It will also possess a substantial sponginess for holding on efficiently to moisture and nutrients. Plants in a healthy, fertile soil not only grow fast and vigorously. They also develop the strongest and largest root systems possible for their type, which gives them a superior ability to access available moisture. Studies have shown that less water is required to produce a pound of plant matter where soils are fertilized than where they are not fertilized. Mulching Healthy plants, products of a fertile, humus-rich soil, will have an enhanced tolerance to drought.
Plants can be further drought-proofed with the judicious use of mulches.
The time to apply mulching materials around plants and between rows is after the soil warms thoroughly in spring. To avoid creating a happy haven for a zillion wood bugs, earwigs and slugs, use very thin layers only of loose materials such as chopped straw. Grass clippings placed in shallow layers add nitrogen to the soil as they decompose. Mix grass clippings or another source of nitrogen with aged sawdust to counteract the temporary nitrogen-depleting action of sawdust on the soil. Organic mulches do more than help to retain moisture.