Mulch Matters

We've collected the water we used to rinse fruits and vegetables. As we go out into our yard with a full bucket, we have to decide where to offer it. In these hot and dry days, which of our ornamental plants should get the water?

Our trees are beautiful and provide needed shade and oxygen; their roots have to look for water far down in the ground. Azaleas and other bushes and shrubs also take time and effort to establish. We appreciate the perennial flowers and grasses that come back every year, without much effort on our part. All need water, but drought conditions are especially difficult for the colorful annuals that are so hard to resist in the spring.

No matter which plants seem thirstiest at the moment, we're seeing a big difference using more mulch right now. It's helping our plants to retain the water they get by protecting the soil around them. In the forest, nature forms a protective layer over the soil with fallen leaves, needles, twigs, pieces of bark, spent flower blossoms, fallen fruit and other organic material. We are giving the same assistance to the plants in our landscapes by mulching.

You may not have to make a trip to the store to buy bags of mulch. The Clemson Extension Office Home and Garden Information Center has a Mulch fact sheet that tells how to use materials you may have available.