Like the majority of the Mid-West, here in KCMO it’s pretty hot.  It’s getting to the point where I get all my errands done before noon because it’s just too hot to do anything else after that.  And with all this oppressive heat, my garden is suffering immensely.  I usually water the garden 2 times a day, morning and night, but it seems like my plants have become stagnate.  I wasn’t sure what to do about this problem so I did some research and found that straw mulch was the best option.  I found an article written by Gwen Mellinger, who happens to teach at a university right down the road from where I live, giving the benefits of straw mulch.  Here is her list of benefits of using straw mulch:

• The straw mulch creates a barrier against weeds.  Essentially it smothers the weeds so they can’t grow very big or at all.
• It slows the evaporation of moisture.  Having mulch down means I can water less and therefore conserve water.
• Straw is relatively cheap.  I bought my bale for $6.  I’ve seen prices from $4-$8.
• You get a lot for your money.  I bought a regular sized bale and I only used about 1/4 of it.
• Straw is easy to put down.  It took me about 10 minutes to get it all laid down and spread evenly.
• When it eventually breaks down, it improves  your soil.