In order to explore whether cover mats are suitable for covering urban bare soil and the appropriate amount of glue and the particle size for the cover mats, the compressive resistance, water permeability, and water holding capacity of 10 different cover mats with different glue dosages (glue content accounts for 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40% of the garden waste)and different particle sizes (small particle size 0~1 cm and large particle size 1~3 cm) were analyzed in laboratory experiments. The results showed that the compressive resistance of different cover mats significantly increases with the increment of the glue dosage, and the compressive resistance of cover mats before soaking was better than that after soaking. The cover mat with small particle size had relatively good water permeability when the amount of glue was lower than 30%, and the water permeability significantly decreased when the amount of glue was higher than 30%, and the permeability coefficient was between 1.09 and 9.35 cm/s. The water permeability of cover mats with large particle size was basically unaffected by the amount of glue applied. The water permeability was good, and the permeability coefficient was generally between 0.25 and 0.33 cm/s. The water holding capacity of the cover mats had a significant logarithmic relationship with the soaking time, Q=aln(t)+b, R²>0.95. The water absorption rate of the cover mats showed a significant power function relationship with the soaking time, V=ktⁿ, R²>0.99. The maximum water holding capacity (rate) and effective storage capacity (rate) both increased firstly and then decreased with the increment of glue dosage. The effective storage capacity of the small particle size cover mat was between 120.78~142.21 t/hm², and the effective storage rate was between 93% and 113%. The effective storage capacity of the large particle size cover mat was between 71.71~83.35 t/hm², and the effective storage rate was between 54% and 65%. In summary, the results can provide theoretical basis and practical support for urban bare soil coverage.