Actually "S", that's a great question. And by the way, you'll soon see that it isn't waste at all, at least not from the point of view that I'm coming from.
Ok. First question to consider......why do I use mulch?
1- to control weed regrowth
2- to retain soil moisture
3- to protect the soil microbes
4- to provide nutrients to the plants
5- to retain soil so that it doesn't erode or blow away
6- to feed the worms
If you noticed, I applied water to the greenhouse soil prior to applying mulch. That's should give you a big hint.
The soil in the greenhouse is fairly young. I'm in the process of building it up. In order to get a good soil ecology going, I've been using generous amounts of fresh compost, supplementing that with livestock manures and urine. To create a preferred environment for soil life, I've been keeping the soil moist and shaded. This has meant watering once or twice a week plus keeping the soil surface covered with mulch. If soil drys out or bakes, I'd be losing much of the soil microbes and other soil life (worms, springtails, etc). The soil life is what decomposes the compost and manure teas, thus eventually providing plant nutrients. It's actually a complex cycle, but basically that's what's going on.
By covering the soil with mulch, even though I'm not presently growing a crop in the greenhouse, the soil life is preserved and is busily doing its thing. It's in somewhat of a holding pattern since there are no actively growing plant roots. But by being evenly moist and protected from sun, the soil life will do fine until I plant the next crop in the next week or so. The soil life will be able to re-establish their colonies and network, thus recovering from the light tilling by the time the seedlings start to grow.
So "S", even though I'm not growing an edible crop, I am growing a vast colony of soil life. I utilize this soil life in place of commercial fertilizers. So having a thriving soil life community is extremely important to me. Even with an edible crop, I will tend the greenhouse soil, keeping it moist, shaded, and full of food for the soil life.
Interesting question with an excellent answer. I have to say that once upon a time I probably would have asked the same thing, but then, my understanding has changed a lot over the years. Things I once considered wasteful I now see as resources. It's a learning process and we all start at the same place - the beginning!
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