How to Apply Mulch To Your Garden
There are many benefits of using mulch in your garden. It adds curb appeal by giving your yard a finished look, it retains moisture and helps to control weeds. However, like most products, you need to make sure that it is applied properly in order to get the full benefits. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your mulch.
- Don't add mulch in early spring. Spring is the time when the soil needs to warm up and allow plant roots to grow. Since mulch will actually help to keep the soil cooler, you will actually delay the growth of your plants if you put down mulch too early in the year. Wait until late spring when the risk of frost and cool evenings has passed.
- While mulch helps to control weeds, it is always best to give it a helping hand. Make sure to eliminate any weeds before you apply the mulch and make sure to pull up the roots when you do. If you do this, fewer weeds will grow. If you continue to pull out weeds throughout the year, you will find that there are fewer weeds with each passing year.
- Keep the mulch at least an inch or two away from the base of plants for two reasons. One, since mulch retains moisture, the moist mulch can actually start to rot away the stems and base of the plants. Two, the combination of shelter (the mulch) and readily available food (your plant) will encourage pests to stay and multiply.
- You should add about three inches of mulch every year. If the mulch has big chunks or pieces, then make the layer deeper. The larger the size of the mulch, the longer it will take for the mulch to work its way into the soil.
- Water plants first, add the mulch and then water again. If you start with moist soil and water regularly, it will stay moist.
- Don't add too much mulch. It should never be more than six inches deep. If the mulch is too thick, then the roots of your plants will start to grow in the mulch. This results in a shallow root system that can easily be damaged by cold weather and periods of drought.
- For aesthetic reasons, match the size of the mulch to the size of the plants and the garden it will be in. The smaller the plants, the smaller the mulch should be and vice versa. For example, shredded mulch works well in a small flower bed filled with annuals or perennials. Larger wood chips work well when placed around trees or shrubs.
- Finally, if you have poor soil and wish to improve its quality, you can always mix the organic mulch into the soil at the end of the season.
