Importance Of Proper Mulching
As far as how much mulch depth to build around your plants, this will depend on the type of soil surrounding it. Most of the soil around here is thick heavy clay and should only require 2 to 3 inches. Any deeper than that and you risk holding to much moisture on the surface leading to shallow rooted plants. Sandy soils can dry out faster and might benefit from a slightly deeper mulch layer (3 to 4 inches). Most sites could use even a thin layer of mulch, even sites that stay a little moist.
We recommend applying mulch any time of the year, but the prime time is mid to late spring after the soil has warmed a little. If you put it down to early in spring you could delay soil warming and possibly plant growth. You do not have to remove the mulch when you fertilize new or existing plants, just apply the fertilizer over the mulch and the nutrients will naturally move with water to the root system below.
In regards to what is the best mulch for you, there are many materials out there – each with their advantages and disadvantages. Most mulches are made from organic materials and are weed-free. Some of organic materials include all pine bark nuggets, pine straw, hardwoods, cypresses, cedar and compost. Pine straw, cypress, and cedar all look good and will remain in place better than most other materials but larger Pine bark lasts longer and can be washed with a heavy rain. Hardwood is usually most cost effective but breaks down faster and needs replaced more frequently.
Non-shredded leaves and grass clippings should not be used as mulch in landscape beds or around trees. They can form a thick mat that makes water penetration to the roots nearly impossible. Wood chips from freshly cut trees should also not be used. Fresh woodchips are low in nitrogen and will rob nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes.
Some inorganic mulches include various types of stone, lava rock, pulverized rubber, geotextile fabrics, and other materials. The advantages to these are they do not decompose and usually do not need to be replenished very often. On the down side, they do not improve soil structure as they break down, adding organic materials, and providing nutrients.
Regardless of what kind of mulch you choose to put down applying a layer of weed control granules first will help keep the weeds down. Weed control granules keep weed seeds from germinating in freshly applied mulch without effecting existing plants. Weed control granules should be applied anytime the soil is disturbed out fresh mulch is applied. With our long hot summers in mind the effects of the granules can wear off by fall, so a second application is often recommended.
Processing your request, Please wait....
