Mulching, such as with wood chips or straw, is a great way to keep your soil protected. Mulch slowly decomposes over time, providing an extra source of nutrients to plants and microfauna while shielding the soil from harsh elements. It also adds color and texture to your landscape, a desirable feature in garden design.

Title: Leave Leaves Alone!
Organization: Healthy Yards
Description: This website argues for keeping leaves on one’s property instead of bagging or piling them for curbside pickup and instructs how to turn leaves into mulch. Along with cost and pollution reduction, this practice enriches soil, ensures healthier plants, and promotes water retention and percolation, leading to healthier and more diverse habitats and cleaner waterways. Includes a page for professional landscapers.

Title: Using Mulch
Organization: New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)
Description: Mulching basics, including what it is, what it does, what mulch types are best for different kinds of plants, and how to apply it.

Title: Mulching Leaves with a Mulcher Mower
Organization: Leave Leaves Alone/Healthy Yards
Description: This one-minute video shows a mulching mower at work on fall leaves and just how easy it is to leave leaves alone to replenish your lawn. You can mulch with regular lawn mower blades, too!

For additional information on how to apply mulch, please see All About Mulch in the Native Plants section.