One of our other big projects in the garden this week was mulching. I had almost completely forgotten about mulching, but the Master Gardeners were on top of it!

Our 3 bales of year old wheat straw easily mulched the three areas we have tomatoes, plus the peppers and the vertical garden. We put the mulch around the plants, about 2-3 inches deep.

Some of the goodness of mulch includes:

1. Cools down the soil a few degrees – this is a good thing as the summer gets hotter!

2. Keeps the soil more evenly moist – less watering, happier plants!

3. Suppresses weeds – less work for us. Hurray!

4. Helps keep disease off the plants and keeps the produce cleaner. Less spraying, washing, and rotten fruit!

If you can’t find straw, you can also use grass clippings (not treated with herbicides), leaves, compost, or wood chips.