Any farmer worth their salt knows that soil is crucial to plant growth. Even though plants photosynthesize most of the matter in their body, their roots drink up a lot of nutrients as well.

That's where Mulch comes in.

Mulch is a superior form of dirt, that can also be tilled to farmland. It is immune to trampling, and a little more nutritious to any plant above it. Plants growing on Mulch will be occasionally ticked to grow. In addition, some plants may change their behavior when planted on it, or even require it to grow at all:

• Mushrooms will slowly grow Colonies of up to 5 in place before spreading to neighbor blocks, if planted by dark areas;
• Spices will require Mulch to be planted, as they will dry it out as part of their growth mechanics.

To make Mulch, you must compost organic matter amidst Dirt. The mechanics are still up in the air, but I'd like for this block to be something players slowly work towards, and not just get in droves right away.

• Main component candidates: Dirt, Tree Bark, Bone Meal, Rotten Flesh. These would be crafted into Organic Compost.
• Earthworms, a new entity, could be instrumental in converting organic scraps into Mulch, by burying into the blocks repeatedly until the mulch settles. Players would need to capture and trap them near Organic Compost.