Bayou Garden

What you should know about mulch

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LSU AgCenter

Mulching is an easy-to-do, labor-saving gardening technique that all gardeners should take advantage of.

A mulch is a material, usually organic, that we use to cover the soil surface around plants. Mulching beds is an important part of sustainable landscaping.

Organic mulches, such as leaves, pine straw, ground pine bark, dried grass clippings, cypress mulch, and newspaper, are all derived from once-living materials. They also add beneficial organic matter to the soil as they decompose.

Dan is an Associate Professor in Consumer Horticulture with the LSU AgCenter. He is the spokesperson for the LSU AgCenter’s "Get It Growing project," an effort encouraging home horticulture throughout Louisiana. Dan is also author of "Month-by-Month Gardening in Louisiana" and co-author of the "Louisiana Gardener’s Guide."