Texas FFA Nursery Landscape Practice Exam

What is the primary benefit of mulching around trees and shrubs?

1. Enhancing aesthetic value

2. Improving soil fertility

3. Reducing weed growth

4. Protecting from pests

The correct answer is: Reducing weed growth

The primary benefit of mulching around trees and shrubs is indeed reducing weed growth. When mulch is applied, it creates a barrier that limits the amount of sunlight that reaches the soil surface, which is essential for weed seed germination. As a result, fewer weeds are able to establish themselves in the area around the trees and shrubs. This not only helps in maintaining the aesthetics of the landscape but also reduces competition for nutrients and water between the desirable plants and weeds, allowing the trees and shrubs to thrive more effectively. While enhancing aesthetic value, improving soil fertility, and protecting from pests are important aspects of landscape management, they serve secondary roles in comparison to the critical function that mulching plays in weed suppression. Mulching can also contribute to soil temperature regulation and moisture retention, which indirectly supports plant health, but the primary and most immediate benefit is the suppression of unwanted weed growth.