If you are serious about your garden, you should already know that mulching can be a great way to improve the health of your plants and trees. But do you know how to mulch properly? Even experienced gardeners frequently make mistakes that can lead to negative outcomes. The 10 tips listed below should help keep you on track.
#1 – Take Time to Clean Up
By regularly mulching over and over again, you can wind up with far too much material on the ground. Consider removing some of the old layers before putting down new mulch. You might not need to take this step every time you add some mulch, so watch your beds and determine when some needs to be removed.
#2 – Experiment with Various Options
There are many different mulching options available, so don’t feel like you always have to stick with the same products. Experiment with different colors and textures to see how they change the overall appearance of your landscape.
#3 – Attend to Bare Soil
You don’t want to have too much bare soil showing through on your property. That soil is likely to erode away over time, but you can limit that erosion by covering the soil up with a quality layer of mulch.
#4 – Not Just Plants
As the title of this article would indicate, you don’t want to neglect your trees when spreading the mulch. Sure, your plants will require plenty of attention – and you likely have more plants than trees – but make sure the trees you do have are cared for as well.
#5 – Think Twice About Plastic
If you put a layer of plastic down on the ground in order to control week growth, you might be disappointed with the results of your mulching efforts. That’s because the mulch is not going to be contacting the soil directly. Consider staying away from things like landscape fabric so you can get more powerful results from your mulching efforts.
#6 – Use Mulch for Visual Benefit
This process doesn’t have to be all about the health benefits of mulch for your plants and trees. That is important, of course, but mulch can also be used to accent the look of your landscape. When using mulch for its visual appeal, think carefully about the colors you want to include.
#7 – Take a Big-Picture View
While mulch is visually appealing in the right setting, it should not be considered the focal point of your landscape. A huge patch of mulch with just a few plants popping up is unlikely to satisfy your gardening desires.
#8 – Manage Depth
Mulch looks great in many settings, but a deep pile of mulch right next to a walkway is not appealing. Use a rake to manage the depth of your mulch with ease.
#9 – Aim for Three Inches
While you can adjust based on the weather in your area and the type of mulch in use, three inches of material is a good target for your planting beds.
#10 – Find a Good Source
Quality mulch is one of the most important parts of this process. Find a reliable source in your area and return to that same vendor time and again if you are happy with the results.