Expert
\..",r2
tvlulching as water Saving
Technique in Urban Landscaping
I
llr il. t. Shama
ssist ant Profess or ( H or ticulture
I ),
S ar d arkr ushi agar D atiw a d a
Agr i c ult ur al Univ e r sity, G uj arat
ater resources for landscape
gardening have been limited
over the years due to rapid
urbanization, improved living standards,
limited development of newwater supplies,
and dwindling current water supplies in the
urban and semi-urban areas. Not
surprisingly, one reaction to the looming
water crisis has been increased scrutiny of
how, and forwhat purposes, water is being
used during upcoming hot summer. To
mitigate the water stress in gardens,
mulching has a crucial impact as a water
saving technique in landscaping. It is
important mainly for conserving soil
moisture, relegating soil temperature, and
limiting soil evaporation, which affect the
ornamental plants. Mulching has many
strategic effects on rootzone ecosystem,
plant growth and microclimate. Mulch
insulates the soil, helping to provide a
buffer from cold and hot temperature that
have a crucial activity in creating beautiful
and protected landscape. The purpose of
48 I fuscryr Today I Aprit 2023
b. ils uasoya
D.K PG- Floriculture and landscaping
S ardarkrushi agar D atiw ada
Agri cult ur al Univ er s ity, Guj ar at
this paper is to summarize the information
about both organic and plastic mulch
materials, applicability and its impact the
efficient use of water in the urban
landscape.
Introduction: Water use has been
increasing globally by roughly lVo per year
over the last 40 years and is expected to
grow at a similar rate through to 2050,
driven by a combination of population
growth, socio-economic development and
changrng consumption patterns. According
to the latest figures from2020,26yo of the
world's population (2 billion people) did
not have access to safelymanaged drinking
water services and an estimated 46% (3.6
billion) lacked access to safely managed
sanitation. (The United Nations World
Water Development Report, 2023). While
urban water demand is projected to
increase by 80% by 2050, water allocation
from agriculture to urban centres has
a common
become strategy to meet
freshwater needs in growing cities. In
)\ ils Patet P.t.
PG- Floriculture and landscaping,
Sardarkrushiagar Datiwada' "
Agr i c ultur al Un iv er s ity, Guj ar at
India, cities as are generators ofwealth and
employment, incubators of innovation and
creatMty, and provide the best
opportunities to improve livelihoods, but
cities themselves are not just home to the
prosperous. The current performance of
India's cities is poor across key indicators
of quality oflife. India's cities fall well short
of delivering even the basic standards of
living for their residents including water
suppiy and park and open space. The
availability of per capita water for urban
user is only l05litres/day, which is below
to the basic service standard (150
litres/capit al day),while, the available open
space and park is merely 2.7 square meter
per capita, which is verylow than the basic
service standard (9.0 m2lcapita) for urban
inhabitants. The enhancement of urban
green landscape with water efficient
practices is one of the ways, which has the
potential to mitigate the adverse effects of
urbanization in a sustainable manner,
improved human use of land making cities

more attractive and comfortable to live
in'
Therefore, conservation of soil moisture
by
using mulching maybe an efEcient option
save urban water as well as rising
green
to
landscape area.
Mulching is the technique of covering
of the soil/ground surface around the
plants with a mineral, organic or synthetic
mulch to create more favourable condition
for the plant growth and to optimise water
establishes a linkage between soil
It
use.
and agro-meteorology which can modify
the plant microclimate' Mulch is defined
as
mineral'
any covering material including a
organic or inorganic applied on the soil
i'e''
surface. There are two tyPes of mulches
organic or biodegradable made of organic
of
materials and inorganic mainly made
plastic-based materials' These both
are
being popularised in recent years'
one
Although it is still contradictorywhich
is best in landscaPe gardening?
Benefits of mulching
conseryator
1. Mulch is considered awater
as it provides a barrier against soil-
moisture loss resulting in fewer watering
sessions for ornamentals'
2. Promotes the healthY growth bY
suppressing weeds and reduces incidence
ofpest and diseases.
3. Organic mulches works as a nutrient
It dso
supplier for healthy govrth of plants'
activates the soil
microflora and
microorganisms, which improves soil
texhrre bY increasing aeration'
4. Mulches give a clean appearance by
hidingthe soil. Decorative mulches makes
garden aestheticallY aPPealing'
5. Mulch covers the soil surface and
discourage pets from the digging of soil'
and
6. Mulch regulates the soil temperature
protects plant roots from direct sun
exPosufe.
7. Keep soil from splashing out when
-.G-te'tt.-
-r
loss.
watering Plants.
Living mulch
In landscaPe gardening, mulching
for Tiny groundcovers like dwarf sedium
should be decorative and beneficial
or living mosses, etc.
plant's health, depending on the type
used'
Organic mulch
Mulching helps prevent moisture loss
Bio-based cellulose, wood chips' nut
caused bY dty indoor or outdoor
sphagnum moss, leaf, paper' hay'
shells,
conditions. In addition, natural mulches
well-rotted manure, pine needles' Coco
decompose slowly, providing additional
into the soil which are vital to
nutrients
coir, comPost, newsPaPers and grass
clippings. etc. are common natural mulch
plant's health. The selection of an
materials. They are degradable to soil'
on
appropriate mulching material depends
improve water infiltration and provide
the types of materials, ecological locations'
additional nutritional benefits to the
and
colours, thickness, perforations
growing plants. In general organic mulch
availability of materials, cost- effectiveness
are cheaPer and easilY available'
and feasibilitY.
Plastic Mulch
Mulches used in Landscape Gardening
Plastic mulch are Acetate'
Decorative stones or gravel
polyethylene, polymeric materials having
It includes gravel, clay pellets' Peat'
longer durability. They are available in 15-
slate, crushed stone, pebbles' etc'
These
moisture 20 pm thickness and black, silver' white'
stones are lightweight and, aid in
red, blue, yellow, etc' colour' Plastic
retention and can be bought in various
mulches permits solarisation most
colours and sizes and provide the perfect
effectivd by boosting soil temperature and
splash of colour to soil surface'
reduces insect pest and vveeds' It restricts
Sand
water infiltration in soil.
Coral sand, glass sand, immature sand'
Mulching is a water Preserving
corase sand, gyPsum sand, etc' can be used
technique in garden and landscaPe areas
as mulch material. These increases the
of the garden by contrasting the for conserving soil moisture, regulating
aesthetics
The
temPerature and reducing soil erosion'
foliage colour of the plants with white
main strength of mulching is to conserve
background. It improves the soil drainage
soil moisture by reducing soil evaporation
weed
and aeration and also restricts
and controlling soil erosion' Basically
growth.
mulching conserves soil water by reducing
Marbles
soil evaporation and regulating soil
adds a range of colours and fun to
It
temperature which decrease irrigation
gardens and looks great when arranged
in
demand for growing ornamentals plants'
patterns, and they help to reduce moisture
Soil water and heat transfer mechanism
loss.
under the mulching is imPortant to
Glass mulch
for
increase the availability of the system
Lightrveight, non-degradable glass
efficient use of mulching' It is still
mulch or recycled coloured glass is
researchable that what amount of water
available in many shades and has no sharp
due to
topping saved by mulching which is critical
edges, making it the perfect mulch
interaction of microclimate' soil
to container plants and even for outdoors
environment and Plant grourttrs'
gardening. Moreover it prevents moisture
I{urscrgl TodrY I April zo23l 49