Ground Cover vs Mulch | Which Is Better?

[@chosen2030]

You should tell people that with chip drop they're going to get a whole truckload of the stuff and have to transfer it into their yard themselves. It's a helluva lot of mulch and hard work.

[@TheGardenNerd]

Good call. Thanks for the comment.

[@danielfisch655]

I use both mulch and a cover crop and thank you for sharing another great and informative video.

[@TheGardenNerd]

Thanks for watching!

[@jasonalston8897]

Is there a particular type of clover that you’d recommend for here in the Phoenix area?

[@TheGardenNerd]

Dichondra Clover is a great option that grows really well here.

[@yellowbird5411]

I do something that some would call strange. I use plain ol' dirt as mulch. Doesn't make sense, does it? Well, dirt is full of the minerals and enzymes that mulch is full of. That's where wood chips gets it's minerals. So, why not just use the source, and skip over the middleman? Not only that, but dirt has many minerals that the mulch doesn't have as much of. Dirt, when put around a plant, also serves to keep in moisture, as it's an extra layer of material to protect the roots from the hot sun. Dirt often has worms in it, depending on where you get it. I will take it from any area, but favor leaf drop areas where birds have been leaving their marks for years, and leaves have decayed long ago. But any dirt will work, even very depleted soil, such as I have, which is basically sand. Root zones of plants have been using up the minerals in the soil for a long time. A few shovelfuls of dirt will green up the plant (even trees) in short order. I have seen my citrus trees put out masses of oranges within a season using this method. Even outdoor potted plants can benefit. I say outdoor because dirt has bugs in it, so you don't want to bring that indoors to infest your plant. For small plants, you can mix a cup or two of dirt with some water and make some "dirt tea" to pour around them. But don't overdo it, as too much of a good thing can cause an imbalance of mineral uptake and cause some yellowing of leaves. Same with fertilizer. Go light, and see the results first on small plants, or just use a sprinkling of dirt around the roots.

[@TheGardenNerd]

Great comment, thank you. I agree, I always say that dirt, no matter what area of the world you're in, has all the nutrients you need to feed any tree or plant. The reason for ground cover or mulch though is that it invites and breeds soil biology. Soil biology is what breaks down the dirt and those minerals in dirt. Those minerals and nutrients aren't always plant available in their current form. Soil life will break those things down, poop them out and then make them available for the plants to take up. Thanks for watching!