We know that mulch is any material we cover soil, but are there really advantages that offset the effort? Indeed, mulch makes a garden bed more attractive, and in the case of shrubs around the house where it would be difficult to mow, a layer of landscape cloth topped with stones or wood chips around the shrubs solves that problem. But in a flowerbed or vegetable bed, is it worth the effort? Yes. Mulch helps retain moisture, reducing the amount of watering. And the appropriate kind of mulch improves soil quality, but one of the most important reasons to mulch is to keep the soil cool.
