Mulch 101

Mulching is a pretty big deal in the gardening world. There is a lot of talk about what mulch is best, where to use it, where to get it, and even how to use it. Mulching has a lot of benefits to the garden. This post will go over the basics of all things mulch.

What is Mulch?

Mulch is a layer of material like wood chips, bark, pine needles, straw or leaves that is spread over the dirt around the plants. It’s main purpose is to help with soil moisture, prevent weeds by smothering them out, and moderate the soil temperature. It is also very beneficial to the health of your soil by giving it organic matter to decompose and provide nutrients back into the earth. There are some “mulches” made from rubber tires and plastic but I would steer clear of these because they won’t help your soil at all. One exception is in play areas for kids. The rubber mulch is excellent for these areas.

Benefits of Mulch

• Retain soil moisture : The mulch covers the dirt around your plants, sometimes inches thick. By doing this, it keeps the moisture around the roots of the plants and helps them to stay hydrated without being water logged.
• Prevent weeds : Weeds, like plants, need sunlight to grow. If the sunlight is covering the weeds and their seeds, they cannot sprout and come to the surface. Mulch is great for suppressing weeds and their little seeds and keeping your garden tidier. It saves you a lot of work in the end from weeding if you are using enough. (Landscape paper is kind of controversial for weed suppression. I prefer to use cardboard and mulch instead of landscape paper. It doesn’t prevent weeds long term and doesn’t help the soil underneath it either.)
• Moderate soil temperature : Just like mulch retains moisture, it also helps with the temperature of the soil. In the hot summer, mulch will keep the earth and roots of the plants cooler. In the winter, it provides a layer of insulation to the roots to help protect them from the elements.
• Provides nutrients to the soil : Mulch is organic things from the earth that will break down and decompose. Soil loves decomposition. It puts nutrients and minerals back into the dirt. It also brings worms and other beneficial insects which are great for plants and soil health.

How to Mulch

• Clear the area of weeds and debris
• If you are mulching over a lot of weeds or grass that is tough to get up, I lay down some cardboard first before adding the mulch. You can use landscape paper as well but that’s not recommended for the health of the soil.
• You can add a layer of compost (see this post HERE) after cardboard but before mulch. This is really beneficial to your plants and soil.
• Spread a layer of mulch 2-4 inches deep. Don’t pile it right next to the plants stems and trunk. This creates a habitat for bacteria and fungus.
• For trees and shrubs, make sure the mulch goes out as far as the canopy or leaves. (this is known as a drip line).
• Water to help it settle down

Different Uses

There are several different kinds of mulch and each have their own benefit and use for certain areas. Straw and hay are good for vegetable gardens. Pine needles can be good for areas under large trees and shrubs. Wood chips are great for flower beds and walkways. My personal favorite, and a trick my aunt taught me, is to use steer manure and then a layer of wood chips. This is SO good for your soil and your plants will love it. Steer Manure can usually be bought in bags at Home Depot and Lowes and probably your local farm or garden store.

The last benefit I love about mulch is that it looks clean and neat. Flower beds look better with a layer of all the same mulch. Home landscaping looks tidier and well manicured with a fresh layer of in spring and fall.

Where to Get It

Mulch can be obtained several ways. Chip Drop is a good resource for wood chips and I’ve had great success with them. For my landscaping around my yard, I like to buy the bags of dark brown or black mulch from my local hardware store. (They always go on sale during Memorial Day). If you have large trees in your yard, you can rake the leaves and use those as in the fall. Hay and straw can be purchased from hardware or farm stores.

Fall and Spring are the best times to mulch so now is an excellent opportunity. It’ll help your plants keep moist over the winter and protect their roots, plus it will look neat and tidier than the mud that inevitably comes during this time of year.