mulch
MULCH
/mʌltʃ/
A layer of material applied to the surface of soil to conserve moisture, improve fertility, and reduce weed growth.
Mulch can be organic (straw, wood chips) or inorganic (plastic sheeting), but in organic farming, it is almost always biodegradable.
The story behind the word. The word likely comes from the Middle English 'molsh', meaning soft or moist. This perfectly describes the state of the ground underneath a good layer of straw or leaves.
Word relationships
- ground cover: Ground cover usually refers to living plants that cover the soil, while mulch is dead material.
- bare soil: Bare soil is exposed to the elements, whereas mulch protects it.
Commonly confused with
- compost: Compost feeds the soil from within; mulch protects the soil from above.
Collocations
- organic mulch
- wood chip mulch
- apply mulch
Example sentences
- "Mulch is any material that is spread or laid over the surface of the soil as a covering." A general definition of the material.
Memory hook
Mulch makes the soil 'much' better by keeping it 'moist'. Mulch = Moisture blanket.
When not to use
Don't confuse it with 'compost'; mulch stays on top, while compost is usually mixed in.
Fun facts
- In nature, forests create their own mulch through 'leaf litter,' which protects the roots of trees and feeds the soil as it rots.
Related words
Explore more words
compost, biodegradable, biomass, Plastic, slash-and-burn, decomposer
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.