Mulch

Mulch is any loose material laid across bare soil to shield it from sun, wind, and rain. It comes in two broad families: organic mulches such as shredded bark, wood chips, straw, leaves, and compost, which decompose over time, and inorganic mulches such as gravel, river rock, or rubber, which stay put for years. A typical layer runs two to four inches deep across a planting bed.

Mulch is often confused with compost, but the two do different jobs. Compost is mixed into the soil to feed plants, while mulch sits on top as a covering. Organic mulch does slowly add nutrients as it rots, so it acts as a slow-release surface version of compost, but its main purpose is protection, not fertility. Inorganic mulch offers no nutrients at all and works purely as a barrier.

In a real backyard, mulch shows up around foundation shrubs, under trees, in vegetable beds, along walkways, and as a neat ground cover between perennials. Wood chips suit shrub borders and tree rings, straw fits vegetable gardens, and gravel pairs with drought-tolerant or desert-style plantings near patios and paths.

For homeowners and contractors, mulch is one of the cheapest ways to make a yard look finished while cutting upkeep. A good layer holds water in the soil so plants need less irrigation, smothers most weeds before they sprout, and keeps roots cooler in summer and warmer in winter, which helps plants survive. It also frames beds with clean color and reduces erosion on slopes.

Mulch is closely tied to several other landscape ideas, including compost for feeding soil, groundcover as a living alternative, drip irrigation for efficient watering, and xeriscaping for low-water yards.