of grass clippings in your garden, it will break down over time and release the nitrogen and potassium it holds into the soil. In addition to adding nutrients, it will also attract animals like toads. They like to hide within the grass clippings and will help them be more prevalent in your garden than they were before. These animals will also benefit your garden by helping control pests like slugs and insects that would normally turn your vegetables into food for themselves instead of food for you! These are just a few reasons to use grass clippings as mulch in your garden, and once you do it hopefully you will quickly notice all the benefits that using grass as mulch can provide to your plants.
Mulching with compost
Unlike grass clippings as mulch, using compost as mulch will help suppress the growth of weeds in your garden. To use compost as mulch in your garden, it is best to till some into the soil at the beginning of your planting season. You will also want to add a layer that is a few inches thick once your garden is established. This will help the soil stay warm and moist, it will also provide a continuous source of organic material that releases plenty of nutrients for growing vegetables. Mulching with compost, is arguable the most effective kind of mulching you can do in a garden. The various benefits it provides outnumber just about every other kind of medium you might consider using as mulch in your garden.
Mulching with wood chips
Similar to using compost, wood chips will help your garden stay free of weeds that steal nutrients and sunlight from your vegetables. They will also decompose over time and release organic nutrients that will help your plants grow better. However, if this is a benefit you are looking to have in your garden, you will be much better off using compost instead of woodchips. The compost will release much more beneficial nutrients when compared to using wood chips as mulch. Maintaining healthy and moist soil is one of the most important things for a vegetable garden to produce vegetables that are plentiful and large, so using mulch that is made of an organic material like wood chips will not hurt. Provided you do not spread them too thick, only a few inches is necessary, your plants will thank you for helping them grow big and strong!