Mulching your beds will provide a number of very important benefits for your garden:

(1) Moisture retention - Mulching will reduce moisture evaporation from the soil, leaving more water for your plants to utilize.

(2) Cooler Soil Temperature - This proves to be very important during the hottest days of the summer. A mulched garden bed will be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than one without mulch. Much easier on your plants' root system.

(3) Reduced Maintenance - Mulching will reduce or eliminate grass and weed growth within your gardens, thereby knocking one weekend chore off the list.