the.com/mulch
the blanket your garden wears so weeds suffocate and roots party in the dark
means A protective layer of material—bark, leaves, straw, compost—spread over soil to lock in moisture, smother weeds, and keep roots happy.
from From Middle English molsh, meaning 'soft' or 'moist,' likely related to an old Germanic root behind words for softness and rotting (a cousin of 'mellow' and 'melt'). The idea was the soft, decaying matter you piled on the ground—so 'mulch' is, at heart, just 'the soft squishy stuff.'
weed killerBlocks sunlight that weed seeds need to sprout
water saverCuts soil evaporation dramatically in summer heat
slow deathVolcano-mulching a tree trunk can rot it
free versionFallen leaves and grass clippings work great
living mulchEarthworms feast underneath and enrich the soil