In this video, we describe why mulching is important, especially in hot dry landscapes like Central Texas, and how it mimics natural ecological systems. Mulching has many benefits, such as helping water infiltration, lessening evaporation, protecting the soil from the sun, nurturing beneficial microorganisms, and suppressing weeds. Bottom line, you need to cover your soil when practicing permaculture in Texas. Living mulch is ideal but it takes time to establish perennial ground covers or self seeding annuals that thrive through the Hot and Cold seasons. This is where using mulch allows us to bridge the gap between bare ground after disturbances like earthworks to help us protect the soil while we establish new plant communities. There are many different types of mulch from hardwood mulch to leaf mulch to straw mulch, and they all have their applications. Often mulch is a waste product that we are capturing out of the waste stream and putting it to use for ecological benefit. You can check out the video here:
