Mulch Ado About Nothing: 6 Reasons to Maintain Ground Cover Year Round

Choosing the right ground cover can make the difference between a "nice" yard and one that makes you sit up and say "Wow!" The right mulch can keep your lawn healthy, protect against the elements and provide a little visual polish to any landscaping. Here are six benefits of paying attention to your ground cover:

1. Conserve Moisture
Mulch fills in and covers the exposed soil areas of your yard, where you lose most water to evaporation. By holding the moisture in, you save money by reducing the need to water as frequently.

2. Control Weeds
Weeds are tenacious once they sprout, mixing in with the root systems of your bedded plants, making them nearly impossible to eradicate. Your best bet at controlling them is to rob them of the sunlight they need to grow those first few crucial inches. A nice, thick, healthy layer of mulch will do just that, keeping your beds and the bases of your trees clean and clear.

3. Reduce Erosion
Those exposed areas where you lose a lot of moisture are also the places where erosion first sets in, chipping away at your lawn and beds inch by inch. Keeping them covered acts to hold the soil in place and dissipates rainwater so it doesn't form gullies in the middle of your well-manicured lawn.

4. Keep roots cool
When you go outside in the spring and summer, you know that it's a good idea to wear sunscreen, right? Ground cover serves the same purpose, shielding root systems from excessive heat that can send them into crisis mode, and keeping them calm and cool.

5. Winter Protection
And the same thing that keeps them cool in the summer will keep them warm in the winter, protecting the roots from the cold, even when it snows or ices over. And good, thick mulch produces head as it decomposes, providing an extra layer of protection in frigid temperatures.

6. Aesthetic Touch
Finally, the right ground cover keeps exposed earth out of sight, and provides a unifying accent that ties your whole yard together, similar to the trim on your home's exterior. And you can actually get ground cover elements tailored to fit the feel of your home's exterior.

So keep an eye on your mulch, and make sure you replace it when it starts looking worn, thin or uneven. It will pay off with a happy, healthy lawn you'll be proud of.