Neutrog swears by it — and if you’re tired of wilting plants, you might too.

June 25, 2025

Is This The Most Overlooked Gardening Shortcut in South Australia?

How a simple layer of mulch can help your soil thrive, your plants shine, and your weekends feel a whole lot easier.

Neutrog’s best-selling mulch line once sold out twice in under a week — and it wasn’t just the green thumbs buying it. It was rookie gardeners, rental dwellers, and even those who thought “mulch” was just a fancy word for bark chips. Because once you see what mulch actually does? You can’t unsee it.

Dead-looking clay turned rich and earthy. Hydrangeas that finally bloomed. Weeds that stopped popping up every second Tuesday. That was just week three.

So why does mulch have this kind of garden magic?

Well — for starters, it’s not magic. It’s science with a little common sense. Mulch is simply any material (usually organic) used to cover the surface of the soil. But what it does is quietly brilliant:

It locks in precious moisture so your soil doesn’t dry out by 9am in January
Keeps weeds down by blocking sunlight to their seeds
Improves soil health as it slowly breaks down, feeding microbes and worms
Regulates soil temperature during extreme cold or heat
Looks tidy and intentional, like you actually know what you’re doing

In one quick weekend job, mulch becomes your silent garden babysitter. Working 24/7. Never needing a reminder.

Still think mulch is optional?

Let’s talk about the difference it makes over time. We had one customer — mid-30s teacher, first home, doing her best — who laid sugarcane mulch around her herbs last December. By March, her basil was shinier than her hair. And she swears she only watered three times that summer.

“It’s like I suddenly knew the cheat code. My garden just made sense after that.”

Mulch isn’t just for big backyards either.

Even if your entire “garden” is a few balcony pots or a curb strip — mulch works. In fact, the smaller the space, the more obvious the payoff. Less drying out, fewer weeds creeping through the cracks, and a more polished look with very little work.

Some of our favourite options?

Pea straw: nutrient-rich, perfect for veggie beds
Sugarcane: light, breaks down easily, loved by herbs and smaller plants
Pine bark: longer-lasting, great for ornamental beds and around shrubs
Lucerne: premium choice for feeding soil and supporting fruiting plants

We work with products from Neutrog and Brunnings that are specifically designed to suit our South Aussie climate. Which means they don’t just make things look nice — they actually help you grow better, faster, with fewer headaches.

So why do people skip mulch?

Honestly? A few common myths:

“It’s too messy.” Nope — modern mulches are clean, bagged, and easy to apply.
“It doesn’t matter that much.” You’ll care when your plants are still alive in February.
“It’s just for pros.” Mulch is one of the least technical garden jobs — lay it and walk away.

Here’s the real twist:

You don’t need a sprawling plot or decades of experience to mulch like a legend. You just need the right type, the right depth (5–7cm is ideal), and a free afternoon.

That patch that always dries out? Mulch it. The pot that seems to need watering daily? Mulch it. The front garden that looks a little sad? You guessed it — mulch it.

Used to take four hoses, three jugs, and two prayers — now it takes one layer.

One more thing no one tells you...

There’s something deeply satisfying about mulching. The way it instantly makes your garden look cared for. The earthy smell as it settles in. The calm that comes from knowing your plants are cushioned, covered, halfway to thriving.

It’s one of those simple, quiet jobs that proves you’re not just hoping your garden works — you’re actually doing something that helps it.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed by plant choices, soil advice, or fertiliser math — start here. Start with mulch. It may not be flashy, but it just might be the smartest thing you can do for your garden this year.

Happy gardening,
Candeece

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