Mulch

Ah... the word mulch is music to the gardeners ear..especially here in Southern CA where we are endlessly fighting the heat , santa ana winds and  a growing season that is 24/7/365 etc etc.  The latter is important to remember.  In other temperate climates gardens get a chance to rest under the snow for a few months but here we have a climate that allows for year round gardening.  Because of this the fine art of mulching needs to be perfected and applied.  Mulching is the application of a deep organic matter (compost, leaves, hay/straw, pine needles, wood chips) that serves many purposes: (1) Directly protects the surface of the soil from the harsh elements (2) Helps regulate water absorption (3) Breaks down over time and adds much needed soil conditioning to the heavy clay soils we have in Southern CA.  

Today I covered most of my front yard in Pine Needles rescued from a friends house that needs a bi-annual clean up, resulting in 25 large garbage bags full...bliss!  The remainder goes into the compost pile which at this stage is 5 ft high and hot as Hades, the pine needles will break down faster this way.  Another option is to leave them in the bag after moistening them.  Leave aside for 2 years behind a garden shed or whatever.  In 2 years you will end up with a wonderful complex substance known as leaf mold that will (when dusted onto your soil) add millions of very beneficial microbes to your soil.

John