Mulch can be a visually attractive addition to your flowerbeds as well as a practical one.  Never forget the importance of curb appeal for your home.  It’s the first thing visitors see as they pull into your driveway, and the only thing passers-by notice as they drive down the road.

But there’s more to it than just throwing down a passel of pine straw in your flowerbeds or vegetable garden. 

Topsoil can crack in extreme heat.  Mulch can prevent this, saving your plants' roots from stress, dehydration and eventual death.

Natural mulch breaks down, adding organic matter to your soil and thereby enriching it over time.  

Here is how you can fight weeds and nurture desirable plants.

WHEN:  If you live in colder climates with snow, begin mulching once plants have emerged in the spring.  If you’re in the south, you’ll need to mulch year round if there is no snow to mask the dormant or frozen greenery.    

WHAT:  Generally speaking, all wood mulch, such as cypress, redwood or pine, is less desirable because the cellulose in the wood leeches nitrogen from the soil, which is necessary for growth and greening of plants.  Mulch with a higher bark content has less cellulose than wood, and is therefore a bit better.  If you do use wood mulch, remember that shredded wood mulch is better than chips because it won't float away during heavy rains. 

Shredded newspaper print can be used for mulch as well, but it's best to stay away from colored paper because of the dyes. 

Pine needles (also known as pine straw) are inexpensive and what I personally use.  

Grass clippings won’t cost you anything, but you must be careful they are not full of weed heads and seeds or else you’ll be defeating the weed smothering properties of mulch.   DO NOT use grass clippings if you’ve sprayed your lawn with weed killer.  It could hurt your garden.

Shredded leaves make for another free mulch, but they should be laid in a protected area because they are lightweight and may blow about.  

Stay away from hay.  It contains too many seeds and may overtake your garden.

Organic mulch will lessen evaporation and save on water more than hard surface (stone) mulches, but you may find the hard surface type more appealing visually.   Large or small lava rock, marble pieces, gravel, brick pieces as well as brick dust come in a variety of colors, so choose what will coordinate with the color of your home, garage, etc.  

HOW:  The denser the mulch, the thinner you need to spread it.  Spread shredded wood about two inches thick, while pine straw can be as thick as four to six inches because the rain and watering will compact it more rapidly.  

Don’t forget to mulch your potted plants, particularly those in terra cotta pots.  They are porous, which causes moisture to evaporate through the surface of the pot itself.