Suppresses weed growth over the Winter.
Prevents loss of soil nutrients from heavy rainfall, weathering and erosion.
Helps prevent soil compaction.
Methods of mulching:
1)Sow a cover crop for example phacelia, buckwheat or vetch or a combination of seeds. This is your “green membrane” which prevents weeds growing. The sooner you sow this the better, ideally before the end of September.
2)Cover the plot with a weed suppressing membrane – mypex, old carpet, cardboard…
Plastic covers tend to shred and tear in strong winds, I would not recommend.
In Spring you can unveil the weed suppressing membrane to reveal a clean plot ready to plant up. If you have sown a cover crop “green membrane” this can be dug in and the nutrients are returned to the soil.
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