if you dont want to weed .. then mulch ...

its your choice ....

better yet.. experiment.. leave half naked.. and mulch the other half.. and come to your own conclusions in September ...

ken

Let's talk about some of the benefits of mulching.

From my point of view, it's all about the soil. A layer of mulch buffers soil temperatures...preventing it from becoming too hot or too cold. This is an extremely important benefit not only for plant roots but for the essential soil microorganisms that our plants rely on.

Mulch helps prevent the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface. This is also important for roots and microorganisms.

A layer of mulch aids in water percolation, and decreases run-off, soil erosion, and splash-back.

And then, there's the weed prevention! That's probably the primary reason most people add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch, and with good reason.

Many of us have learned that the single most beneficial thing you can do in your gardening endeavors is to mulch. Keep a layer on the garden beds at all times for those microorganisms and just pull it back a bit to insert your plants into the soil every year.

Permanent plantings (trees and shrubs) benefit HUGELY from mulch, too.