Weeding and Mulching

In an effort to lessen the amount of weeding that I will be doing this summer I am covering the garden beds one by one with a thick layer of straw mulch.  Before I lay down any mulch I try to remove as many weeds as I can so that they won't spread under the mulch.  Once I have removed everything that I don't want growing in the bed I lay down a nice thick layer of straw to cover any bare earth between the plants.  The mulch will shade the ground which can prevent new weed seeds from germinating.  The protected soil won't lose moisture to the air as fast so the plants growing in the mulch will be able to make better use of the available water in the soil.  The shaded soil will also be less susceptible to extreme temperature swings which makes for a more stable environment and happier plants in the garden.  I use straw for mulch because it is biodegradable, it allows water to percolate into the soil, and it doesn't contain seeds like hay does which would only make more weeding work for me.

I am also mulching the garden paths heavily because I really don't want to spend any more time pulling weeds than I have to.  Mulching the paths will also help the adjacent garden beds hold moisture better because it adds more volume to the area that is protected from wind and sun, thus keeping more precious water in the soil.

It is slow progress and I am focusing on weeding one bed in the morning before work and mulching it in if I have the time.  Hopefully once I get things under control around the vegetables I will have more time to turn my attention to other areas of the yard like the flower garden and perennial bed.  Summer harvests are just around the corner and will soon be consuming my precious spare time, so I want to clear what I can before I can't.