The best way to maintain the oil is by regularly adding mulch and mulch helps in keeping the soil fertile, free from weeds, increases soil compaction and strengthens the soil to withstand varied temperatures.
There are different types of mulch with different level of properties. You can choose the specific mulch based on the situation.
Wood Chip Mulch
Wood chip is one of the best materials to do mulching, since the material is bio-degradable it breaks down over time and merges with the soil.
The wood chip is also resistant to pests and can help in preventing ticks, gnats and weeds.
Straw Mulch
Straw mulch comes in different variety, it can be either made with rice or wheat or mixed with hay. The best option to prevent weed growth is wheat mulch.
Straw mulch helps in locking in the moisture and is best suitable for underground grown vegetables like potato and onion.
Grass Clipping or Shredded Leaves Mulch
Grass clipping can either be fresh or dried, adding fresh grass clipping helps in improving the nutrient level of the soil.
You have to make sure that the grass clippings are shorter in length, this helps in breaking down of the clippings. This also helps in reducing the dependance on nitrogen fertilizers for your soil.
Newspaper
Newspaper is readily-available in our homes and can be used for mulching effectively. Before placing the newspaper, we can also add a little bit of water to it.
Newspaper mulch can be placed over the weed growth to prevent it from further growth and moist newspaper would help in keeping the roots clean and also fertilized the soil.
Compost
Compost is made of kitchen waste and other organic waste materials. It helps in enriching the soil with nutrients and like all other mulches helps in preventing weed growth.
During heavy rains the compost gets spread out in the soil and improves the soil fertility.
Pea Gravel
One of the major disadvantages of using organic mulches is you have to replace them regularly and the mulch gets removed by rain and other external factors.
Using pea gravel can help solve these issues, you don’t have to replace them and they can stay in the same place for a long period of time.
They also come in varied colors and gives a good look to your garden. It also helps in weed-control and maintains a uniform soil temperature.
Pumice Rock
Pumice rock is actually a residue of volcanic eruption and consists of high mineral content. It is light in weight and can help in preventing soil erosion.
It protects the plant roots from external factors and insulates the soil from moisture loss. It is also easy to maintain and looks good on the soil. It also helps in keeping the root cool and preventing weeds.
Shredded Rubber
If you want to give an aesthetic look to your soil then shredded rubber could be a great choice. It does not rot and looks just like wooden mulch.
This mulch is comparatively expensive and the color does not fade even after long usage. The mulch keeps the pests away and promotes recycling rubber.