Q: I added straw to my vegetable garden as a mulch and now there are hundreds of weeds coming up. Does the shade and watering help the weeds seeds grow? I thought the straw was supposed to prevent weeds and keep the soil damp. A: I wonder if you added hay and not straw. Any…

Merriam-Webster’s definition for mulch is a “protective covering spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (such as strawberries) clean.” Backyard Conservation Tipsheet provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services notes, “Mulching is one of the…