This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
07/21/2016 12:01 AMThere are at least five reasons why all soil should be protected by mulches and groundcovers:
1. Groundcover protects soil surfaces from drying sun and wind.
2. Bare soil is prone to nitrogen loss, as this key nutrient is volatile and easily lost. Groundcovers, both living and nonliving, help keep this key nutrient available to plants. Some nitrogen-fixing groundcovers, such as clover and micro clover, measurably improve the nitrogen content in soil.
3. Groundcover prevents erosion during periodic downpours (and protects soil from overzealous sprinkler systems).
4. Groundcover protects beneficial soil-dwelling microbes. In the case of biodegradable mulches such as bark mulch and chopped leaves, the composted material becomes a food source for the soil microbe community.
5. Groundcover helps fight weeds in more ways than one. It not only fills space where weeds might take root, it also reduces soil disturbances that can cause buried weed seeds to emerge and germinate.
— Kathy Connolly