A Gardeners’ World star has advised people to complete a “vital” job this autumn to protect their soil and boost its fertility. Garden designer Joe Swift has opened up about his love of mulching – adding a layer over the soil around plants to recreate a natural blanket formed by fallen leaves and other organic material.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) explains that mulches can be loose coverings or sheets of material used to cover bare soil or compost in pots, and that they come with a range of benefits. Joe admitted that he’s a big fan of both the word “mulch” and the process. He recently disclosed that he’s currently “ordering masses of compost” for use in his own garden.
He explained the perks in a piece for Times Weekend: “What’s the point of mulching? After the hot, dry summer, many of us are looking to improve the moisture retention of our soil and regulate its temperature.
“Mulch also increases the fertility of soil. If deep enough, smaller 9cm plants can be planted straight into it, making life easy. I don’t dig much these days as it breaks down the soil structure.
“Instead, I mulch deeply and let the worms do all the hard work taking it down into the soil, aerating as they go.”
As for the best type of mulch to use, Joe said they “all do the job”, but different kinds come with different perks. For example, mushroom compost is slightly alkaline, while horse manure is more acidic.
Homemade compost is “ideal”, he added, but it can be difficult to produce in sufficient quantities. Joe described leaf mould as a “good all-rounder”, while woodchips can be useful for retaining moisture.
Joe added that the best time of year to mulch is a debated topic for gardeners, but he tends to do it in the autumn after planting his bulbs. He advised applying mulch to a depth of around 5cm.
If you don’t have enough to cover everything, you should focus on the roots of specific plants, but avoid “building up against” tree trunks, shrubs, and roses, or coating the crowns of perennials.
He explained how he’d heard about a tactic involving a clear plastic bottle filled with water, which is placed on the ground near where the cats tend to go.
He said: “So I just put the bottle of water down; that was five weeks ago, maybe six weeks ago. Haven’t seen a cat since. Don’t know why it worked or how it works, but it does seem to work.”
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