Now I know that it’s only the south and the east of the country that is short of water, but mulching is generally a good thing even in areas where rain continues to fall – for example it stops the soil splashing up onto leaves in heavy rain. But for those of us already looking apprehensively at our water butts and working out how long they will last, mulching is a first line of defence in retaining moisture. I use a bark mulch in the woodland areas, round fruit bushes and for large containers – and Strulch, a lightweight mineralised straw mulch, on the borders and on the vegetable beds.
