Mulch

Mulch (Japanese: こやし Fertilizer) is a type of item introduced in Generation IV. A mulch is essentially a fertilizer, which may be used before planting Berries in loamy soil. They promote healthy Berry growth, and have no use in battle. According to the lady in the Berry Master's house in Sinnoh, mulch is made "by mixing high-grade soil with Pokémon...um...you know...".

Varieties

Mulch comes in four different types: Growth, Damp, Stable, and Gooey.

Growth Mulch

The Growth Mulch speeds up the growth time of a Berry, but will also cause the soil to dry out faster. This requires the player to return to that spot more frequently with the Sprayduck. When using the Growth Mulch, the time taken for the tree to mature will be 75% of the normal time. Growth Mulch costs $200, and has 30 Power when accompanied with Fling.

Damp Mulch

The Damp Mulch slows the grow of Berries and causes the soil to dry slower. This reduces the amount of visits required to water the patch of soil. The tree maturation time is increased to 125% of the normal time taken. Damp Mulch costs $200, and has 30 Power when accompanied with Fling.

Stable Mulch

The Stable Mulch extends the time ripened Berries remain on their plants before falling. This means that the player may wait slightly longer than usual to collect them once they have fruited, before they wither and die. The Berries will stay on the branch for 125% of their usual time. Stable Mulch costs $200, and has 30 Power when accompanied with Fling.

Gooey Mulch

The Gooey Mulch increases the number of times new plants grow where mature plants withered. This means that if the Berries are not collected before they fall off, they will resprout more often than usual, requiring the player to plant less Berries. The number of times this happens will be increased by 125% of the usual amount. Gooey Mulch costs $200, and has 30 Power when accompanied with Fling.

Trivia

• Because some Mulch causes Berries to grow at different rates, it is possible to have some Berries with different growth times to grow in the same amount of time. Similarly, Berries with the same base growth time can vary in actual growth time.
• If more than one Mulch is used on a Berry, then only the effect of the most recent will apply.
• On Route 208 inside the Berry Master's house there is a book titled "Much Ado About Mulch: A Berry-Grower's Guide" which is named to play on William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"

This Pokémon article is part of Project BerryDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Berry in the Pokémon series.